How to master the signature shots of your favorite pros
Pro pickleball players each have signature shots that set them apart on the court.
Christian Alshon is known for his “Tweener,“ while Camila Zilveti has perfected the “Nasty Nelson.“
Here’s a look at what some of your favorites rely on, plus how you can learn to execute their signature shots yourself during play.
Anna Leigh Waters – Two-handed backhand poach
For Waters, it often feels like every shot she hits is a winner. But she says her current favorite is the two-handed backhand poach.
Here’s her advice on how to execute it:
“You should probably work on the movement before you actually get on the court,” she explained. “When you’re trying to hit it, you watch the ball, and you’ve got to make sure you’re hitting a pretty hard shot or place the shot well because you’re putting yourself and your partner out of position. So when you’re hitting it, think about where you want to hit it and then just go for it.”
If you want to practice a two-handed backhand poach like Waters, here’s how to get started.
“It’s all about repetition. You can have somebody feed you the ball and then you just hit it over and over again. It’s a very different shot from a traditional dink or third shot. You’ve just got to fail a lot,” she mentioned. “Everyone has a different technique, so you really have to play with it and figure out how you can hit the ball hard.”
Mari Humberg – Backhand flick
Humberg was one of the first women on tour to use a backhand flick, so it’s no surprise that this impressive shot has become her signature move.
“The way I hit a backhand flick is actually not what I recommend for an amateur because I turn my wrist a ton and I have a lot of wrist pain because of that,” she noted. “It’s not something that I would recommend for people to do. I think the way that Ben Johns hits it is very clean.”
To develop a stronger backhand flick, Humberg has a few key suggestions.
“Strength in your wrist is super important, so I do a lot of band exercises for my wrist to make sure it’s super healthy,” she said. “I wear a wristband around it at all times to make sure it stays stable. I started with a ball machine and I set it up for a little bit below the net. I work on getting the ball up and down and adding a ton of topspin to it. It’ll come with time.”
Callie Smith – Forehand
Sometimes the simplest weapon is the most powerful.
For Smith, her forehand is the standout part of her game—and here’s how she built it into a real strength.
“You have to practice a lot, so go hit lots of forehands. I also recommend doing a little weightlifting in the gym to get yourself stronger,” she recommended. “If you’re up at the kitchen line, you can have someone feed you just slightly elevated balls that are level with the net. Then practice getting right on top of it and pushing through as fast as you can. Get good acceleration, swing through it, and see how fast you can hit it without hitting it out, which is hard. But with time and a lot of reps, you’ll get there.”
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