Susannah Barr Pickleball Footwork Tips: Professional pickleball player Susannah Barr is helping players improve their footwork, especially when chasing lobs. In her lesson, recorded during a drill session with Damen, she focused on how proper steps can help players safely and quickly recover lobs without risking injury and stay in control.
Pivot First, Don’t Run Backwards
Susannah Barr explained that running backward is unsafe when returning a lob. Instead, players should pivot in the direction of their strong side and then turn fully to chase the ball.
“So the first thing is we’re up here at the kitchen right and we’re dinking and we’re dinking and Damen decides he’s going to lob me,”. “The very first step that I want to take is a pivot in the direction of my strong side.”(Susannah Barr)
She added,
“This is a quick pivot, it’s a strong pivot. We’re going to be pushing off on our left leg… stepping to get back to the space line.”
This pivot helps players avoid injury, recover quicker, and prepare to return the lob calmly and accurately.
Know Who Gets the Lob
Susannah Barr also explained how players should decide who runs down the lob.
“If I’m playing on the left side of the court here and I’m a right-handed player, I’m probably going to be responsible for getting 70% of the lobs,”. “Any lob that goes over me, any lob that kind of goes over the middle here, those are going to be my responsibility.”(Susannah Barr)
For right-handed players on the right side, they should still pivot to their right, but they only cover about 30% of lobs.
“If we have a left-handed player that dynamic’s going to shift a little bit more,” (Susannah Barr).
Clear calling and communication are important.
“I got to call it. I got to say I’ve got it,”
Practice with Purpose
During the drill, Susannah Barr and Damen practiced chasing lobs and returning to the kitchen line. The focus wasn’t on overhead shots but rather on working on footwork and control.
“My goal right now is to work on my footwork for retrieving the lob,”. “So I’m letting it bounce regardless, working on getting around it… that’s my pause, that’s my breath, that’s when I calm down to hit a nice shot.”(Susannah Barr)
She emphasized staying calm to avoid poor shots and keeping the ball in play.
Turning It Into a Drill
In the drill, both players took turns lobbing and chasing. After retrieving the lob and returning it, players moved forward with good footwork to restart the kitchen game.
“We’re just going to be cooperative here practicing this out,”. “We’re going to dink, when Damen feels like it, he’s going to lob me, I’m going to get it back under control.”(Susannah Barr)
She added,
“Goal—really working on that first pivot, really working on quick footwork to get back in a safe manner that’s going to give you a better chance to get that ball back over the net.”
Susannah Barr stressed the importance of good stopping, split steps, and controlling the ball by keeping it out in front.
Evolving the Game Through Footwork
According to Susannah Barr, improving footwork leads to better reaction time, stronger balance, and higher agility.
“All of these drills and increasing our footwork and improving our footwork are going to help us evolve our game,”. “We’re also going to evolve our game.”(Susannah Barr)
News in Brief: Susannah Barr Pickleball Footwork Tips
Pickleball pro Susannah Barr taught safe footwork to chase lobs without injury. Her tips include a quick pivot, knowing who takes the shot, and practicing calm returns. Working on these moves builds confidence, control, and agility, helping players improve and stay safe during challenging points.
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