A topspin shot in pickleball rotates the ball forward, causing it to dip due to air friction.
The first step and one of the most important steps in applying topspin is your grip. You’ll want to adjust your grip to an eastern or a semi western when you hit the ball. A simple way to adjust your grip to eastern is to line up your base knuckle on your pointer finger to the side of the paddle handle or a little further for semi western. If you were to try topspin with a continental grip, the paddle face would be more open and it would be harder to really brush up on the ball. You won’t always use this grip but when you do, you can use your non-dominant hand to switch.
Before you swing, you want to be mindful of where the ball is and where your feet are. The ball should be out front in your goldilocks zone (so it’s not too far away and not too close). Your weight should be balanced and you can place your non-dominant foot slightly in front. This will help you turn your shoulders when you swing especially on drives and drops, which adds more torque and power to your swing.
When you swing, your wrist should be relaxed but not loose. Drop your paddle head down below the ball and when you make contact, you want to hit the ball from low to high and brush up on the ball. Be sure to engage your shoulders here and turn your shoulder to generate power and spin. You don’t have to swing very hard to generate spin, however if this shot is new for you and you’re practicing, try to over exaggerate your brush to really get a feel for it. After you make contact, you will follow through and finish with your paddle on the other side of your body.
When you’re at the net or advancing to the net in game situations, be careful not to exaggerate your follow through too much because the ball will likely come back at you quickly and you want to be ready to defend your opponent’s shot.
