James Ignatowich
Hey guys, this is James Ignatowich, and today we’re talking about the backhand sliced dink. I see a lot of players trying to hit the ball by swinging the top of the paddle toward it, using a wristy, arcing motion. But I don’t think the paddle should swing like that. Instead, it should stay at a consistent angle, with almost no wrist movement at all (figure 1)
The reason for that is, you use the wrist in pickleball generally to get power. So if you’re hitting a flick or a speed-up, you can use your wrist all day—and I teach that 100% of the time. But on a slice, it’s all about just making it to the spot that you want to hit it to, because slices are not aggressive shots.
Why the Slice Is About Control, Not Power
Slices are just shots to be used to get back to neutral. You’re not going to see too many players hit slices for winners. So when you hit the slice, you want your wrist to be completely fixed, and you want it to come entirely from your arm. That’s all it is.
Using Big Muscles for Consistency
Just like what I talked about before—I’m trying to teach you guys to be hitting shots with your shoulders and arm, using your big muscles. So not just your arm—you’re going to use your legs, shoulders, the big muscles—but not your wrist.
That’s how you get good at dinking. It’s very tough to make 50 good dinks in a row if you’re going using the wristy, arcing motion, or if you’re popping up your body.
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