Best Pickleball Forehand: Flat, Top Spin or Slice?
August 14, 2011 in Competitive Pickleball, Pickleball, Pickleball Tips
In my capacity as a coach at the national pickleball training centre in Calgary, Canada, I am often asked what I consider to be the best way to hit a forehand for pickleball — flat, top spin or slice. My response is usually very simple: “Whichever works best for you at your level.”
At the recreational level, flat forehands dominate because most players were taught how to play pickleball by flat-hitting friends who were themselves taught by flat-hitting friends. I have also noticed a strong bias against spin at the recreational level that is quietly enforced by the power of peer pressure. It is impolite, many rec level players whisper, to hit balls with spin.
While that may or may not be true at the rec level, it is certainly not true at the competitive level. Players who want to compete at national and provincial tournaments need to understand and embrace spin. They need to use it when transmitting the ball and they must know how to counter it when receiving the ball. In fact at this level spin is more important than power because top level players know how to use spin to keep the ball low and take power out of the equation.
Below is a little reference table that I have created for my players which I hope you will find also useful.
| FLAT FOREHAND – PICKLEBALL | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Grip | Advantages | Disadvantages | Pressure |
| The most popular shot at the recreational level. | Eastern forehand | Easy shot for beginners to learn. Easy for beginners to keep the ball in play on the forehand side. | No spin. Therefore easiest forehand for opponents to read and return. | If the next shot is hit to your backhand and you are unable to change grip position, you will be hitting your backhand with a poor backhand grip. |
| TOP SPIN – PICKLEBALL | ||||
| Description | Grip | Advantages | Disadvantages | Pressure |
| The preferred shot for pickleball players who come from a tennis background. | Semi-western | Creates top spin which allows the striker to hit hard without hitting out. Spin can baffle opponents. | Requires long strokes which opponents are able to read. Balls hop up after bouncing giving intermediate/advanced players opportunities to hit down. Requires grip position change from forehand to backhand. | If the next shot is hit to your backhand and you are unable to change grip position, you will be hitting your backhand with a poor backhand grip. |
| SLICE FOREHAND – PICKLEBALL | ||||
| Description | Grip | Advantages | Disadvantages | Pressure |
| The preferred shot for pickleball players who come from a squash background. | Continental; also known as the Modern Grip in squash. | Spin causes ball to move in the direction of the spin after bouncing. Spin causes the ball to stay low after bounce. Utilizes a short stroke which is harder for opponents to read. Consistently forces opponents to hit the ball up. | Shoulder turn required to volley in the opposite direction. | If the next shot is hit to your backhand and you don’t need to change grip position. |
In 2011, nearly all of the divisional champions in the Canadian National Pickleball Championships came from a squash background and used squash grips and footwork to devastating effect against their opponents. Squash players who used the slice forehand were able to keep their opponents on the defensive because the natural spin of their slice shots kept their balls low and forced their opponents to hit the ball up.
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Brent Johner
Chuck Lefaive