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CJ Johnson
Tony Roig
Pickleball Drills-Block Effectively and Win More Points
It’s fun to watch the best pickleball players change a dinking game into an attack. They are so quick and their ability to block is amazing!
Do you block effectively? Would improved blocking help you win more points or more pickleball games?
When I did an inventory of my shots, my score for blocking was initially 75%. Then I thought about it, my first block is usually successfully, but after that my weakness showed up. My paddle was out of position, the ball popped up for an easy put away or I lost balance and couldn’t get to the next shot. Has any of this been happening to you?
I was taught to use a flat downward motion to block. The result after a couple of shots is an excessive arm swing often resulting in the paddle getting out of position, namely behind me. In turn, I am out of balance and on the defensive.
Laura Fenton Kovanda, 50 plus double gold medalist and runner up in the women’s pro division at inaugural US Open Pickleball Championships, helped me work on blocking effectively by using down to up motion versus a flat motion.
A picture really is worth a thousand words so check out the video below. Laura shows me the upward motion of the hand and paddle that she uses to block effectively and then engages me in a “fast hands drill”. You get the chance to see one of the best over 50 pickleball players in the country and perhaps learn a little from my mistakes!
Do you block effectively? If not use this drill and practice the technique. It may help you win a few more points!
IF this was helpful, feel free to share!
CJ Johnson
Hey there — I’m a professional three-sport athlete and coach who has spent my entire adult life earning a living from playing and coaching sports. Since I started coaching more than three decades ago, one thing has remained the same: My commitment to see students not as they are but as what they can become and to move heaven and earth to help them realize their untapped potential. You should know that when it comes to helping pickleball players over 50 live their best lives on and off the courts, I'm an expert. Good pickleball is not just technique; it's the mind and body working holistically. That's why I'm also a personal trainer and weight management specialist. When I’m chillin', you'll find me watching Star Trek with my husband John and our two fur babies, Shirley and Ralph. (Yes, Happy Days)
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