Hey Team! 🙂

As you read this, I’ve started competing in the APP Newport Beach Open with fellow content creator Kyle “ThatPickleballGuy” Koszuta!

Hopefully, we’re crushing it!

If you happen to be at the event this week, find me and say “Hi!” 👋

In today’s email:

🤫 EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: How to hit successful return of serves
🧠 Feed your pickleball brain
⏱️ Get your 60-second fix
🙋‍♂️ What I’m working on right now

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On to your exclusive video!

How to Hit Successful Return of Serves

Sometimes, I get asked what the main differences are between a 4.0-level player and a 5.0-level player. The truth is that 5.0+ pickleball players do all the little things consistently well. 🚣

One of those is the return of serve.

For many players at lower levels, the return of serve is almost an afterthought. 😶‍🌫️ But what high-level players do is they focus on hitting deep returns every time.

A deep return forces their opponent to stay back longer and limits their options when hitting their third shot. 🤗

If you want to become a 5.0 or higher-level player, you must learn to consistently hit better return of serves. ✅

Here’s how:

➡️ Use your momentum

Many think of the return of serve is just another drive. It’s not. 🛑

On a drive, we want to be pretty still right before and right after we hit it. On a return of serve, we want to use our body’s momentum.

Also, don’t make the mistake of using just your arms 🙅‍♂️. Instead, use your legs to push off into the shot. 🏃‍♂️‍➡️

🎳 Move through the return of serve

To hit a deep return of serve consistently, you want to move through the ball and let that shot carry you up to the kitchen line. That extra oomph will ensure the ball travels all the way to the baseline and puts your opponent in a tough position for their next shot. 😫

If your opponent is inside the baseline, this will force them to back up before hitting their third, putting you at an advantage.

Be warned, you’re going to hit some return of serves long. That’s okay. Simply focus on hitting that back line; eventually, you’ll dial it in. 👌

🧐 How to judge if it’s a good return of serve

If you’re returning your serve well, you should be at the kitchen line before or as your opponent hits their third ball. If you’re not quite making it to the line consistently (like 9 out of 10 times), you might be doing it wrong.

If you need to, you can always aim your return of serve a little higher, putting more arc on the ball to give yourself more time to make it to the line. 🧠

A deep return of serve is better than one that’s hit hard. So don’t be afraid to add a little height as needed.

🔔 Practice

Get a partner or a bunch of balls (if you are working on it yourself) and practice aiming your returns to land 3-4 feet within the baseline. You can even place some cones (or a water bottle) there to help visually assess whether you’re hitting the ball deep enough. 🎯

Hitting dozens of return of serves during a drill session may seem boring 😴, but I promise that if you master this one skill, you’ll set yourself apart from everyone else at your level. 🥇

RAISE YOUR PICKLEBALL IQ 🧠👇

“Whether playing in rec or a tournament, make a habit of overcommunicating with your partner 🗣️. Even if a ball is obvious, say “Yours” 👈 or “Mine” ☝️. It will help prevent mistakes and show your partner what balls you expect them to take. 🤝”