Pickleball Slice

How: Open paddle face, compact high-to-low swing, brush downward through ball

Effect: Ball clears net with soft arc, bounces low and skids, hard to attack aggressively

When: Changing pace in a dink rally, forcing an upward return from opponent

How: Open face, longer high-to-low swing with forward momentum, deeper contact point

Effect: Flat-to-skidding trajectory, low bounce, plays differently than a topspin drive

When: Baseline drives to create variety, returns of serve with heavy sidespin slice

How: Open face, upward finish with slight downward brush at contact

Effect: Lob with backspin floats shorter and dies quickly, sits up less for the overhead

When: Defensive lob when opponents expect a drive, backspin slows flight and shortens landing

How: Open face, high-to-low drop motion from mid-court

Effect: Ball drops sharply and stays low, dies near the kitchen line

When: Third shot alternative, the backspin makes it harder to attack than a flat drop

What is a slice in pickleball?

A slice in pickleball is a shot hit with backspin, the paddle moves downward through the ball at contact, creating reverse rotation that makes the ball skid low and stay low on the bounce. Slice shots travel with a flatter trajectory than topspin, bounce lower after the bounce, and are commonly used on dinks, defensive returns, and drop shots. The backspin makes slice shots harder to attack because the ball stays in the strike zone below net height.

How do you hit a slice in pickleball?

To hit a slice in pickleball: open your paddle face slightly (tilt it back), swing from high to low through contact (the opposite of topspin), and brush downward and forward through the ball. The combination of open face and downward swing path creates backspin. For a slice dink, the motion is compact and the ball should arc softly over the net and stay low. For a slice drive, the swing is longer with more forward direction.

When should you use a slice in pickleball?

Use slice in pickleball when: you want to keep the ball low on the bounce (harder to attack), you're hitting a dink that needs to stay below net height after the bounce, you're returning a high ball with a defensive drop, or you want to change pace in a dinking rally. Slice is most effective when opponents expect topspin or flat shots. The lower bounce forces opponents to hit up rather than attack.