Baseball-Inspired Pickleball Drill Technique: Professional pickleball coach Dominic Catalano, who also serves as the head coach of the Atlanta Bouncers and a commentator for pro matches, is using baseball techniques to help pickleball players improve. In a new drill shared through Cerk TV, Catalano shows how the baseball infield hop can help with better ball control and smarter decision-making during play at the kitchen line.
Baseball Movements on the Pickleball Court
Dominic Catalano explains that in baseball, infielders often get behind the ball when they see a big hop. This helps them watch the ball in their glove.
“When I get that big hop in baseball I almost want to get behind the ball and I have my glove out in front of me. Why do I do this? Because I have the ball that is coming to me and my glove out in front and I can see both.” – (Catalano)
This skill, Catalano explains, is very useful in pickleball too. He relates this movement to how players can better control the game at the kitchen line when facing high dinks. By getting low and placing the paddle out front, players can better see both the ball and the opponent.
Applying the Drill with Partner Support
To show how this works, Catalano uses pro player Susanna as a demo partner.
“I always see her do this. She didn’t really realize how I could relate this to baseball but I pretty much can with anything.” – (Catalano)
According to Catalano, Susanna performs this pickleball drill naturally.
“She really kind of sinks down, gets behind the ball, she sees the ball, she has her paddle out in front.” – (Catalano)
The key benefit of this technique is better control and the ability to fool the opponent.
“She lets her opponent almost guess to where she’s going and then she goes the opposite way.” – (Catalano)
Seeing and Controlling the Game
Catalano ran through the drill, where Susanna fed him higher dinks while moving side to side. As the drill went on, Catalano explained how this drill improves player awareness and timing.
“Right there last second I can hold that ball on my paddle right there. But if I don’t get down and I’m just kind of playing this ball lazily I’m not getting anything.” – (Catalano)
He highlighted the importance of staying alert and low to react in the moment.
“I don’t want to look down at the ball. I want to see everything that’s happening in front of me.” – (Catalano)
As the drill continued, Catalano successfully placed balls away from Susanna based on her movements.
“I see her moving to her left. I go to the right.” – (Catalano)
Helping Players Improve Strategy
The lesson is simple—by getting into the habit of being low and reading your opponent while keeping the paddle and ball in front, players can become more strategic and unpredictable. Catalano encourages viewers to try this method and see how it impacts their kitchen line play.
News in Brief: Baseball-Inspired Pickleball Drill Technique
Pickleball coach Dominic Catalano shows how a baseball infield hop can improve kitchen line play. By staying low and reading opponents, players gain better control. He uses Susanna to show the drill on Cerk TV, proving how baseball skills can sharpen pickleball strategy.
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