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.
Hey guys, this is James Igntowich, and today I wanted to cover when to speed the ball up and when not to.
Point number one: if you can make contact with the ball out of the air, you should speed it up.
Point number two: if the contact is at or above the height of the net, you should definitely speed it up.
When you can make contact with the ball out of the air and above the height of the net, you should speed it up every time. This allows you to impart a downward trajectory on the ball. While you might not win 100% of those exchanges, you will win more than you will lose.
So if you can hit down on your speed-up, you should do it. This will bait your opponent into reacting quickly from a lower position, likely causing them to overswing and miss deep, as shown below.
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.
