Pickleball Forehand

The most-used forehand in pickleball. A short, arcing cross-court shot from the kitchen line into the opponent's kitchen. Minimal backswing, slight open paddle face, guide the ball with a push rather than a swing. Target the front third of the kitchen.

Key: Short motion, open face, guide not swing

A flat or topspin groundstroke from the baseline or mid-court. Full backswing, weight transfer from back to front foot, contact in front, follow through. Used as a third shot drive or return of serve. Generates pace to pressure opponents.

Key: Full swing, weight transfer, contact in front

A topspin-loaded drive that dips sharply after peak height. Close the paddle face slightly, swing low to high, brush upward through the ball. Creates a ball that rises then drops quickly, hard to attack from the kitchen.

Key: Low-to-high swing, closed face, brush upward

A topspin volley hit from above net height at the kitchen line. Short, brushing forward swing with a slightly closed face. The ball dips aggressively into the kitchen. Used to attack balls sitting up at or above shoulder height.

Key: Short brush, closed face, attack downward arc

A forehand hit around the outside of the net post when pulled wide off the court. The ball doesn't cross the net at the normal crossing point, it goes around it. Legal and highly effective when executed correctly.

Key: Hit around post, land in opponent's court

Over-swinging in the kitchen

Reduce your backswing to 2-3 inches for kitchen exchanges. Think 'guide' not 'hit.' A compact forehand dink is more accurate than a full swing dink.

Late contact (ball beside or behind body)

Turn your shoulder early and get your paddle into position before the ball arrives. Contact the ball out in front, aim for a point 1-2 feet in front of your lead foot.

Hitting up on forehand drives

Your swing path on drives should go through the ball, not under it. Lift is needed for dinks; for drives, contact the middle of the ball with a flat-to-slightly closed face.

Over-gripping at contact

Loosen grip pressure to about 4/10 between shots, firming to 6-7/10 at contact. Tight-gripping throughout kills touch on dinks and reduces paddle feel for volleys.

How do you hit a forehand in pickleball?

To hit a pickleball forehand: grip the paddle with the continental or eastern forehand grip, turn your dominant shoulder toward the incoming ball, contact the ball in front of your body with the paddle face at the correct angle for your shot type, and follow through in the direction you want the ball to travel. The forehand dink uses a short, guided motion; the forehand drive uses a longer swing with full shoulder rotation and weight transfer.

What is the best grip for a pickleball forehand?

The continental grip works for all forehand shots in pickleball and allows fast switching to the backhand. The eastern forehand grip provides more power and topspin for drives. Most recreational players use the continental for consistency. For dedicated forehand drives from the baseline, the eastern forehand gives better leverage. Avoid the western grip, it's too closed for the soft-game requirements of pickleball.

What is the most common forehand mistake in pickleball?

The most common forehand mistake in pickleball is over-swinging, taking too large a backswing for kitchen exchanges. Pickleball's kitchen game requires short, controlled motions, not full tennis-style swings. Other common errors: contacting the ball too late (beside or behind the body), using a full swing on dinks instead of a guided push, and hitting upward on forehand drives instead of through the ball.