Hey there!

I’m really looking forward to this upcoming week! I’m competing in Kansas City at the PPA Selkirk Kansas City Open with ThatPickleballGuy in our second tournament together!

We’ve spent time critiquing and finalizing our gameplay from Newport Beach to make sure we come in more dominant than ever. 💪

Before we get to your video

I’d appreciate it if you could help me out! 🙏

I want to create the perfect content for YOU 🫵, so I created this quick survey.

If you have two minutes, could you fill this out? Thank you so much! 🙌

In today’s email:

• 🤫 EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: How to hit an overhead smash

• ⏱️ Get your 60-second fix

• 💪 What I’m working on right now

Let’s get to your video!

How to Hit an Overhead Smash 🔨

We’ve all whiffed when trying to hit an overhead 😩. It happens.

And, if you don’t have a tennis background 🎾, you may not understand the mechanics behind hitting a solid overhead smash.

In this week’s EXCLUSIVE VIDEO, I show you the steps to take to take your overhead smash to the next level and never whiff or hit it into the net again!

👆 Point at the ball

When a pop-up starts coming your way, it’s easy to want to throw your paddle up and slam it down immediately. Instead, the proper way to begin your overhead smash technique is to point at the ball with your offhand. By pointing at it, you’re helping your eyes track it better and preparing your body by rotating your hips.

⚾️ Pretend you’re throwing a baseball

While the ball is in the air, after you’ve pointed at it, the next thing you want to do is put your paddle hand in a position as though you’re about to throw a ball. Your elbow should be cocked behind your ear and prepped, ready to strike.

🫰 Snap your wrist

The final part is where the power comes from – it’s also how you avoid hitting the ball into the net. Right before contact, you want to act like you’re dunking a basketball and snap your wrist forward.

🔔 Practice

To practice this, have a friend toss up some balls or attempt some lobs, and then work on your overhead smash technique. Just make sure they move out of the way so they don’t get tagged by the ball! 😆 

Left Side vs Right Side Players ♾️

When two right-handed players play together, knowing the difference between how to play on the left side vs the right side of the court is SO important.

Learn about Left Side vs the Right Side Players ♾️…

IN UNDER 60 SECONDS 👈

What I’m Working On Right Now

I spent the last 7 days putting emphasis on FANTASTIC returns.

Hard, deep returns are very underrated. 🧠

They set up a hard third shot for your opponent. Often giving you a high ball putting you way ahead early in the point. 🔨✅

The main takeaway is this:

Fully strike the ball before moving. The error of a missed return occurs when you are “rushing” to the kitchen line.

Hit. Then move.

If your return is deep, you’ll have plenty of time to make it to the line! 🏃💨