As discussed in the article, Forehand Quick-Fix, keeping the elbow in long enough during the forehand stroke is critical for generating power and helping with placement.
The following, simple corrective technique will help your students understand this mechanic better and learn to keep their elbow in during the stroke.
Step #1 — Player starts on baseline, with coach/feeder at kitchen line.
Feeder hits balls, while player hits his normal forehand down the line and crosscourt.
Step #2 — After discussing with the player what he is doing to change his crosscourt and down-the-line shots, the coach asks the player to concentrate on keeping the elbow in during the stroke for as long as is comfortable to see if player is hitting the stroke correctly, or if it can be adjusted.
Step #3 — Player comes to kitchen line on the coach’s side of the net and turns around, facing the fence. The coach goes to opposite baseline. Player will now be hitting balls into the fence to focus on technique, rather than outcome.
Step #4 — Player places a ball in between their elbow and hip, on the forehand side. Coach feeds ball, and player attempts to hit forehand, keeping the ball between the elbow and hip until just before contact.
If the ball falls out as soon as the player begins his or her forward swing, watch to see if this signals a “roundhouse” forehand, as explained in the aforementioned article.
NOTE: Players should not be tense, pressing the ball into their hip throughout the shot. Have the player think of the ball as a loaf or bread. They want to keep the ball in place, but not crush it.
Step #5 — Once the player has hit a several shots with the ball between the hip and elbow and the coach and player feel the player is beginning to understand the correct elbow placement, have the player continue to hit balls into the fence without the ball between the elbow and hip.
Step #6— Turn the player around and repeat steps #4 and #5 across the net until the student feels comfortable with the new mechanic.
Using correct motor learning techniques, progress from dead-ball feeding to live-ball, cooperative rallies, then to competitive drilling to make this technique change last.
Just because the player feels good during a 10-minute drill doesn’t mean the skill will last, and drilling throughout our pre-season and pre-competitive seasons will be necessary.
It’s important to note that there are several, sound ways to hit a forehand. Some players may move their elbows away from their hip immediately during the backswing. Almost all powerful forehands, however, have the elbow in at contact.
The purpose of this drill is to get the player to get his or her elbow in at contact and to bring the hips into play, rather than just the upper body.
Verbal Cue
Another simple technique to get players to keep their elbows in is the use of a verbal cue. Tell players that their paddle contain water, and that there is a hole in one side of their paddle (the side that is on top during contact).
Tell players that if they turn their paddles over during their forehand stroke, the water will spill out all over the court. Have players hit forehands trying to “keep the water in your paddle.”
Without telling your players to keep their elbows in, you will immediately begin to see players hit with their elbows in, producing deep, high-trajectory balls. Ask them why they think this is happening. Tell them that it was because they kept their elbows in, and they’ll see the benefit!
Summary
Almost all powerful forehands have the elbow in at contact. Download photos of professional pickleball players from the Web and show your players how all of their favorite pros, not matter what style of forehand, have their elbows in at contact.
Below are photos of several top players with different stroke styles, but you’ll see that all of them have their elbows in at contact.