Mastering Topspin in Pickleball: The Complete Guide
11 Essential Techniques to Add Killer Spin to Your Shots
Learning to hit effective topspin shots is one of the best ways to instantly improve your pickleball game. Topspin allows you to hit more aggressive shots with a heavy underspin that causes the ball to dive down quickly once it hits the court. This makes things harder for your opponent and sets you up to win more points.
In this comprehensive 3,000+ word guide, we will break down 11 key techniques from pickleball instructor Tanner Tomassi on how to develop reliable topspin on both your drives and dinks. From proper grip and stroke mechanics to drill recommendations, you'll have all the tools needed to start ripping nasty topspin shots that your opponents won't see coming. Read on to unlock this essential skill and take your pickleball game to the next level!
1. The Main Reason People Struggle (Grip) 0:10
The main reason most pickleball players struggle with hitting topspin shots is using the wrong grip. The continental grip, where your hand goes down the center of the paddle handle like shaking hands, encourages an open-faced angle. This makes it nearly impossible to put underspin on the ball. Instead, you must use a slight eastern grip, with your hand slightly more on the right side of the paddle. This closes the paddle face naturally and allows you to brush under the ball for strong underspin. Check your grip and ensure your palm rotates slightly towards the right side rather than straight down the middle. This subtle change makes all the difference in generating topspin.
2. Paddle Tip Facing Down 1:24
When making contact with the ball, the tip of your paddle should be angled downwards rather than flat or sideways. This allows the angled paddle face to impart underspin as it strikes the bottom portion of the ball. Keep your wrist loose and lead with the tip of the paddle dropping towards the court as you make contact. Striking the ball this way exacerbates the angle of your eastern grip and ensures you scrape under the ball for maximum spin.
3. Body Below The Ball (Knees) 1:52
To reinforce having the paddle tip under the ball, get your entire body into the correct position by dropping down low. As the ball approaches, bend your knees and squat underneath it with energy loaded in your legs. Explode upwards as you unwind your body for topspin brushing under the ball. This low-to-high motion engages your full core and creates a whip-like snap of your wrist and forearm to provide great under spin action on the ball. Staying under the ball this way also allows better clearance for your swing path.
4. Where to Finish Your Stroke 2:10
The ideal finish for maximizing topspin is to end with the paddle high above your shoulder, as if answering a phone. This promotes the proper low-to-high swing path and full follow through needed to generate power and spin. Stopping your swing short prevents getting full leverage under the ball. Continue your motion high and away from your body until the head of the paddle points skywards. This ensures you complete the kinetic sequence needed for world-class topspin.
5. What to do With Your Off-Hand 2:40
Using your non-hitting arm is crucial for adding power to your topspin stroke. As the ball approaches, point at it with your off hand to align your shoulders and upper body. Right before you swing, bring that arm tight to your core and keep it tucked close throughout the motion. This engages your torso and shoulders for a compact, powerful swing with plenty of racquet lag and whip. The off-hand also helps you maintain balance and control.
6. Split Step 3:25
Executing a split step as the ball heads toward you gets your momentum shifting forward so you can move aggressively into your shot. As your opponent hits the ball, briefly jump up with your feet landing wider than shoulder width apart. This stores energy to explode forwards, allowing you to take advantage of your body mass and weight transfer for heavier topspin shots. Time your split step so you can step inward and attack the ball. This also helps pinpoint the ideal contact point out in front of you.
7. How to Hit Topspin at the Kitchen 3:49
The techniques for topspin drives also apply at the non-volley zone, though scaled back for shorter, slower exchanges. Maintain the eastern grip and low paddle angle, but shorten your backswing for compact, controlled strokes. Instead of big shoulder turns, simply add underspin with a flick of the wrist by brushing across the back of the ball almost imperceptibly. Strike at the bottom edge with finesse to put rotation on the ball without popping it up - almost like you’re softly brushing the net with the edge of your paddle.
8. Close Up of Wrist Movement 5:17
Observe up close how the wrist is the key driver of underspin on touch shots at the kitchen line. Keep relaxed looseness in your wrist joint throughout the motion, again with the paddle face tipped down just below horizontal. The slight eastern grip causes your stroke to graze the lower backside edge of the ball as your wrist gently whips from low to high. It’s like you’re tracing a windshield wiper blade path under the ball for smooth brushes of topspin.
9. Drill For People Struggling With Wrist Movement 5:42
If you struggle with the light flick of the wrist for kitchen line dinking, try this handy target practice drill: Stand about 1 foot from the net, then make gentle strokes trying to just barely brush the net with the edge of your paddle without hitting it. Listen for the soft swish sound. Replicate that subtle feel of contact when dinking topspin shots. Let the ball gently kiss the angled paddle face thanks to simple wrist action directing the flexible shaft.
10. How to Take Balls Out of the Air and Add Topspin 7:10
You can add extreme underspin to pop-up shots and volleys out of the air by again tipping your paddle head below the ball, but the mechanics differ slightly. Unlike groundstrokes, don’t take a full backswing. Instead, hold your paddle angles even with the ball and use ALL wrist, keeping your arm fixed. Give a gentle forward nudge with a very slight windshield wiper motion to put backspin on the ball as you redirect it diagonally downwards opposite of your opponent’s position.
11. Close Up Example 7:45
Study the closing topspin volley demo for an ideal representation of how to underspin balls out of the air. The paddle stays level with the ball at contact rather than dropping below it. The hitter yields all arm control over to the wrist joint by locking up the forearm and elbow. Then, he gives the absolute gentlest of forward nudges to brush the underside of the ball. This imparts heavy backspin for a shot that dives rapidly downward, preventing the opponent from returning it with force.
Conclusion
Mastering topspin can make all the difference in upping your pickleball prowess. By implementing the 11 techniques outlined above, you'll be well on your way towards hitting nasty spinning drives and dinks that force errors and move your opponents out of position. Remember to adopt the slight eastern grip, get your paddle tip and body underneath the ball, finish high, and accelerate smooth wrist action to swipe under the ball. Whether hammering groundstrokes or finessing touch shots, reliable topspin is a must-have weapon. Visit www.myspincareer.com and share these tips to support more exclusive instructional content. Now get out on those pickleball courts and start ripping some underspin!
Here is a 15 question multiple choice quiz on the pickleball instructional guide:
1. What grip should you use to help create topspin shots?
a) Continental grip
b) Eastern grip
c) Western grip
d) Two-handed grip
2. Where should the paddle contact the ball to create topspin?
a) The top of the ball
b) The side of the ball
c) The bottom of the ball
d) It doesn't matter
3. What paddle angle helps impart underspin on the ball?
a) Paddle pointing upwards
b) Paddle flat
c) Paddle tipped downwards
d) Paddle sideways
4. Why get your body low beneath the ball?
a) For better balance
b) To watch proper contact
c) To engage your legs and core
d) For better visibility
5. Where should you ideally finish your follow-through for topspin shots?
a) Across your chest
b) Below your waist
c) Straight above your shoulder
d) Behind your back
6. What is the main purpose of your non-hitting arm when hitting topspin shots?
a) Aim at the incoming ball
b) Pull your shoulder back
c) Add power from your torso
d) Help guide paddle direction
7. When should you execute a split step when hitting a topspin shot?
a) After you hit the ball
b) While waiting at the kitchen line
c) As your opponent hits the ball
d) During backswing
8. How does topspin differ on kitchen line dink shots?
a) Continental grip only
b) Larger backswing
c) No wrist action needed
d) More compact stroke
9. Where should you observe the wrist imparting underspin?
a) At ball contact
b) During backswing
c) On the follow-through
d) Pre-shot grip check
10. What drill helps develop feel for topspin wrist flicks?
a) Alternate paddle-side drills
b) Cross-court groundstroke rallies
c) Brushing the net with your paddle
d) Hitting against backboard
11. How does paddle angle differ on volleys versus groundstrokes when applying topspin?
a) Tip rises above the wrist on volleys
b) Angled steeper downwards on volleys
c) Kept flatter and even with the ball on volleys
d) No difference – always angled downwards
12. What stroke mechanic is most important for underspinning volleys out of the air?
a) Shoulder turn
b) Footwork
c) Arm extension
d) Wrist snap
13. Where are you aiming topspin volleys to send the ball diving downward?
a) Towards the sideline
b) Behind the non-volley zone
c) Into the opponent's feet
d) Over the opponent's shoulder
14. What Eastern grip type best facilitates topspin shots?
a) Semi-Eastern
b) Full Eastern
c) Extreme Eastern
d) Continental Eastern
15. What is the biggest benefit of hitting topspin shots?
a) More power
b) Faster shot speed
c) Higher safety margin over net
d) Heavier ball spin
Answer Key:
- B
- C
- C
- C
- C
- C
- C
- D
- A
- C
- C
- D
- C
- B
- D
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