Jack Munro Ambidextrous Pickleball Journey: Jack Munro, the top-ranked player on the A Tour with over 20 medals, shared how he became ambidextrous and how it gave him a huge advantage in pickleball. His journey began at age 10 after a shoulder injury forced him to play with his non-dominant hand. Jack wasn’t born ambidextrous but trained himself over time. Now, he uses both hands while playing, a rare skill that helps him stand out in professional matches.
A Rare Skill Developed from Injury
Jack Munro explained that being ambidextrous, or using both hands equally well, is very uncommon. Most people are right-handed, a few are left-handed, and only about 1% of people can truly use both hands the same way.
Jack said, “And this is one of the physical traits that I never see talked about in the pickle ball space.”
His ambidexterity started after he injured his right shoulder at age 10. Jack had been a baseball pitcher and hoped to play in Major League Baseball one day. But a growth plate fracture forced him to stop playing for 3 to 6 months.
During that time, he wore a sling on his dominant arm and started learning pickleball using only his left hand. His dad had introduced him to the sport just for fun while he recovered.
Building New Skills from a Setback
Since Jack had never played a racket sport before, learning with his left hand didn’t feel too strange. After his recovery, playing left-handed felt more natural, so he stuck with it for many skills like dinks, drops, and volleys.
Because he had strong overhead and serve mechanics from baseball, he kept using his right hand for those shots. Over time, he became known as “the kid who switches hands.”
He said, “And so while I was traveling to these tournaments, I started dinking with both hands, countering with both hands, voling with both hands, hitting serves and drives with both hands. And I quickly became known as the ambidextrous kid or the kid who switches hands.”
Even outside the court, Jack practiced using his left hand. He ate, used his phone, and brushed his teeth with it. He called this “artificial ambidexterity,” meaning he trained himself to use his off-hand rather than being born that way.
Left Hand Becomes Stronger
Jack shared that his left hand became slightly more dominant after years of training.
“Right now my lefty duper is around a 6.6, ranking me 25 in the world roughly. And my righty duper is probably around a 55.”
This helped him during coaching, too, where he could play at different levels using either hand.
He added, “So getting introduced to using both hands at a very young age is also something that I want to do for my kid.”
Return to Pickleball After a Break
At age 12, Jack stopped playing pickleball to focus on school and basketball. When he returned to the sport at age 18, he still felt more comfortable using his left hand.
He explained, “And one of the biggest things was fixing my lefty overhead, which I’ve been working on for the past 2 years, is getting a foam ball or a pickle ball and just throwing it inside of my house while I’m on a call or while I’m watching a show or something like that.”
This helped him rebuild his throwing motion and strength with his left hand.
Benefits on the Court
Jack explained that using both hands gives players several key advantages in pickleball.
Better Reach:
He showed that using both hands allows him to cover more of the court, especially on wide shots and overheads.
“Notice if I only use my left hand for defense, I lose this two feet right here.”
Changing Spins:
Using both hands also changes the spin on his shots, making it harder for opponents to predict.
Serving Strategy:
Jack described how he used different hand serves to pull opponents off the court.
“For example, if I was on the deuce side of the court, I’d hit a righty serve… And if I was on the ad side of the court, I’d try to hit a lefty serve…”
Breaking Opponents’ Rhythm:
He shared how his switching hands confused opponents and broke their patterns.
“There’s no real safe spot. With two forehands, you have double the firepower…”
Pro-Level Applications
At the professional level, Jack uses ambidexterity to defend lobs, reach tough shots, and gain positioning advantages.
“For example, I can cheat more middle and then if a ball gets pulled behind me I don’t have to worry about hitting a backhand. I can just switch hands…”
He also mentioned that being ambidextrous helps with brain function.
“It enhances cognitive flexibility and brain hemisphere communication. Research actually shows that amidextrous people score higher in spatial awareness and motor control.”
Tips to Train Ambidexterity
Jack shared tips for others who want to train their off-hand:
Brush your teeth and eat with your off-hand.
Throw foam balls against the wall.
Accept that it will feel strange at first.
He explained, “Start with dinks and then move your way back to drops and then do resets and then do counters.”
He reminded readers to trust the process, saying it took him 2 to 3 years to make it feel natural.
“Trust me, it will pay off over time.”
Final Thoughts
Jack encouraged players to use ambidexterity as a way to stand out in the sport.
“Starting out, before people knew my name, I was known as the kid who switches hands. And so, if you want to be known for something unique on the court, this is a great way to brand. You can train it.”
Jack Munro proved that with hard work and patience, anyone can train their off-hand and use it as a powerful tool in sports like pickleball.
News in Brief: Jack Munro Ambidextrous Pickleball Journey
Jack Munro, the top-ranked A Tour pickleball player, became ambidextrous after a shoulder injury at age 10. By training his non-dominant hand, he built a unique playing style that gives him more reach, better angles, and stronger strategy. He now encourages others to train both hands for a big edge in sports.
ALSO READ: From Injury to World No. 1: How Jack Munro Became Pickleball’s Youngest Superstar