🥒🏓 Drill For Covering The Line With Your Backhand

1️⃣ Have your drilling partner feed you speed ups off of the bounce, down the line. Choke up on the paddle with your non-dominant hand. Feel relaxed. Simultaneously step towards the line with your outside foot while striking the ball forward out in front of you.

2️⃣ Once you feel confident in your ability to counter with your non-dominant hand (try relentlessly until you figure it out, it could take 5 balls, it can take 500 balls, stick with it!), lightly put your dominant hand underneath in your usual grip placement at the kitchen. Execute the same drill EXCEPT this time you have both hands on the paddle. Be sure to feel as if your dominant hand is barely gripping the paddle. This will allow you to strike the ball with much power while adding control.

⭐️ It is crucial to add a 2 hand backhand to your toolbox, as opponents may be able to take advantage of you if you don`t have one. If I notice a player does not, I seek to attack where they must reach outside of their shoulder with their 1 hand backhand to hit the ball, as it is tough to get around the ball to effectively counter such balls with a 1 hand backhand. The 2 hand backhand counter negates that advantage created as you can then whip the ball using your non-dominant hand, arm, and hip to generate much power & leverage. Previously, I was beating qmillz89 down the line on many speed ups consistently. With this addition, he is now turning a weak spot into a strength 👏🏻 This is the same drill mikaelvoll_pb & I did to help him develop this weapon to his artillery
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🥒🏓 Tip For Unwinding To Stack When Returning A Serve

1️⃣ Hit the ball hard & deep cross court to make the cross court opponents drive much tougher while giving yourself more time to react

2️⃣ Anticipate the cross court opponent sees your line wide open & will drive the ball hard down the line

3️⃣ Sell out & cut off the angle cranking a forehand

⭐️ Be sure to discuss with your partner that you may execute this type of 🥒🏓🎣 strategy, so they know they should get big in the middle to protect you if they drive behind you

⭐️ Analyze this tactic throughout the game, as your opponents could catch on and start hitting drives behind your partner, yourself, and mixing in hybrid aggressive drops in various spots to combat you & your partners movements. In that case, you would want to return to the middle from a width standpoint to cut off angles. At the same time, they may continue to keep rushing and hitting drives down the line causing many misses, easy volleys for yourself, & lead to your team to victory.

⭐️ If you are unwinding & your backhand is covering the line, use a 2 hand backhand to execute this 🥒🏓🎣 tactic
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🥒🏓 Transition Zone Drill

⭐️ Player at the kitchen line aims to apply max pressure on the opponents at transition by hitting balls hard and as low as possible without hitting the ball into the net.

⭐️ Players in transition aim to split step before the kitchen player strikes the ball, so they can accurately decide whether they should absorb the pace of the ball to place it into the kitchen or attack the ball by aiming just above the net cord.

👇🏻This help improve your abilities to 👇🏻

1️⃣ Reset low balls when in the transition zone to get your team to the kitchen line to even the rally

2️⃣ Attack balls in the transition zone effectively to win more rallies

3️⃣ Feel comfortable hitting balls hard at your opponents when they are in transition & playing the next ball to win the rally

🚨This is a flexible drill that you can do effectively with 2 people instead of 3

🚀 Appreciate egoathletica providing me with a tank & light shorts to keep me comfortable & cool throughout 2 hour drill sessions! Use code DEAN at checkout for 15% off all gear from egoathletica 👍🏻
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🥒🏓 Tip To Fool Opponents

1️⃣ Hit aggressive dinks & speed ups off the bounce from the same position, to keep your opponents on their heels. This allows you to become unpredictable.

2️⃣ When finally throwing your attack off the bounce after establishing aggressive dinks, make contact slightly earlier to cause your opponents to be late on their counter 👍🏻

🚨NOTE: I really like how tommyy.hoff baited this attack throughout the rally, as many people would have sped up down the line earlier in the rally and/or sped up without patiently setting up the attack & intently focusing on hitting a specific spot , which would have led him to execute a winning counter. I do recommend experimenting with such baiting tactics in your games, as you may generate easy points!

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🥒🏓 Tip On How To Sequence Attacks

⭐️ Sequence your attacks as if you are a ⚾️ or 🥎 pitcher - the goal is to be unpredictable to put your opponents on their heels, unable to successfully anticipate what your plan is!

⭐️ Practice hitting multiple attacks from the same arm slot, so you can successfully execute such attacks in a game situation

⭐️ Just like a ⚾️ or 🥎 pitcher, you will not read your opponent well 100% of the time. If you win on 6 of 10 of your attacks in a game that you have to win about 55% of rallies to win a match, it`s worth the 4 attacks that do not work in your favor!

⭐️ Felt great rocking egoathletica tank that fits me well and keeps me cool on court & their light shorts to help me shuffle with ease! Use code DEAN at checkout for 15% off all gear from egoathletica 👍🏻
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🥒🏓 Drill To Win More Hands 👋🏻 Battles

1️⃣ Feed a dead dink

2️⃣ Partner hits a speed up to a specific spot

3️⃣ Counter their speed up to engage in a firefight 🔥🧯

📈 Comfort w/ high speed in hands battles

📈 Ability to predict where the next ball will be as the player speeding up the ball experiments with different spots

📈 Technique and know-how in game situations

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Looking To Win More 🥒🏓 Dink Battles?

1️⃣ Consider the type of dinks that you find toughest to return

2️⃣ Practice those dinks endlessly so you have the confidence to hit them in game situations

🚨If your technique is preventing you from developing consistency, take a lesson with a formidable instructor to help clean up your technique (Just about every lesson I have taken was due to hitting a wall towards figuring out certain physical techniques. I took the lessons with pros who I studied hitting the shots I needed to execute. It`s a part of the process towards getting better, achieving goals, and further enjoying the game)🚨

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A 🥒🏓 Drill For Countering 3rd Shot Drives

1️⃣ Feed a ball your drilling partner can effectively drive

2️⃣ Volley the ball hard & down, aiming for the back 1/3 of the court (I have yellow mats there, but the net cord is blocking the view of them)

3️⃣ Drilling partner will respond with a drop to work on their 5th shot drop, allowing you to feed the next ball, & allow themselves to regroup to drive the next ball

🚨 VARIATIONS FOR SPECIFIC FOCUSES🚨

Have your drilling partner

⭐️ Drive to a specific spot that you are struggling with (ex. right hip)

⭐️ Intentionally drive some balls OUT deep to work on letting more out balls go out

⭐️ Mix up spots & speeds

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Forehand 🥒🏓 Dink Tip To 📈 Your Game!
👇🏻

✅ Split step just before your opponent dinks the ball

✅ Shuffle your feet to get into a stable position early

✅ Make contact inside your dominant foot

✅ Hit the right side of the ball (left side for lefties) to help you add more top spin

✅ Strike up on the ball following through in line with your dominant shoulder, keeping your wrist firm

🚀As shared in the video, I am excited to announce I formed a partnership with egoathletica ! I look forward to helping them further design comfortable, 🔥 looking clothing to help fill a big need in this 🥒🏓 community for all of us! 💯📈 Use code DEAN at checkout for 15% off 👍🏻
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How To Practice 3rd Shot 🥒🏓 Drops

✅ Have your drilling partner feed hard & deep from the baseline as this realistically simulates in-game feeds, so you can smoothly apply what you learn about your own technique in game situations

✅ Aim at the kitchen line or about a foot inside or outside the kitchen line, whichever leads to more consistency for you. This will lead to you executing aggressive drops in games, which will allow your team to get into better situations in games at any level in comparison to drops landing a few feet inside the kitchen that bounce high making it easier for your opponent to respond to

✅ Tirelessly strive to establish consistency in all areas from your breathing to mental prep to footwork, paddle angle, follow through, you name it! When I say tirelessly, I mean until you feel ultra confident to execute in game situations. No different than studying for a test, there is no time limit to studying & practicing, it`s all about the pursuit of achieving a result you are striding for! Some people by nature will take longer or shorter to reach this point, so simply focus on yourself 👍🏻

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