Ben Johns Topspin Drive Tips: Ben Johns, the World No. 1 pickleball player and widely regarded GOAT of the sport, recently explained how to perfect the topspin drive. Johns broke down the key techniques for combining spin, power, and timing to improve players’ shots on the court.
Using Body Rotation for Power
Johns emphasized that power comes mainly from the rotation of the hips and torso rather than just the wrist.
“It’s a good thing to generate power from your wrist, but you’re going to want to harness it and rely on your body a little bit more because the wrist has a little more variance in terms of its range of motion. Therefore, when you use it a lot, it might not always end up exactly where you want it. You’ll get varying heights and results, even though you got power,” explained Ben Johns.
“You want to have a little wrist motion, but rely more on the twist of the hips for power because that’s much more consistent because this doesn’t have a huge range of motion. Use your hips for power and just stay low through the ball and it will keep the ball low, too, and have it go just over the net,” he added.
Fine Details: Paddle Angle and Ball Contact
Johns highlighted the importance of paddle angle and ball contact for a successful topspin drive.
“Your wrist has different varying contact with how much it’s open versus closed, so when you get to right about the contact point, make sure the paddle is a little more closed and with a low-to-high swing,” said Ben Johns.
“Come from the outside of the ball to the inside. It’s a very small adjustment because the ball is not big, but it makes a huge difference,” he insisted. “When we’re hitting these drives, instead of hitting just behind the ball, we want to hit the outside of the ball. Envision that you’re hitting the outside third of the ball.”
Timing is Key
Johns stressed the importance of timing when hitting the ball.
“Don’t forget to contact the ball at its peak bounce,” he said. “And soon enough, you’ll be hitting a topspin drive as good as the pros,” he concluded.
By combining proper body rotation, precise paddle angle, and perfect timing, players can elevate their game and consistently hit effective topspin drives like the professionals.
News in Brief: Ben Johns Topspin Drive Tips
Ben Johns, World No. 1 pickleball player, shared tips to master the topspin drive. He stressed using hip rotation for power, keeping paddle contact precise, and hitting the ball at its peak. Following his guidance helps players improve their shots and play more like top professionals in the sport.
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