Pickleball Strategy: Paddle position

Regardless of the stroke being used in pickleball, the position of the paddle in relationship to the ground and the net is crucial in determining where the ball is going to go. Assuming that you are hitting a straight shot and not putting spin on the ball, the ball will always come off of the face of the paddle at a right angle to the paddle face. When the head of the paddle is perpendicular to the ground, it is said to be a “square face” and the ball will come off of the paddle parallel to the ground. If the head of the paddle is angled down, the paddle is “closed” and the ball will travel downward from the paddle face to the ground. If the head of the paddle is angled up, the paddle is “open” and the ball will travel in an upward direction. Knowing this is important to the player who is attempting to correct his own errors. For example: if he is consistently hitting a ground stroke into the net, he needs to pay attention to the position of his paddle at the moment of contact with the ball. It’s highly likely that his paddle is in a “closed” position rather than “square”.