Power & Precision: Controlling Your Forehand Drive

The Best Drill Ever, The 95 Year Old PB Phenom, Pickleball & The Planet, PB & Physics, PB & QVC and More!

Author

FIT PICKLER
October 10, 2024

Health, Fitness, News & Fun for Picklers of All Ages

What's Cooking in the Kitchen This Week:

  • Power & Precision: Mastering the Controlled Forehand Drive

  • Fitness Expert Glenn Dawson: The Ultimate Ankle Test

  • The Best Drill To Improve Your Game: Skinny Singles

  • Pickleball, People and The Planet

  • QVC Pickles Up: Live Pickleball Matches From USA Pickleball

  • HUMOR: When Your Partner Makes a Bad Call But…

  • Pickleball Physics Explained!

  • Pickleball Market Projected To Hit $2.91 Billion By 2030

  • Community Spotlight: 95-year-old Dominates The Pickleball Courts

  • The Fit Pickler T-Shirt of the Week!

  • Rally Rundown: Local Highlights

  • Announcements: PICKLEROO Coming to Jacksonville, Florida

  • Coach Mary: The 4 Pickleball Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner!

🥷SKILLS

Power & Precision: Mastering
the Controlled Forehand Drive

Power and Accuracy

The forehand drive is a powerful tool in pickleball, often used to apply pressure on your opponents and force them into defensive positions. However, many players struggle to balance power with control, often hitting the ball too hard and sending it out of bounds.

By learning to control your forehand drive, you can consistently place the ball deep into your opponent’s court while maintaining accuracy. In this article, we’ll break down the key elements of executing a controlled forehand drive, discuss its strategic benefits, and offer drills to help you master this essential skill.

What is a Controlled Forehand Drive?

A forehand drive in pickleball is a fast, powerful shot hit with the forehand side of your paddle, typically aimed at your opponent’s baseline. The goal is to apply enough speed and force to challenge your opponent while still maintaining enough control to keep the ball in play.

 🏋️ STAYING FIT with
GLENN & BRIANNA

The Ultimate Ankle Test

SEEKING BETA TESTERS

Hi Everyone! Glenn here. I need Pickleball Players to help me Beta Test a Customized Nutrition and Strength Training Program - Completely FREE - Yes, you read that right, I am giving training away for free so I can hear your thoughts! I need Pickleball Players specific feedback - Check it out here!

🥷SKILLS

The #1 Pickleball Drill To Improve
Your Doubles Game: 'Skinny Singles'

Really Skinny Singles!

Most of us are already familiar with "skinny singles," but did you know what an incredible drill it is for honing your doubles game? Learn how exactly it’s so effective and how to maximize your practice while playing skinny singles.

We break down the essential benefits of the drill and offer pro tips to refine your strategy and improve your game even when it's just two of you on the court. Ready to level up? Read on for expert insights!

👏COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Pickleball, People and The Planet
Interview with Matt Cerny
Founder Pickle For The People

People, Pickleball and The Planet

What if playing pickleball could help both communities in need and the planet we share? That’s exactly the vision Matt Cerny, founder of Pickle for the People, is bringing to life. Through his innovative company, Matt is making pickleball more sustainable and accessible.

In this conversation, Matt shares how his passion for the game, love for the environment, and a dedication to helping others inspired him to create a company that gives back.

Love pickleball and the planet? Read more about this incredible story of love of the game and the quest for sustainability…

🗞️ NEWS

QVC Pickles Up: Live Pickleball
Matches From USA Pickleball

Alot Of People Are Watching More Than One.....

QVC has made its move into live sports, and the focus? Pickleball! In an exciting new deal with USA Pickleball, the home shopping giant is set to stream pickleball tournaments, including the highly anticipated USA Pickleball Nationals, on its QVC+ and HSN+ streaming platforms.

It’s a bold step into the fast-growing world of pickleball, especially for women over 50, one of QVC’s key audiences. Curious about how this unique partnership is shaping up? Read more to discover how QVC is serving up sports with a side of shopping.
Click HERE…

🤣HUMOR

When Your Partner Makes a Bad
CallBut You Always Have His Back

@pickle.hubb

if he says its out, then its gotta be out 🤥 #pickleball #pickleballmemes #funny #fyp

👩‍🔬SCIENCE NEWS

Pickleball Physics Explained

She Blinded Me With Science….

Ever wondered how a pickleball can zip across the court at 65 mph or why the sound of a paddle strike echoes through the air? Discover the science behind the sport with “Professor Pickleball,” who breaks down the physics that make every shot—from a blazing serve to a lofty lob—so dynamic.

Learn how spin, speed, and even the holes in the ball impact your game, and why your paddle acts more like a drum than you think.

From the mechanics of a wicked serve to the secrets behind that famous sound, this article uncovers the science driving the sport’s explosive growth.
Discover the intriguing physics behind every shot here….

💸FINANCIAL NEWS

Pickleball Market Projected To Hit
$2.91. Billion By 2030

Things Are Looking UP and UP and Up

Pickleball’s market is on track to hit a staggering USD 2.91 billion by 2030. This monumental growth is driven by surging participation across age groups and a rapid expansion of dedicated courts and facilities, particularly in North America.

With major brands investing heavily and specialized tournaments gaining visibility, the sport is becoming a lucrative opportunity for investors and businesses alike. If you're curious about all the projections about this growing market, get the full report and discover what’s next for pickleball here…

👏 COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

95-year-old Dominates
The Pickleball Courts

95 and Going Strong!

At 95 years young, Lois White is not just defying the odds—she’s dominating the courts! Twice a week, she steps onto the pickleball courts at the New Century Fieldhouse in Gardner, Kansas, holding her own against players decades younger. For White, pickleball is more than a game—it’s a lifeline to vibrant social connections.

With a life full of new hobbies, dancing, music, and a family spanning five generations, Lois’s energy and community spirit are nothing short of inspiring. Want to know how she keeps it all going? Meet the incredible woman who’s redefining what aging gracefully really means. Click HERE…

📜 ANNOUNCEMENTS

PICKLEROO COMING TO
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA

PickleRoo is a traveling Pickleball festival and marketplace that combines all of the elements of pickleball, into a family-friendly festival atmosphere - offering enthusiasts a place to secure the best deals on all pickleball related products, test your luck on skills challenges, play in open format, or watch the action while enjoying the festival activations! Ages 10 & Under are Free

Beginner Clinics: Learn the basics with expert-led sessions designed for newcomers of all ages.
Skill-Building Workshops: Enhance your techniques with fun and engaging sessions from experienced players.
Friendly and Open Play Matches: Enjoy casual games in a relaxed and supportive environment with 7 professional courts ready to be taken on.
Vibrant Vendor Village: Explore booths offering the latest pickleball gear, accessories, and merchandise at prices not found anywhere else
Festival Ambiance: Soak in the vibrant, festive atmosphere and landscape with colorful decorations, lively crowds, and a cheerful vibe - all in the name of Pickleball!
Food and Drink: Savor delicious local cuisine and refreshing beverages from a variety of food trucks and stands and Bars for 21+
Live Music and Entertainment: Groove to live performances and enjoy family-friendly entertainment throughout the festival.Family Friendly: Fun activities and games for younger attendees, pickleball and beyond!

SHIRT OF THE WEEK

🧭 COMMUNITY NEWS

RALLY RUNDOWN:
LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS

HOLDING COURT with
COACH MARY

  💪 The 4 Pickleball Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner!

4 Pickleball Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner!

Justin from the Pickleball Journey Boys offers
“4 Pickleball Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner”

1. Lobbing from the NVZ - How to correctly utilize the offensive lob in doubles.

Same motion as with a dink but lift through it a bit more. Get low, push up, push more, from your hips and core. Low to high.

Where are you aiming? To the backhand side if possible. High enough to get over them, but not so hard that you hit it out.

Check your opponent’s position, and that will help you decide what your target is. Example: if your opponent is leaning forward, trying to take the dink out of the air, or if she must go into the NVZ to reach a short dink, this is a great time to lob.

Do not overuse this shot. When we are lazy or tired, we might throw these up more often. Do not use it more than two or three times in a game, or your opponent will anticipate and cheat to get back.

2. Trying to put too much spin on the ball when you are dinking.

Trying to put slice and topspin on the dink makes you choppy.

Instead, lock your wrist, and use your core and hips and shoulders to lift and control the ball.

3. When hitting a third shot drop, do not fall back!

Instead, move back early, so you can contact the third shot in front of you, and get low for first contact.

You want to be able to follow it in, so your weight should be forward so you can get to the net quickly.

No backswing, no big swing. You want control. Paddle is in front of you, and you get to the ball low – at your knees. Shorter backswing, but accelerate through the ball, and finish up high.

4. Let More Balls Go Out!

If your opponent is winding up, and contacting low to high, or out of position, tend to let it go out.

The higher the level, the more power they use, so more balls will go out.

If the ball is shoulder or head high, this would be one you would let go. (Unless they have great topspin!)

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