Keeping the ball low in pickleball helps you dominate rallies. Low shots are harder to return, giving you the upper hand if you can execute them correctly. To keep the ball low, maintain control of your paddle angle, hit the ball early (before it has a chance to drop), and make sure not to grip the paddle too tightly.
7 Tips on How to Keep the Ball Low In Pickleball
1. Optimize Your Paddle Angle
Understanding the relationship between your paddle’s angle and the ball’s trajectory is fundamental.
For a low drive shot, maintain a downward paddle angle. This precise alignment is key to executing shots that skim close to the net.
2. Master Topspin
Topspin is a powerful tool to keep the ball low. Initiate your backswing from a lower position and strike the ball from beneath, imparting spin.
Beware of over-hitting; excessive force can negate the spin’s benefits, sending the ball higher than intended. Practice moderating your power to harness topspin effectively.
In the video below, pro player and coach Will East demonstrates how to impart topspin to your dinks:
3. Time Your Hits
Striking the ball early in its arc allows for a downward shot angle. Waiting until the ball drops forces you to hit upwards, raising the ball’s flight.
Aim to connect with the ball when it’s still above net height for optimal trajectory control.
4. Loosen Your Grip
A tight paddle grip can hinder your shot precision, often resulting in shots that dive into the net.
Embrace a relaxed grip to enhance paddle maneuverability and shot accuracy, especially for those critical low shots.
5. Leverage Your Body Position
Adjusting your body position can significantly impact your shot’s angle. Instead of a static stance, position yourself over the ball.
Lean forward and engage your whole body to drive the shot, ensuring it stays low across the net.
6. Utilize Cross-Court Dinks
Dinks are a strategic way to maintain a low ball trajectory. By targeting cross-court shots, you benefit from the increased distance over the net, giving you a greater margin for controlling the shot’s height. This angle complicates the return for your opponents, keeping the play in your favor.
7. Simplify Your Swing
A lengthy backswing can inadvertently increase the ball’s height and reduce your control. Opt for a shorter, more compact swing to maintain awareness of your paddle’s orientation throughout the shot. This adjustment helps keep the ball low while preserving shot precision.
Check out the video below for a visual demonstration on how to effectively keep the ball low during game play:
Why do you want to keep the ball low in pickleball?
So, we’ve covered HOW to keep the ball low in pickleball. But what about WHY?
The simple answer to this question is that low shots are generally harder to return – or, at least, harder to return with control and power:
1. Limits Opponent’s Offensive Options
By keeping the ball low, you restrict your opponent’s ability to execute powerful offensive shots like smashes or drives. High shots offer opponents the chance to attack aggressively, putting you on the defensive.
Low shots force opponents into a more defensive posture, reducing their chances to hit the ball with force.
2. Increases Opponent’s Error Margin
Low shots are technically more challenging to return. When the ball barely clears the net, opponents must carefully lift it over the net without hitting it too high or too softly, increasing the likelihood of mistakes or less strategically advantageous returns.
3. Gives You Tactical Control
Maintaining a low trajectory on your shots means your opponent often has to hit upwards to get the ball over the net.
This typically results in a higher, slower return, giving you more time to set up for your next shot and place it more strategically, whether for a winning shot or to maintain your positional advantage.
4. Facilitates Rally Manipulation
Pickleball games thrive on rally control and forcing your opponent to move in a manner that opens up the court for you.
By keeping the ball low, you can better dictate the rally’s pace and direction, maneuvering your opponent into less favorable positions and creating opportunities for point-winning shots.
5. Promotes Precision and Skill
Executing low shots consistently requires precision, timing, and a deep understanding of the game’s dynamics. It demonstrates a player’s skill level and their ability to use strategic depth to outplay opponents, making it a critical aspect of advanced pickleball play.
In summary, pickleball is all about manipulating rallies and forcing your opponent to move around the court. Keeping the ball low takes away some of your opponent’s control and, therefore, is a crucial weapon in dominating any game of pickleball.
Mastering the Mental Game of Keeping the Ball Low
For many pickleball players, the difficulty of keeping the ball low is mental rather than physical or technical.
If you were to take away the net, players would be able to execute a low shot repeatedly. As soon as the net is there, the fear of hitting it takes over, and mistakes start to creep in.
One of those mistakes is the death grip we mentioned earlier. Maintaining correct grip pressure can be difficult, especially as the game progresses and rallies get tenser. However, keeping a loose grip on the paddle is a crucial element of maintaining your mental game.
The best way to work on the mental aspect of your pickleball game is to run drills. For example: how many drives can you land successfully without making a mistake? These types of mini-games in practice help you learn how to perform under pressure.
