Hayden Patriquin Pickleball Hand Speed: Hayden Patriquin, one of pickleball’s rising stars, shared tips and drills to help players build faster hands at the kitchen line. The 19-year-old professional explained his approach in a recent YouTube video with content creator Tanner Tomassi, focusing on positioning, technique, and reaction training.
Key Positioning and Form
Hayden Patriquin stressed the importance of proper stance when facing opponents.
“You want to have your feet hip distance apart, a small bend in your knee, and have your paddle in front of your body, backhand side. It’s a lot easier to have faster hands if you’re covering most of your body with just your backhand,” explained Patriquin. “You can’t cover your body with your forehand, so having your backhand is best to cover your body.”
Tanner Tomassi suggested that players imagine holding a pickleball under their arm. This distance keeps the paddle at the right position—neither too close nor too far away.
Using the Wrist and Shoulder Together
Patriquin explained that the wrist plays an important role in hand speed.
“A lot of people use a lot of shoulder, but I use more wrist, and I think that’s the way I get a ton of power,” noted Patriquin. “I don’t recommend snapping your wrist at it, but add shoulder and wrist. Have a happy medium.”
He also pointed out that many players forget the most important part of fast hands—preparation.
“A good thing for having fast hands is always being ready for the next ball,” emphasized Patriquin. “A lot of the top pros have great anticipation.”
Drills to Improve Hand Speed
To keep his reactions sharp, Hayden Patriquin uses two training drills.
The first drill is a simple reaction exercise.
“You and your partner are going to be at the kitchen line and you’re going to volley back and forth as many times as fast as you can. If you’re at home drilling and you think this is not fast even, you’re going to take a step into the kitchen and work on your reflexes a lot closer,” he demonstrated. “Start at a moderate speed and then crank it up. You want to only hit backhands. Focus on the ball and keep your paddle in front of your chest.”
The second drill works on switching quickly between backhand and forehand.
“I’ll start with hitting a forehand and go to my partner’s backhand. Then his backhand will hit to my backhand and I go to his forehand,” shared Patriquin. “This one is to get the feel of going from your backhand to forehand. The more feel you have, the quicker you’ll be.”
Why It Matters
Hayden Patriquin’s advice shows that hand speed is not only about natural ability but also about preparation, form, and drills. With practice, players can improve their reaction time and control at the kitchen line. His tips give athletes a path to play smarter and sharper in competitive matches.
News in Brief: Hayden Patriquin Pickleball Hand Speed
Hayden Patriquin, a 19-year-old pickleball professional, shared his secrets for developing faster hands. In a YouTube video with Tanner Tomassi, he explained stance, wrist use, and readiness. Patriquin also demonstrated two kitchen-line drills: a backhand reaction exercise and a figure-eight drill to switch between forehand and backhand quickly.