Hard work and proper technique will beat bad technique every time...
Most readers have not been following this blog since the beginning. I started the blog soon after I discovered pickleball. One purpose was to chronicle my learning experience. As a former tennis and racqetball player, I was able to learn pickleball very quickly. That early success made me a little hard-headed, though. I was able to beat many players by playing my way - grip, hitting technique, footwork, and strategies were all meaningless. "It works for me" was all I knew.
Then I started studying the game. I watched videos. I watched matches. I read everything I could get my hands on. I started to change my game. Many of the changes have been discussed in these pages. But I still experience the "it works for me" attitude...with students at my clinics. I used to show proper techniques but ended the demonstration segment with a statement similar to "whatever works for you". But I gave that up a long time ago. Instead, I now show the proper technique and explain the limitations of failure to adhere. I can't force anyone to adjust. But I can let them know how they will ultimately fail.
All of that is an introduction to the substance of today's post. I have used some tips from DJ Howard, an IPTPA instructor in Michigan in the past. This is a particularly good one.