I am one of those people who love detailed analysis of the mechanics involved in shot making and preparation. The what needs to be where when you are on various areas of the court and why. Yep, I love the nerd stuff. Your videos are my go to as I must self teach on what to do on the court. The finer and fuller the detail the better. Thank you and please continue with your teaching videos.
This is the best video that explains the technique & mechanics of proper paddle position. The icing on the cake was your admonition to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE so that correct stance and paddle position becomes a habit.
Thanks, Nicole, for another informative video. I love the way you cover important areas that most instructors never touch on. You have a sharp analytical mind and are able to point out small and overlooked details that can make a big difference in a player's game. As you probably already guessed, I am one of the many players that hold their paddles too high when in "no man's land". Because of that tendency, I hit too many of my resets into the net. I plan on changing that going forward, thanks to your insights. Always great material!
Awesome... glad to hear my detailed technical analysis is helping. I do like to go pretty deep and I'm always happy to hear that it has made an impact. thx.
Great job carefully explaining a most important shot. One of the best long videos on technique that was useful without wasting the viewer's time. Thanks -
My wife and I have watched hundreds of pickleball videos over the years. We are always fans of your work Nicole. This one we agree is one of your best! Thanks it has helped a lot.
Great video, Nicole. As is your style, you cover some of the mechanical nuances of pickleball that most people are not even aware of. I certainly never gave much thought to the height I was holding my paddle at relative to my distance from the NVZ. I know this tip will help my reset game once I drill it and it starts to become second nature. Thank you so much for all of your efforts to help others improve their pickleball skills.
REALLY good content. I do struggle with the reset ( and we drill quite a bit) but in seeing Taylor's ready position in the transition zone, I now think I have my paddle too high for the anticipated shot. Makes sense, thank you!....now off to drill it.
Nicole! This was so helpful! Thank you. I never even thought about paddle height relative to my location on the court. Btw, I’m with Taylor on the role of my non paddle hand. I realize it is a touchstone of sorts, probably a throwback to my tennis days. It helps with balance, proprioception, and integration of movement somehow. I can’t really explain it. I’d be lost if I couldn’t touch the paddle with my other hand. Anyway, something to contemplate. Love your videos. Your camera angles and repetitive showings of the side by side comparisons are super helpful. I’m a big fan! Kris (68) Arizona
So happy you find the video helpful Kris! I want the off hand on the paddle too, I just think it serves you better down lowers and not all 5 fingers on the face of the paddle.
Really good, specific 3 tips plus preset for likely contact point buys valuable time and reduces chaos. Definitely will build this in by drilling. Game situations vary a lot with spin, speed, etc but same principles apply.
Hi Nicole, I just started playing PB less than two weeks ago. I used to play tennis twice a week, but now that I'm a bit older and heavier, I feel PB is less forgiving on the body. So far the players I've encountered are really cool people, whether win or lose. Thanks for your channel, I know at sometime I will get better at PB.
I've advised beginners to put their fingers of the off hand on the paddle because they often stand there with the paddle down by their side. It helps them learn the "paddle ready position."
Thank you Nicole! It was a great lesson with a targeted outcome. Cant believe I missed this video earlier! Going to try working on my paddle positioning this morning and hope for a better reset. I was differently chopping when I hit my resets.
Thanks for your videos - always refer new players to your site! Allyce Jones ( pro player for those who don't know her) utilizes her volleyball background well and is amazing on defense- we teach "split and low" to defend spikes, wrists are down...great transfer of skillset from vb to pb.
Awesome video with 3 practical practices that I'll be more mindful of in order to be more successful in resetting. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
Great video. I have been holding my paddle high and very often hitting the net when I return. I will practice holding it lower so the ball will go over then net. I will also angle my paddle so the ball is not hit back to my opponent but next to them or at their feet.
Off hand on the back of the paddle can help lock in getting the paddle back into the ready/reset position. If they don't use a two handed shot, it's perfectly fine.
I do not come from a tennis background so putting both hands on the handle doesn’t come naturally. Putting my hand on the back of the paddle reminds me to get my paddle back to ready. Having said that, there is a great advantage to learning to keep the off hand on the handle instead as you pointed out. How difficult of a transition is this?
This is by far my weakest stoke in pickleball I feel I’m a 3.5 I play mostly against 4.0 & up which I rarely win . Thanks a million for the tip ! So much appreciated!
Thanks so much Tom! I occasionally get a comment that I could say the same thing in 3 minutes but I disagree. I could get the checklist across but I couldn't dive deeper into the why and I think you deserve a complete "why".
@@primetimepickleball Yes Nicole, I couldn't agree more. I always like to understand the rationale behind someone's position. Kind of a "trust, but verify" thing.
I have watched the introduction only, and I would like to guess at the answer…. The weight is on one foot instead of two … hence, he can pivot with his lower torso, instead of trying to contort his upper torso to get a Paddle in a reasonable position.
All of these resets were volley resets. To me, a more challenging reset is one where opponent hits hard to the ground just in front of you, requiring you to also short-hop the reset. Any additional advice on that?
Good point! Largely the same, all the points I mentioned still apply. You might have to have the paddle face a tad more closed on the short hop one to counter the fact that it’s coming at you from an upward angle after the bounce. Could be worth a separate video. Thx for the comment!
Thank you Nicole! Good points. Would love to see a video on this too since it is a weakness I am working on but with court limitations in my area, rarely get quality drilling time. My problem seems to be absorbing enough energy from the reset to not pop it up.
The clips at 3:30 to 5:00 where you show the height of in balls versus out balls to make the case for a lower paddle ready position in the transition zone was excellent. Worth its weight in gold!
Super helpful video. I can’t wait to work on the technique and put it into my game. I like how you demonstrated those hard hit balls waist high in the TZ going out. In a game situation wouldn’t Taylor move up to the NVZ after hitting the reset? And what about aiming the reset into the diagonal court instead of straight back? Thanks for the great content.
Glad you liked it! Yes, In a game you would move up after a good reset but since we’re training here… he’ll stay there. You can work the cross court reset as well. We tend to work down the line since it’s harder and if you can do that one well, it’s generally easy to hit the cross court one well.
I’d say it’s mostly a tiny shoulder move with a little leg. But very minimal especially the harder the incoming shot is hit. Focus mostly on stillness. A lot less motion in this shot than most people realize.
Thanks! Shoes are so personal but lots of the pros wear Babolat so there's gotta be something to that. I just bought a pair so I'd check out that brand. I also like the Wilson Rush Pro. I've had good luck with Asics as well but they wear out fast for me.
Not specifically because you do 99% the same thing. The only difference is that you have to have the paddle face tilted SLIGHTLY more down to counter the incoming topspin and SLIGHTLY more up to counter the incoming underspin.
Hello! I'm located in North Carolina. At the moment I am not doing lessons as I am still recovering from an injury. However, it is something I am heavily considering doing once I am recovered. If and when I do decide to move forward with this I would make an announcement via my email newsletter.
if you find yourself suddenly under attack..do you want to move back quickly (before the ball is struck)? say ur're on the NVL and your partner (accidentally or whatever) hits a meatball...do you move back quickly off from the NVL to the transition zone (and then the reset stuff here applies?). are your odds better if you do this? similarly...if you find yourself being attacked after being in the transition zone (due to another meatball) should you move back to the baseline? (are your odds better there?) thanks.
Move back as far as you reasonably can in order to be able to hit a split step with weight forward or at least balanced, not still moving back. The more time you can give yourself the better so moving back to the baseline is ok. Defend with shots to the middle so you don’t give them too much angle. Sorry for the delay.
Nicole, Your videos are extremely helpful, but my one suggestion is to make them more concise. The meat of this one could have been delivered in one third the time. Thanks
Almost every shot was hit directly at Tyler but what about when the ball is aimed to his left or right? Good opponents may no always hit to the body. Can this left right movement be preset as well? Great info!
Hi, on the ones that get hit away from you, do your best. Focus on being a rock solid defender when they come in a zone in your vicinity. If you have made it difficult to attack then the attacks will come more in your direction and have less pace. If they're hitting towards gaps then they probably received a VERY attackable shot in which case... you're scrambling and trying to survive the onslaught.
Resetting is what you should do when you get attacked by a very hard shot and your contact point will be low. It's best to lay the ball gently in the kitchen (assuming your opponents are up at the NVZ line) just like Taylor is doing in this video.
Nicole, why are they interested in re-setting when they are in a firefight at the kitchen line? More likely they’re going to pop the ball up giving the opponent a winning smash. The timing is extremely difficult and even if successful they have just invited the same scenario. It seems smarter to hit hard to attempt to defeat your opponents timing and get a pop up.
This video was about resetting in the transition zone, not at the kitchen. She only talked about the kitchen to demonstrate the different paddle position when you are up at the net.
You still may want to reset when you are under attack. You shouldn’t automatically hit hard back when you are under attack. If your opponents LIKE hard,fast drives, they might be better than you in the hand battles. Better to reset and gain control of the point; don’t give bangers the ball they want, which is the hard, fast ball. They tend to fail more often if you take some pace off the ball and reset into the kitchen.
You'll want to be able to do both! counterattack as well as reset from the NVZ and then determine what they don't like or what you do better than them and do that. It's smart to reset at the NVZ line if they have the upper hand at that point in the firefight.
I am one of those people who love detailed analysis of the mechanics involved in shot making and preparation. The what needs to be where when you are on various areas of the court and why. Yep, I love the nerd stuff. Your videos are my go to as I must self teach on what to do on the court. The finer and fuller the detail the better. Thank you and please continue with your teaching videos.
😊
This is the best video that explains the technique & mechanics of proper paddle position. The icing on the cake was your admonition to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE so that correct stance and paddle position becomes a habit.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks, Nicole, for another informative video.
I love the way you cover important areas that most instructors never touch on. You have a sharp analytical mind and are able to point out small and overlooked details that can make a big difference in a player's game.
As you probably already guessed, I am one of the many players that hold their paddles too high when in "no man's land". Because of that tendency, I hit too many of my resets into the net. I plan on changing that going forward, thanks to your insights.
Always great material!
Awesome... glad to hear my detailed technical analysis is helping. I do like to go pretty deep and I'm always happy to hear that it has made an impact. thx.
This is the best reset video on the internet. Great drill as well.
Appreciate that! :)
Great job carefully explaining a most important shot. One of the best long videos on technique that was useful without wasting the viewer's time. Thanks -
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate the positive feedback.
My wife and I have watched hundreds of pickleball videos over the years. We are always fans of your work Nicole. This one we agree is one of your best! Thanks it has helped a lot.
Wow, thank you!
Great video, Nicole. As is your style, you cover some of the mechanical nuances of pickleball that most people are not even aware of. I certainly never gave much thought to the height I was holding my paddle at relative to my distance from the NVZ. I know this tip will help my reset game once I drill it and it starts to become second nature. Thank you so much for all of your efforts to help others improve their pickleball skills.
Awesome Dan! My pleasure and thanks for the comment.
REALLY good content. I do struggle with the reset ( and we drill quite a bit) but in seeing Taylor's ready position in the transition zone, I now think I have my paddle too high for the anticipated shot. Makes sense, thank you!....now off to drill it.
Awesome! Thx.
Nicole! This was so helpful! Thank you. I never even thought about paddle height relative to my location on the court. Btw, I’m with Taylor on the role of my non paddle hand. I realize it is a touchstone of sorts, probably a throwback to my tennis days. It helps with balance, proprioception, and integration of movement somehow. I can’t really explain it. I’d be lost if I couldn’t touch the paddle with my other hand. Anyway, something to contemplate. Love your videos. Your camera angles and repetitive showings of the side by side comparisons are super helpful. I’m a big fan!
Kris (68)
Arizona
So happy you find the video helpful Kris! I want the off hand on the paddle too, I just think it serves you better down lowers and not all 5 fingers on the face of the paddle.
What a helpful video. I can't wait to try out the tips you've mentioned here! Well done.
Awesome! Thank you!
Really good, specific 3 tips plus preset for likely contact point buys valuable time and reduces chaos. Definitely will build this in by drilling. Game situations vary a lot with spin, speed, etc but same principles apply.
Glad it was helpful! Awesome! Yes, things always vary slightly. Thanks for the comment.
As usual, you are the go-to source for all my shot problems! This is awesome, can't wait to try it out.
😊
Thank you for very useful tips and good explanation how to practice resets.Can’t wait to get on the court and start drilling.
You’re so welcome Ed!
Hi Nicole, I just started playing PB less than two weeks ago. I used to play tennis twice a week, but now that I'm a bit older and heavier, I feel PB is less forgiving on the body. So far the players I've encountered are really cool people, whether win or lose. Thanks for your channel, I know at sometime I will get better at PB.
Hi Ricky! Welcome to pickleball. I’m glad you’ve run into a good group and that you like the channel.
Best reset video for me. I really appreciate your details and step by step instruction. Thank you.
Wow, thanks!
I've advised beginners to put their fingers of the off hand on the paddle because they often stand there with the paddle down by their side. It helps them learn the "paddle ready position."
A few fingers up on the paddle is totally fine. I do it too… In case of a grip change. I just don’t think all 5 fingers should be there.
Thank you Nicole! It was a great lesson with a targeted outcome. Cant believe I missed this video earlier! Going to try working on my paddle positioning this morning and hope for a better reset. I was differently chopping when I hit my resets.
You got this!
I love all your videos. Thank you so much, they are so to the point and pure GOLD.
You are so welcome!
Thanks for your videos - always refer new players to your site! Allyce Jones ( pro player for those who don't know her) utilizes her volleyball background well and is amazing on defense- we teach "split and low" to defend spikes, wrists are down...great transfer of skillset from vb to pb.
You’re so welcome. Thanks for sharing! Yes, coming from vb is definitely a plus. Allyce is a badass. 💪🏻
Great observation about defending volleyball spikes!!!
You nailed it, Nicole. Excellent video and info! Remember people the best defender on the court is the NET!
So true! Thanks Jim.
Awesome video with 3 practical practices that I'll be more mindful of in order to be more successful in resetting. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
My pleasure! Glad you found it helpful.
Great tip/lesson! I can't wait to apply this to my game!
Awesome! Thx.
Thanks for great info. You are a wonderful instructor ❤
Thanks Judy! Glad you enjoyed the instruction.
Nicole~ thank you so much for explaining these so in details. Can’t wait to practice and see improvement!
Glad it was helpful!
Great, Great, Great guidance. This is my learning of the summer.
Awesome! Thanks so much.
Great video. I have been holding my paddle high and very often hitting the net when I return. I will practice holding it lower so the ball will go over then net. I will also angle my paddle so the ball is not hit back to my opponent but next to them or at their feet.
Thanks Skip! Glad you liked the video. Excited for your changes in practice.
Off hand on the back of the paddle can help lock in getting the paddle back into the ready/reset position. If they don't use a two handed shot, it's perfectly fine.
Thanks for the comment. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.
I do not come from a tennis background so putting both hands on the handle doesn’t come naturally. Putting my hand on the back of the paddle reminds me to get my paddle back to ready. Having said that, there is a great advantage to learning to keep the off hand on the handle instead as you pointed out. How difficult of a transition is this?
More great information. Thanks Nicloe
Thanks John!
This is by far my weakest stoke in pickleball I feel I’m a 3.5 I play mostly against 4.0 & up which I rarely win . Thanks a million for the tip ! So much appreciated!
You're so welcome! mastering this skill will propel your level way up.
Excellent breakdown & analysis. Thank you. BTW I would use more backhand resets because you have greater range or arch of motion.
Thanks Liz! Yes, more backhand resets. You can cover more of the range with your backhand. Backhand covers the body well, forehand doesn't.
Great video, I love the slow motion in training videos.
Thanks Bryan!
Another great video. This one is one I needed, is one for more advanced players. Thank you.
So happy to hear that! thx!
Excellent! I love the details in the analysis' in (all) your videos! The logic always makes sense!
Thanks so much Tom! I occasionally get a comment that I could say the same thing in 3 minutes but I disagree. I could get the checklist across but I couldn't dive deeper into the why and I think you deserve a complete "why".
@@primetimepickleball Yes Nicole, I couldn't agree more. I always like to understand the rationale behind someone's position. Kind of a "trust, but verify" thing.
Great job Nicole!😊
Thanks Danny 🥰
Thank you! Very good video. Great tips to make the reset shots
😊
Soooo good. Great instruction! Thank u!!
Thanks Jay! Glad you enjoyed it!
This was great... much appreciated....
you're welcome!
I have watched the introduction only, and I would like to guess at the answer…. The weight is on one foot instead of two … hence, he can pivot with his lower torso, instead of trying to contort his upper torso to get a Paddle in a reasonable position.
Hi! We didn’t work on anything related to weight distribution of the feet.
Very informative video! I just subscribed and look forward to more!
Awesome! Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for the sub and the comment.
Another wonderful and practical video Nicole! Very helpful. Now, where can I find someone that hits practice drives as consistently as you?
Glad it was helpful! lol. Trade off with someone and have lots of balls on hand... a basket. A ball machine propped up higher can work too.
Thank you, great video.
Glad you liked it!
All of these resets were volley resets. To me, a more challenging reset is one where opponent hits hard to the ground just in front of you, requiring you to also short-hop the reset. Any additional advice on that?
Good point! Largely the same, all the points I mentioned still apply. You might have to have the paddle face a tad more closed on the short hop one to counter the fact that it’s coming at you from an upward angle after the bounce. Could be worth a separate video. Thx for the comment!
Thank you Nicole! Good points. Would love to see a video on this too since it is a weakness I am working on but with court limitations in my area, rarely get quality drilling time. My problem seems to be absorbing enough energy from the reset to not pop it up.
Try relaxing your grip tightness s little@@brianschmitz4972
great video- very helpful
Awesome! Glad it helped.
Excellent info.
Thank you 😊
Thank you.. Very nice for info.
Glad it was helpful!
Best-coach-ever=Nicole
that's just math
love it! Thank you!
Nicole really is. Not a bunch of fluff. Thank you for your help.
The clips at 3:30 to 5:00 where you show the height of in balls versus out balls to make the case for a lower paddle ready position in the transition zone was excellent. Worth its weight in gold!
Super helpful video. I can’t wait to work on the technique and put it into my game. I like how you demonstrated those hard hit balls waist high in the TZ going out. In a game situation wouldn’t Taylor move up to the NVZ after hitting the reset? And what about aiming the reset into the diagonal court instead of straight back? Thanks for the great content.
Glad you liked it! Yes, In a game you would move up after a good reset but since we’re training here… he’ll stay there. You can work the cross court reset as well. We tend to work down the line since it’s harder and if you can do that one well, it’s generally easy to hit the cross court one well.
Thanks 🙏🏻
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Nicole, can you set up a slinger for reset drills ?
Hi! Yes, see this video to see how I do it: ruclips.net/video/hiCs8av4kxE/видео.html
Excellent
😊
For resetting hard shots at your feet, do you primarily lift with your arm/shoulder or your legs for the blocking/lifting motion?
I’d say it’s mostly a tiny shoulder move with a little leg. But very minimal especially the harder the incoming shot is hit. Focus mostly on stillness. A lot less motion in this shot than most people realize.
Great video! What pickleball shoe do you recommend?
Thanks! Shoes are so personal but lots of the pros wear Babolat so there's gotta be something to that. I just bought a pair so I'd check out that brand. I also like the Wilson Rush Pro. I've had good luck with Asics as well but they wear out fast for me.
Are you planning on making a video on how to reset opponents' topspin and slice from the transition zone?
Not specifically because you do 99% the same thing. The only difference is that you have to have the paddle face tilted SLIGHTLY more down to counter the incoming topspin and SLIGHTLY more up to counter the incoming underspin.
Where are you located?? I want to come for a lesson! You are a great coach.
Hello! I'm located in North Carolina. At the moment I am not doing lessons as I am still recovering from an injury. However, it is something I am heavily considering doing once I am recovered. If and when I do decide to move forward with this I would make an announcement via my email newsletter.
if you find yourself suddenly under attack..do you want to move back quickly (before the ball is struck)? say ur're on the NVL and your partner (accidentally or whatever) hits a meatball...do you move back quickly off from the NVL to the transition zone (and then the reset stuff here applies?). are your odds better if you do this? similarly...if you find yourself being attacked after being in the transition zone (due to another meatball) should you move back to the baseline? (are your odds better there?) thanks.
Move back as far as you reasonably can in order to be able to hit a split step with weight forward or at least balanced, not still moving back. The more time you can give yourself the better so moving back to the baseline is ok. Defend with shots to the middle so you don’t give them too much angle. Sorry for the delay.
Nicole, Your videos are extremely helpful, but my one suggestion is to make them more concise. The meat of this one could have been delivered in one third the time. Thanks
Thanks for the feedback.
Almost every shot was hit directly at Tyler but what about when the ball is aimed to his left or right? Good opponents may no always hit to the body. Can this left right movement be preset as well? Great info!
Taylor
Hi, on the ones that get hit away from you, do your best. Focus on being a rock solid defender when they come in a zone in your vicinity. If you have made it difficult to attack then the attacks will come more in your direction and have less pace. If they're hitting towards gaps then they probably received a VERY attackable shot in which case... you're scrambling and trying to survive the onslaught.
When you keep it down lower the paddle it seems to be a much more effective way to play this game
You got it!
Newbie here: Could you explain what is meant by reset or resetting? Please & Thanks.
Resetting is what you should do when you get attacked by a very hard shot and your contact point will be low. It's best to lay the ball gently in the kitchen (assuming your opponents are up at the NVZ line) just like Taylor is doing in this video.
Oh please. Weeks!!!
Lol
Nicole, why are they interested in re-setting when they are in a firefight at the kitchen line? More likely they’re going to pop the ball up giving the opponent a winning smash. The timing is extremely difficult and even if successful they have just invited the same scenario. It seems smarter to hit hard to attempt to defeat your opponents timing and get a pop up.
This video was about resetting in the transition zone, not at the kitchen. She only talked about the kitchen to demonstrate the different paddle position when you are up at the net.
You still may want to reset when you are under attack. You shouldn’t automatically hit hard back when you are under attack. If your opponents LIKE hard,fast drives, they might be better than you in the hand battles. Better to reset and gain control of the point; don’t give bangers the ball they want, which is the hard, fast ball. They tend to fail more often if you take some pace off the ball and reset into the kitchen.
You'll want to be able to do both! counterattack as well as reset from the NVZ and then determine what they don't like or what you do better than them and do that. It's smart to reset at the NVZ line if they have the upper hand at that point in the firefight.