Basic Forehand Groundstroke Lesson

Since the forehand groundstroke is one of the most elemental shots of pickleball, I first wrote about it nearly a year ago in The Forehand Ground Stroke. That article discussed the techniques of the stroke in detail. The Beginner Pickleball Program at The Villages has a basic instructional video called BPT Forehand that illustrates some of the basic elements of the forehand groundstroke.

As always, the shot starts with the player in the ready position - feet shoulder-width facing the direction from where the ball will come and the paddle up and in front.

The Backhand Ground Stroke

The forehand groundstroke is the most common shot for most players in the area between the baseline and mid-court as I discussed in The Forehand Ground Stroke. But no one can cover their entire area using only the forehand stroke. Your opponents know that your forehand is your stronger shot so they will make every effort to hit their shot to your other side. Therefore, you must know how to cover that area with a backhand groundstroke.

The movements for a backhand groundstroke have many similarities to a forehand groundstroke. All you do is reverse the direction your body is facing. The forehand requires your paddle shoulder and foot to the back. The backhand requires those parts of the body in the front. But the similarities exist in the motion. Your body should turn so your front shoulder is aimed at your target. Your weight should shift to your back foot. Your paddle should be drawn back in the backswing. Your weight should shift forward onto the front foot simultaneously with the paddle swing toward the ball. Your paddle should follow through toward the target. All of these are identical to the forehand groundstroke motion.

The Ready Position from Mid-Court

Have you ever noticed that some players make the game seem effortless compared to the energy that you expend in a match? In some cases, like mine, it could be a fitness differential. But the difference in most cases results from 3 factors – positioning, anticipation, and being ready. This post is about the ready position.

One of the most important elements of a good return is early preparation. Your body should be positioned to move in any direction in order to respond to an opponent’s shot. Your paddle should be positioned to move most efficiently with your body and quickly to the ball. And all of this must be done at just the right time. Being in a ready position applies to all shots all over the court. But the ready position changes slightly at the kitchen due to the nature of the shot you will likely have to defend. You are more likely to get a ball in the air for a volley than the low ball requiring a ground stroke or half-volley you will see deeper in the court. The ready position in the area from mid-court to the baseline prepares you to move in all directions and cover a lot of area. Since I just had a series of posts about the serve, I will now focus on shot preparation for the 2 shots following the serve – the return of serve and the server’s first return, both of which occur with players starting at the baseline. The ready position at the kitchen line will be discussed in a separate post.