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Tip of the day
A speed up at the kitchen is the most common way points are won, and most players lose those points by trying to counter every one of them.
The rule is simple. Reset the balls that are low or close to your body, and counter only the balls that are high and away from your body.
When in doubt, reset. You can reset a ball you could have countered, but you cannot counter a ball you should have reset.
Resets live or die on grip pressure. On a scale where ten is a death grip, hold around a three so the paddle absorbs the ball instead of trampolining it back up.
The image to use is catching a water balloon. You give with it rather than stabbing at it, and the ball dies into the kitchen.
Hold the paddle still through contact. Any extra movement turns your reset into the high ball the person who sped up is already looking for.
The second fix is paddle height. Keep it up around chest height and out in front, because at kitchen range there is no time to lift it from your waist.
A cue that works: let your paddle touch your non dominant hand every time you finish a dink. A low paddle gets you jammed and pops the ball up.
If a ball you want to counter arrives in your reset zone, move your body instead of reaching. Shifting a step puts that same ball in your counter zone.
Shift toward the nearest sideline, so anything that gets past you lands out. And when you do counter, tuck your elbow in and use your wrist rather than swinging your whole arm.
Key points
Reset any ball that is low or close to your body, and counter only balls that are high and away from it.
Hold your grip around a three out of ten so the paddle absorbs pace instead of springing it back.
Keep your paddle at chest height and out in front so the paddle meets the ball, not the reverse.
Move your body a step toward the sideline to turn a reset ball into a counter ball.
Tuck your elbow and use your wrist on counters so you stay compact and ready for the next shot.
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Happy pickling,
Paul
