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How wrist lag will level up your game

How wrist lag will level up your game

Paul from Pickleball Daily
November 05, 2025

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Pro Pickleball Players Use Wrist Lag - So Can You!

Wrist lag is a little-known secret that professional players use to add more power, spin, and control to serves, returns, drives, and speed-ups.

This technique is a passive result of good preparation, and it is not an intentional, forced snap of the wrist.

To prepare correctly, you must first execute a unit turn, coiling your entire upper body into position.

You must also maintain a very loose grip, around a two or three out of ten for most players, to ensure your arm remains relaxed.

A loose grip allows gravity to naturally drop the paddle head below the ball's level during the backswing.

Once preparation is complete, you should accelerate the paddle quickly toward the ball, which allows the wrist lag to happen naturally.

A key to execution is making contact out in front of your body, about a forearm's length, near your front leg.

Finally, at the point of contact, ensure your hand is in a "handshake" position, which helps generate spin and keep the ball from sailing long.

Key Points:

Wrist lag is a passive result of good preparation, not an intentional wrist snap.
Execute a unit turn and maintain a very loose grip to keep your arm relaxed.
Allow gravity to drop the paddle below the ball's level during the backswing.
To properly engage the lag and snap, make contact out in front of your body near your front leg.
Avoid letting your elbow open up, as this causes the paddle face to open and eliminates the spin necessary for control.

Watch the full tutorial here.

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