Let's Go For A Spin, Part Deux

In yesterday's post I took a brief look at spins and slices, and suggested that they are good weapons to use occasionally. They are not going to make you a 5.0 player overnight, and if you are a beginner or intermediate player, then there are better things that you can be working on.

That being said, let's look at a couple of related issues.

Paddles
I see a lot of people asking specifically for paddles that can provide maximum spin effects. If this is you, just make sure that the paddle you want first satisfies your control and power requirements.

I did a little bit of research on paddle performance and it was interesting to compare the spin performance of a low rated paddle (around 30 revolutions per second) against the highest rated ones (around 35 revolutions per second). Not really a ton of difference, especially when you remember that the spin is created by the person holding the paddle.

When Are Spins a Good Idea?
I would say the drive with topspin might be the most valuable shot to learn. When hit low and hard just over the net the topspin tends to make it drop suddenly, just under a defender's paddle. People will sit up and take notice when you hit one of these successfully.

The next thing to master might be the forehand and backhand slices, as they seem to be the most challenging to return on the sweet spot. Serves and returns of serves are usually good places to use these shots.

And lastly, I see little value in adding spin to dinking. Learning to dink effectively is tough enough without adding another layer of difficulty - there is already very little room for error in dinking.

So there you have it. Please spin responsibly.

Michael Gauthier
Rally Academy
Pickleball Strokes

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