Baseball Drill for Pickleball Return: Professional pickleball coach Dominic Catalano is using a baseball drill to help players improve their return game in pickleball. In a training session, Dominic Catalano explained how the release point used by pitchers in baseball can help pickleball players read their opponent’s shots more clearly and react faster.
Baseball Skills Apply to Pickleball
Dominic Catalano taught players to focus on one thing in baseball: the release point of the ball from the pitcher’s hand. The goal is to ignore the pitcher’s full body movement and only watch where the ball comes out.
“In baseball I’m focusing on the pitcher but I’m focusing on one specific thing and that’s his release point… That’s what I’m watching. I’m ignoring everything else that a pitcher has going on.” – (Dominic Catalano)
How to Use This in Pickleball
Dominic Catalano then explained how the same method works in pickleball. Instead of watching the whole body of an opponent, players should only watch the paddle. This helps them read where the shot is going before the ball is hit.
“I’m ignoring all the body gation, I’m ignoring all the body movement and I’m focusing on one thing and one thing only and that’s their paddle.” – (Dominic Catalano)
He added that the paddle shows the direction of the shot, even when a player’s body moves differently. By watching just the paddle face, players can better predict where the ball will go.
Practicing the Drill
In the drill, players faced each other and exchanged soft dinks while focusing only on the paddle. Dominic Catalano and his partner tried to read each other’s paddle face and predict the ball’s direction.
“I’m just trying to watch the paddle and my partner is trying to do the same and read where I’m going with that ball just by the angle I set with that padal.” – (Dominic Catalano)
He continued to challenge his partner by trying to trick them with paddle angles, but the focus on the paddle helped avoid being fooled. “No didn’t fall for that one either… good anticipation there,” Dominic Catalano commented during the drill.
Why This Drill Matters
This drill connects the idea of watching a pitcher’s release in baseball to watching a paddle in pickleball. It gives players a simple but effective way to improve their reaction time and court awareness.
“This drill right here, a great drill relating a hitter in baseball focusing on a pitcher’s release point to coming up and dinking… all I’m watching is their paddle face.” – (Dominic Catalano)
What This Means for Pickleball Players
By using this baseball-inspired drill, players can improve their pickleball skills with a strong focus on paddle reading. It helps beginners and advanced players improve their timing and positioning on the court.
Watching the paddle face is a skill that players can use during all points of a game—whether they’re dinking at the net or defending at the baseline. This drill can become a regular part of a player’s training routine.
News in Brief: Baseball Drill for Pickleball Return
Pickleball coach Dominic Catalano teaches players to focus on the paddle face, just like hitters in baseball focus on a pitcher’s release point. This helps improve return shots. During a paddle drill, players tried to read direction by watching angles. The technique improves court awareness and reaction time.
ALSO READ: Nasty Nelson Shock: Mariana Paredes’ Bold US Open Shot Ignites Pickleball Debate