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.

As the ball moves toward the player, he pivots on his paddle-side foot and steps forward with the other foot. He positions his body so that his front shoulder is aimed at his target. Simultaneously, he takes the paddle back parallel to his shoulders while moving the non-paddle hand to the front for balance.

As the player swings to hit the ball near his front thigh, he again pivots, this time on the front foot. His rear foot swings to parallel the pivot foot and the player returns to the redy position in order to be prepared for the next shot.

The video is below. One thing to remember is that this is the most basic forehand groundstroke from the closed position, i.e., the body positioned parallel to the direction of the shot. As players get more comfortable on the court, their shot may evolve to include an open position, i.e., the body positioned perpendicular to the direction of the shot with the chest facing forward rather than to the side.