How to Master Pickleball Like Jaume Martinez Vich
Introduction
In this extensive guide, professional pickleball player Jaume Martinez Vich provides an inside look at his techniques for dominating the pickleball court. Through slow motion video analysis and Jaume's own breakdowns, you'll learn proper paddle grip, wrist movement, drive technique, timing, serving, and drills to help you improve. Master these methods from one of the world's best and transform your pickleball game.
1. How Jaume Holds His Paddle (0:00)
No matter what pickleball stroke you are hitting, you want fluidity and whip-like acceleration through the ball. To achieve this, you cannot tie up your entire grip and wrist. Holding the paddle too rigidly restricts motion. Instead, Jaume focuses on squeezing his thumb muscle and fingers around the paddle handle, while keeping his wrist relaxed. This provides stability while still allowing complete maneuverability to flick and tweak paddle face angles.
Try temporarily holding the paddle with fewer fingers to get used to the feeling of a looser grip. Then when you return to a full grip, it will feel more natural to keep the wrist relaxed. Swing through the air and focus on looseness rather than tightness. With practice, you can wield the paddle like a whip.
2. Slow Motion Breakdown & Analysis (1:18)
Upon analyzing slow motion video, we can observe Jaume's paddle face flipping backwards milliseconds before contact with the ball. This paddle lag loads elastic energy and achieves immense head speed through the ball, like a whip. It happens because Jaume's wrist stays extremely loose and relaxed up to the final milliseconds.
Let's examine side-by-side video with professional tennis analysis. A relaxed wrist transforms the paddle into a whip and generates velocity for power rather than brute muscle force. Study how Jaume's wrist remains loose until right before contact for maximum lag and acceleration.
3. How Jaume Drives (2:50)
Jaume's drive technique follows the same principle of looseness and timed snap. As he swings, his wrist stays relaxed until the final split second when he squeezes his grip slightly tighter. This well-timed tightening right before contact adds control while still letting him powerfully whip through the ball after with looseness.
Try holding the paddle around 4-6 out of 10 grip tightness, enough to control it but not enough to restrict wrist motion. As the ball approaches, consciously remind yourself to relax. Then increase grip pressure at the very last moment as you make contact with the ball, before allowing your wrist to loosen again following through. This precise order and timing generates immense paddle head speed for drives with control, topspin and velocity.
4. Breaking Down Timing (4:20)
Pickleballs interact with paddle faces extremely briefly compared to tennis balls and strings. You only have a few milliseconds to impart spin or make micro adjustments. All wrist action must happen right as the ball first touches your paddle face. Any wrist motion after contact with the ball is too late to affect the shot.
This means timing is absolutely critical. You must flick or tweak your wrist angle the instant of contact, with an acceleration through the ball. If your grip is too tight or your wrist locked up, you cannot achieve the required paddle face angle changes in the tiny window available. Remember to sway loose, increase grip pressure at the last moment, then relax your wrist again coming through the shot.
5. Jaume's Serve Close Up (5:14)
Serving follows the same athletic sequence as groundstrokes. Jaume focuses on looseness through his entire motion, until loading up his shoulders and core right before contact. This loading stores elastic energy, which he then unleashes with perfect timing, throwing all his momentum into the serve.
Listen and feel for the paddle face whistling through the air on contact. This auditory cue confirms you are achieving the requisite paddle head speed. If the ball sounds muted, your serve motion needs tuning. Throw your whole relaxed body into the swing until final loading, then explode through the ball with a dynamic, relaxed finish for maximum power and spin.
6. How Good are the Drills? (5:16)
Isolate and drill good serving motion without the ball first. Stand facing a wall, take your loaded upswing then forward swing without ever releasing a ball. Now add a ball and paddle. This engrains the entire athletic throwing sequence in your muscle memory.
The serve and forehand drive use the same essential body movements - load up then explosively throw your weight forward with perfect loose-to-tight-to-loose wrist timing. Have a partner feed balls so you can groove this identical forehand technique. Master the biomechanics on both serve and drive through repetition.
7. Recommended Exercise (6:24)
To build this vital technique, regularly perform serving practice without the ball, facing any empty wall. Load up your full throwing motion then swing forward, following through completely. This drills your serve sequence for muscle memory without need for a partner, court or even a ball.
Add a paddle and ball to test whether you are achieving the required paddle head speed, adjusting based on the audible feedback on contact. Serve and drive use the same essential techniques, so also practice the comparable forehand drive motion with a cooperative partner. Physical repetition builds technical proficiency.
Conclusion
From precise grip pressure to flawless loose-to-tight wrist timing, Jaume reveals the subtle techniques that make his pickleball game dominant. Study and ingrain these methods through ongoing drills and mindful practice. Record your strokes to check for paddle lag and auditory crispness. With dedication, you too can wield masterful pickleball paddle skills like the pros.
How to Master Pickleball Like Jaume Quiz
1. What should you focus on gripping with your hand?
a) The whole handle
b) Just your fingers
c) Your thumb muscle and fingers around the handle
d) Only your palm
2. What allows complete maneuverability of the paddle face?
a) A loose wrist
b) Squeezing the handle very tight
c) Locking your elbow
d) Pointing your shoulder
3. Why should you try temporarily holding the paddle with fewer fingers?
a) To get used to more power
b) To work on your backhand
c) To get used to a looser grip
d) To improve your serve
4. What lag loads elastic energy in the paddle?
a) Shoulder lag
b) Wrist lag
c) Elbow lag
d) Hip lag
5. Pickleballs interact with paddles for how long compared to tennis balls?
a) Much longer
b) Slightly longer
c) About the same
d) A few milliseconds
6. When must you flick your wrist to impact ball spin?
a) After contacting the ball
b) Well before contacting the ball
c) Just as the ball contacts the paddle
d) It doesn't matter
7. What should you focus on being loose during the serve motion?
a) Your wrist
b) Your elbow
c) Your entire body
d) Nothing, stay tight
8. What confirms you are achieving proper paddle head speed?
a) An accurate serve
b) Good topspin
c) The ball whistling
d) Hitting it hard
9. What uses the same motions as the serve?
a) The backhand
b) The volley
c) The overhead smash
d) The forehand drive
10. Where should you face to drill serves without a ball?
a) A partner
b) A wall
c) A basket
d) The net
11. What builds physical technical proficiency?
a) Watching professionals
b) Repetition
c) Advanced equipment
d) Strength training
12. What indicates paddle lag on video?
a) A silent shot
b) The ball slowing down
c) The paddle flipping backwards
d) The wrist bending
13. When should you increase your grip pressure?
a) At the start of the swing
b) Halfway through the swing
c) After you hit the ball
d) At the last moment before contact
14. What can you adjust based on audible feedback?
a) Your footwork
b) Your swing path
c) Your follow through
d) Your serve motion
15. How can you check for paddle lag?
a) Use a speed tracker
b) Record video
c) Check your stats
d) Listen for a whistle
Answer Key:
- c
- a
- c
- b
- d
- c
- c
- c
- d
- b
- b
- c
- d
- d
- b
No comments:
Post a Comment