I know I’m not the only pickleball player who didn’t come from a tennis background.

Honestly, I don’t fully understand what a proper backswing looks like.

Fortunately, content creator Ed Ju teamed up with pro Martin Emmrich to break down this all-important skill in a step-by-step format.

“Often players move towards the ball, plant their feet, then go to hit their backswing,” demonstrated Emmrich. “But, then you can’t execute the ball.”

He recommended that players swivel instead, maintain their focus on the ball, and then swing.

Emmrich also noticed that Ju wanted to extend his arm back at 100 percent to achieve a backswing, so he insisted that Ju soften his arm to about 70 percent backswing extension to drive the ball forward.

Emmrich compared hitting a powerful drive with backswing to a train on a railway. Often, players swing while moving their arm and leg at the same time and it doesn't drive the ball forward, but to the side. By envisioning yourself propelling forward, moving your arm with the ball, and then stepping forward after you’ve already made contact, the ball will progress forward at the angle you’re trying to achieve. 

Then, Emmrich fed several balls to Ju to get a feel for the backswing and Ju quickly noticed that he was starting his backswing too late. To help get used to the feel, Ju served a few times to get his body comfortable with the further back extension in the middle of a rally.

Emmrich also advised that Ju should have a one to two inch gap between his arm and torso when hitting his backswing so that his body is not too tight or limited. As high-level players, they’re looking for control and full-body motion.

After a few more swings, Ju got the hang of it.

But how do players at home work this into their drill routines and practice? 

Emmrich suggested starting with a stationary ball to practice footwork. Once you have that, have a friend or partner toss balls to you to hone the backswing and the footwork. 

After that, Emmrich said to have a ball machine and put it on a setting where one ball goes to the left and one goes to the right to elevate this drill. 

Emmrich explained that studying specific elements of the pros can be extremely beneficial for your game in the long run. 

“You’re not learning pickleball, or tennis, or any sport if you just look at the excitement. If you pinpoint one player and watch them, that’s how you learn it,” he said. “I did that with Ben Johns. I studied how he got the ball and how he got there all the time. Eventually, I noticed his wrist.”

Study your favorite pros to elevate your game, too.

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