I was so glad to watch this excellent video! Congrats. I have a question though: you suggest the slight eastern grip for this shot. Now when we have to do a backhand we change to continental?
Continental is a hammer grip and Eastern is a handshake grip. If the top bevel is 1, the bevels clockwise from that are sequential numbers, 2, 3 etc. continental grip, the base knuckle of the index finger is on bevel 2. Eastern grip, the base knuckle of the index finger is on bevel 3. Just another way to explain grips (for right handed players. Left handed players would be continental, bevel 8, eastern, bevel 7, etc.). Good video on topspin technique. How to hold the paddle is still evolving, and I believe Semi-Western (base knuckle of index finger on bevel 4) and Western (base knuckle of index finger on bevel 5) grips will become more prevalent.
I do not recommend. The strings on a tennis racquet really allow you to grip the ball. For pickleball, if the point of contact is not PERFECT, its going into the net! Just me 2 cents!
I just watched this video again after a couple of months. It’s so good that I’m putting it on my preferred Pickleball Tips List. You are a very, very good coach!
My opponent uses a drive with top spin and when I tries to block it, it dips down in the net. But I am holding my paddle flat for either a block or a reset. Why is the ball not going up but instead it’s going down when I block it… btw I block the ball past it’s apex so in it’s downward path. Thanks in advance for the answer, I hope I was clear enough. Great videos you make by the way. Love them.
Question: do you switch your grip style mid game? I have continental grip coming from badminton background. And worry that I have to make adjustment if I use eastern. But it’s worth trying.
I use a continental grip and hit the ball very flat. I am trying to teach myself to put top spin on the ball. I have the hardest time hitting top spin when not using an eastern grip but find it challenging to hit a back hand (drive or dink) with it. Do you change your grip depending on the situation? Such as eastern for top spin drives? What about Volleys? Thoughts/recommendations? I appreciate the videos and the feedback.
I naturally have an eastern grip. This is great for forehand topspin but rough for my backhand shots, especially fire fights and speeding up dinks out of the air. I’ve noticed in all your videos you are great at speeding up backhand dinks out of the air. Do you switch to continental for these shots? Thanks for the videos!!
Do you play 100% eastern grip or do you change back and forth during a point? If you change, what are some cues as to what grip is at various aspects of a point.
I was told as an intermediate player NEVER try to first learn this flipping/turning over your wrist. That is too much of a timing thing and starting off you will hit many horrible shots, just like trying to incorporate your unhinging of the wrists on your downswing of the golf club. I was told learn to brush up on the pickleball, forget about using your wrist for topspin.
Are changing your grip from continental to half eastern on your thirds depending on drop vs drive? Or are you promoting going to a half eastern all the time? Just trying to see if pros are changing grip that much mid point
I'm sorry, but who answers their phone like that??? Hahahaha. I'm laughing, but it's ok. I'm new to pickleball, only 7 months I think, and am in a rec group in NY state, and I"m teaching four people how to hit topspin, and guess what? I'm using your 60 second video and I think I'll probably use this one, too, after I finish watching it. I had to pause it after the answering the phone part, and I thought, I never put the phone on the other side of my head when I answer it, but that's ok. It's still good.
@@tanner.pickleball One of my students is a lean lady in her 60's and she picked up the topspin procedure really quickly, but didn't have any power. Then I found your 8:32 video that expanded the procedure, including the loading of torque with the off arm turning the shoulders. The power she gained from that was audible and visual. We heard the smack and saw the ball with added pace dive on the other side. It was a "Wow! Did you SEE that??? moment. So the longer video is excellent.
Thanks! You would need to do a roll dink to get topspin with your BH. I will make a video on this - it is Ben John’s signature shot. Coming over the ball, instead of through it!!
Thanks Tanner ! Great Job! I am 70 and just started my Pickleball journey! I am with you on the passion but will likely never be a force to be dealt with at my age. I just want to have a lot of competitive fun and teach my kids to love the sport.
Tanner, are you also using Eastern grip for your serves? Moving to Eastern has really helped my topspin, but I’m still figuring it out with my serves and find myself hitting the ball wide (and out) more than I’d like. Any advice? Thanks!
Great break down of this shot. Wonderful detail that I'm finding so beneficial. I have watched some of your other videos. Well done my friend. I support your aspirations.
Tanner. Enjoyed this one. R/H player and sometime forget which grip I’m in until seeing flight of ball. CONTINENTAL-open faced EASTEN-closed faced=down Thanks.
Excellent video. These tips encourage the use of wrist and the eastern group more than other instructional videos I’ve seen. Thanks for helping me feel ok about using Eastern. You didn’t cover topspin on the backhand so I look forward to that video.
Oof, tennis player chiming in, good points, but just a quick terminology check - you're showing the semi-western grip, not eastern. Just wanna make sure you get the respect you deserve when trying to make a living off of pickleball content! For reference, a full western grip would almost look like you're doing an uppercut punch on the ball when performing a forehand stroke.
Nice Tanner! I've been trying to teach my mom how to hit topspin and I didn't consider having her try holding it slightly eastern. We'll give that a shot!
Hey Tanner, first off I just want to say I've watched a lot of tutorial videos and I think you have some of the most insightful and concise PB content on YT. I've been implementing 2-3 of your tips into my game per week and I have gotten SO much better too so THANK YOU!! I also have a follow-up question on grips. During a point, are you changing your grip on the fly to have the grip needed for your intended shot type or do you just pick one grip for each point and stick to it?
LOVE that comment, that is why I DO IT! Also great question. My grip is constantly changing depending on the grip I am going to hit. Instead of "changing your grip" think, readjusting the paddle in your hand. I am not literally changing my grip to be precise, I am readjusting my pinky, ring, and middle finger on the paddle to either close or open the face depending on the shot.
Amazing. Once I get this topspin down I will start trying to make adjustments on the fly. Thank you so much man, this was very helpful!@@tanner.pickleball
Tanner, Coming from. Forehand eastern grip and a continental 2 hand back hand, I have no issues with adjusting my grips. I’m so glad to now know that making the adjustments is good. I recently started to do it. It’s so comfortable and natural. It’s made my ground strokes much more offensive. I haven’t (but can) top spin dink. I just wasn’t sure it was ok. Top spin volleys feel great. Thank to you and tennis!!
This video is excellent & very well explained! The most important part & game changer for me is the switch to Eastern grip. That made all the difference! I was continental for everything before. Also, great seeing lefty demos!
Well your other video was 45 seconds. You did not mention grip and paddle position before hitting the drive. I will incorporate those now but I would be surprised if anyone just watching the other video had very much success hitting topspin.
I appreciate your training techniques and explanations. What's cool is that you also show what the right handers need to do. After watching Phil Mickelson, as a lefty in golf, I couldn't relate as well. Thank you.
When I first started playing table tennis 40 years ago, I didn't get good until I learned how to topsin both my forehand and backhand shots. Now you've taught me how to do it in pickleball. Do you have a video on topspin serves? Subscribed.
Thank you for your videos! I get a lot out of them. Would you be willing to do a video about being a threat with backhand dinks? I feel comfortable pushing people around with my forehand dinks (by using lots of topspin), but on my backhand I tend to be so much more defensive that I’m giving my opponents plenty of opportunities to attack.
When you do that slight flick on your dinks with your wrist is your wrist loose or locked during the flicking motion? Or is it your wrist locked and it’s your forearm motion actually moving your locked wrist?
Imagine turning your hand sideways and waving. This is a great comparison I forgot to mention on the video. That will answer your question! Locked wrist, moving it.
Thanks man! It’s an important nuance bc when everyone says use wrist or whatever they overdo it and I feel like it’s actually more forearm pronation with wrist lock then super loose wrist flicking (which is inconsistent)
I rewatched this so many times, and finally get to try them today, when I found out it’s harder for me to put top spin in a drive and a serve than a top spin dunk.
In your other video on how to serve, the ball should be placed in front so that you’re kind of forced to step forward after hitting the ball, I find this very difficult to do and then try to add top spin. Do you have any tips for adding top spin to serves specifically?
I love your videos Tanner. Very simply explained and demonstrated. One question, when switching from continental to eastern grips, are we just letting the paddle rotate in our hand slightly before regripping?
Always great videos but this one i don't agree with. You can still hit lots of top spin even with a Continental grip. But eastern is prob easier for beginners to learn top spin.
