Baseball Soft Hands Pickleball Skills: Dominic Catalano, professional pickleball commentator and head coach of the Atlanta Bouncers, recently shared a helpful drill that connects his background as a baseball infielder to playing better pickleball. In this lesson, he explained how using “soft hands,” a skill he learned from baseball, can improve dinking and control at the kitchen line in pickleball.
Catalano, who once played shortstop and second base, said that his success in dinking came from his experience in baseball. He taught viewers how having relaxed hands and a light grip on the paddle can help players control the ball better.
Using Baseball Skills in Pickleball
Dominic Catalano explained that having soft hands in baseball helped him become skilled at dinking when he began playing pickleball. He pointed out that in both sports, keeping the hands soft allows for better control.
“I came from being an infielder so I was a middle infielder a second baseman and a short stop and when I got into pickle ball dinking was and still is my strong suit in the game and I attribute that to having soft hands as a baseball player I always had soft hands good hands and so me relating that to pickle ball and especially up at the kitchen line was huge for me.” – (Catalano)
He added that his grip on the paddle is about a five out of ten, which helps him move the ball more easily.
Drill for Better Dinking
Catalano demonstrated a simple dinking drill that focused on having a light grip and soft contact with the ball. He showed this drill with a partner, Jamie Lynn.
“What we’re going to do we’re just going to do a dinking drill and all it is is making sure that when we are dinking a ball we’re not choking the paddle off we’re not having really hard grip on the paddle we’re going to be nice and soft…” – (Catalano)
He advised keeping the paddle in front, just like how a baseball player keeps their glove out to see everything. If the paddle or glove is too close to the body, it becomes harder to react.
“…again a key to is we’re not going to take a big back swing we’re going to have our hands out in front of us just like when I was an infielder I’d have my hands out in front and I would be able to see everything the second second you get in on your body with your glove and baseball or with your paddle and pickle ball you’re jamming yourself up.” – (Catalano)
He also warned that having the paddle too low can be risky. It makes it harder to react if the opponent speeds up the ball.
“…when I first started playing pickle ball I used to almost pretend like I was in the infield every time I got a ball so I’d almost be ready here and there but again that kind of hurt me because my paddle wasn’t up so on pickle ball need to have that paddle up in front of you because if my opponent does speed that up I’m ready for it…” – (Catalano)
Final Thoughts from Catalano
Throughout the drill, Dominic Catalano stressed the importance of calm, controlled movements and keeping a soft touch when dinking. He ended the session by reminding viewers that many of his drills connect baseball with pickleball.
Why This Matters
This lesson shows how skills from other sports—like baseball—can help in pickleball. Dominic Catalano’s example proves that soft hands and a relaxed grip can make dinking easier and more effective. This type of cross-training could help new or young players understand the game faster by using what they already know.
News in Brief: Baseball Soft Hands Pickleball Skills
Dominic Catalano, coach of the Atlanta Bouncers, shared how soft hands from his baseball days help him in pickleball. In a drill, he showed how a light grip and paddle control make dinking more effective. He encouraged players to keep the paddle in front and avoid choking the grip.
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