#1 way to have fast hands in pickleball + how to hit a serve like Ben Johns
If I had to pick the #1 question that I get asked by my pickleball students, it would have to be something along the lines of “How can I improve my reaction time?” or “How can I recognize when my opponent is speeding up the ball?”
There is actually two answers to this question. The first answer, you can implement as soon as you step onto the pickleball court again. The second answer, however, will be the most difficult to implement but will ultimately make the biggest difference. Not to mention, very few people will ever actually do it.
So what the first answer?
Follow the ball, not just with your eyes but with your paddle. Wherever the ball is, your paddle tip should be facing. If your partner is dinking a ball, point your paddle tip towards your partner. If the opponent directly in front of you is dinking a ball, point your paddle tip towards them.
What this does is makes it so you are opening one side of your paddle face towards the ball, which will automatically lead to a quicker reaction time. So try that next time you play and you’ll instantly become a countering machine.
That brings us to the second answer...
This is the answer that next to no one will implement because it involves prioritizing time to do it. So heres the answer…Do wall drills. Nothing will improve your hand speed quicker than going up to a wall and beating a pickleball against it.
It will help strengthen your forearm and wrist muscles, as well as your hand eye coordination. Any wall will work to go against but I personally use the Dink Master because you can tilt it to different angles, and you can drill at your home. If you’d like to pick one up you can go through this link and get $15 off. Please note that I am affiliated with them… So there is no pressure to get one. Feel free to just use a wall… That being said, it is really convenient to have.
If you don’t know what wall drills to do, there are tons of different ones on the Pickleball Drills App that I have found work best to improve hand speed. More drills will be uploaded on August 1st, so be on the look out!
Hopefully this has brought you some value. If you have made it this far into the email, you get to be one of the first people to see my new video all about how to serve like Ben Johns. I think you’re going to love it. Leave me a comment of what you thought about it after you watch.
- Austin