Independent & Unbiased
Founded in 2017, Pickleball Portal is one of the original pickleball content sites — built before the sport went mainstream. Our reviews are written by 14 independent contributors who play competitively and test gear firsthand. We may earn a small commission through affiliate links, but this never influences our recommendations. You pay nothing extra.
Top 5 pro player James Ignatowich
Hey guys, this is James Ignatowich, and today I’m going to cover how to defend against the overhead.
When players have overheads being hit at them, the first thing they should focus on is their feet. The initial step should be getting back with your feet and lowering your paddle (Figure 1).
You don’t want your paddle up high because you’re defending nothing behind you (Figure 2). If the ball bounces past the baseline, it’s out, so the only area you need to defend is in front of you.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Your paddle should be down, ready to respond. When you see someone about to crush an overhead at you, start moving back and keep your paddle low. If an opponent has an overhead and you think they’re going to smash it, you should move behind the baseline to give yourself some space.
One very important aspect of pickleball is that once the ball bounces, it slows down dramatically. No matter how hard you hit the overhead, it won’t continue at the same pace after the bounce. So remember: get back and get low.
For exclusive content and special giveaways, make sure to check out the full James Ignatowich newsletter.
About James Ignatowich
Pickleball Portal Contributor
James Ignatowich is a contributor to Pickleball Portal, sharing insights and expertise to help players of all levels improve their game.
