Consistency, patience, and smart strategy win pickleball games! 

These notes are provided and approved by our 2024 Women's Retreat Coach, Jenny Johnson of RichCatSupply.com

Theme 1: Ready position and footwork are crucial for preparedness at the kitchen

Subtopics/Skills: dinking, footwork/positioning, volley prep, red/yellow/green balls, partner movement 

Tips/Reminders

• Ready Position at the kitchen is 

  • paddle at 12 o’clock, chest height 

  • Feet just wider than hip-width legs bent 

  • Elbows are away from your body 

  • Both elbows are up high and strong shoulders provide a frame (boxer-like) 

• Dinking 

  • Handle grip pressure is 3 of 4 out of 10 - soft grip! 

  • Keep your body position square to the ball 

  • Feet shuffle side to side and we want to avoid cross-over step

  • After dinking, recover to Ready Position (“dink, ready, dink, ready”)

  • Keep the contact point out in front of you and push the ball (no follow-through)

Theme 2: Get comfortable and patient hitting drops and slowing the game down in the Transition Zone

Subtopics/Skills: drops, paddle preparation baseline to kitchen, footwork, partner movement 

Tips/Reminders

• Keep your body in front of the ball 

• push/lift the ball from the baseline and transition zone to drop it in your opponent's kitchen, allowing you to patiently work your way up to the net (red light green light)

• Split step and stop just as your opponent hits the ball so you’re in control and balanced

• Play the game 7-11 to train your drops

Theme 3: Consistent backcourt skills set us up to successfully get to the kitchen 

Subtopics/Skills: serves, returns, groundstrokes, drives, topspin, reset volley

Tips/Reminders

• Pre-serve checklist 

  • Body perpendicular to the net 

  • Non-hitting hand out in front of the front foot 

  • Point the endcap of the paddle toward the ball and toward the target 

  • Lay your wrist back through the contact point

  • Hips rotate and face the target on the follow-through (weight in front foot) 

  • Power comes from your weight transfer and core twist - the arm is relaxed and “along for the ride” 

• Returns 

  • #1 priority is depth and high net clearance 

  • Split step as serve makes contact with the ball 

  • Follow your return up to the kitchen

  • Return the ball to your opponent's weakness

Theme 4: Be unpredictable 

Subtopics/Skills: overheads, lobs (defensive/offensive), lob coverage

Tips/Reminders

• Overhead- dropstep to “Movie Star” pose (drop dominant hand foot so body is perpendicular to the net, paddle to back of head, non-hitting hand points high at the ball)

• Shuffle backwards to get behind the ball 

• Make contact with the ball at the highest point you can reach with your paddle 

• Communicate with your partner (mine”, “you” “help” “switch”)

• Lobs can be used defensively when we are pulled of the court or on the run

• Lobs can be used offensively to be unpredictable and cause your opponents to scramble

CONTACT INFO: 

Jenny Johnson 

612-206-5063 

jenny@richcatsupply.com  

www.richcatsupply.com