How to Add Effortless Speed and Spin to Your Pickleball Forehand

JohnCincolaPickleball

John Cincola Pickleball

Hey guys, it’s John from John Cincola Pickleball. So, do you want to hit a forehand that makes your friends stop in their tracks? You know the kind… I’m going to walk you through exactly how to make that happen.

Where Most Players Go Wrong With the Forehand

A lot of players want the kind of effortless forehand power their tennis buddies seem to have. But if you didn’t grow up playing tennis for 15 or 20 years, how are you supposed to get there?

Here’s the good news: I spent nearly 15 years teaching tennis, and I’ve taken the key principles from that world and applied them to the pickleball forehand. These are the adjustments that can give you real, easy power on your forehand drive.

Common Forehand Myths That Hold You Back

Let’s start by clearing up a couple of common myths about how the forehand is often taught.

Myth #1: You need to turn sideways before hitting the ball.
Players are often told they need to get fully turned so their body is facing sideways to the court before swinging. But if that were true, someone should probably let top singles players like Tyson McGuffin and Federico Staksrud know, because they clearly didn’t get the memo—they’re not doing it that way.

Federico Staksrud

Tyson McGuffin

Photo by Kerry Pittenger; IG:@
kerry_pittenger_pickleball

Myth #2: You should extend straight down your target line.
The thinking here is that if you want the ball to go in a certain direction, you should extend the paddle that way. On paper, that sounds logical. But in practice, it just doesn’t work that way. That kind of linear motion is stiff, unnatural, and it limits power.

What Actually Creates Power on the Forehand

There’s really only one thing that matters when you’re trying to hit the ball harder or with more spin: paddle speed. If you swing faster, you hit harder. It’s that simple. So our focus has to shift to generating more paddle speed.

To do that, we’re going to use two key mechanics: rotation and lag.

Understanding Rotation: Your Body Works in Arcs, Not Lines

Let’s break down what I mean by rotation. Picture two different swing styles:

• The first is what we just talked about—turn your body sideways, then swing directly toward your target. That’s a linear swing.
• The second is a rotational swing, where the paddle moves around your body in an arc.

The second option is what we want. If you think about sports like golf, baseball, and tennis, they all use this rotational, circular motion. That’s how your body naturally wants to move when generating power.

What is Lag (And Why It Matters)?

Lag is the other key to paddle speed. It’s a principle that shows up in tennis, golf, and baseball. Here’s how it works:

When you start to rotate your body, the paddle doesn’t immediately follow—it lags behind for a moment. And because it’s not supported, it actually falls a bit behind your hand. Then, as the swing continues, the paddle catches up fast, like a whip.

That snapping action? That’s where the speed comes from.

A Step-by-Step Drill to Feel Lag and Rotation

If you want to start building this into your swing, here’s how to practice it:

1. Start in your ready position.
   From there, make a unit turn—rotate your entire upper body about 90 degrees, without moving your feet (figure 1). Don’t worry about the paddle yet. You’ll notice that your paddle ends up pointed out to the side, not behind your hand. That’s perfect.
2. Pull your elbow forward.
   Once you’re in that turned position, begin the motion by pulling your elbow forward. As you do that, the paddle will naturally tip backward into that lag position (figure 2).
3. Begin rotating your body.
   As you lead with your elbow and keep the paddle back, start rotating toward the target. Let the paddle trail behind. You’re not trying to force the paddle into a certain position—it should stay relaxed and natural.

(figure 1) John Cincola Pickleball.

(figure 2) John Cincola Pickleball.

(figure 3) John Cincola Pickleball.

Once you’ve practiced that motion, start doing drop feeds—just drop the ball in front of you and swing using that same motion. Once that feels good, move to live balls and start applying it in real situations.

How Zane Navratil Hits One of the Hardest Forehands in Pickleball

Let’s take a real-world example: a forehand from Zane Navratil that might be the hardest-hit forehand I’ve ever seen in pickleball.

Pro Player Zane Navratil

A few of us were watching it in real-time during a game, and you can tell by our reaction—it was jaw-dropping.

Now, let’s break down what Zane did:

• The Setup: He starts with that same unit turn I described. His stance is open, and his paddle is loose and out to the side.
• Creating Lag: He pulls forward with the elbow, and the paddle naturally lags behind into that classic whip-like position. It’s not forced—he’s relaxed.
• Letting It Rip: He rotates his body and lets everything unwind. You can literally see how fast the paddle moves through contact and arcs across his body.
• No Step-In Needed: What’s wild is he’s not stepping into the court or shifting all his weight forward. He stays balanced and lets the paddle do the work.

Everything we just talked about—lag, rotation, paddle speed, swinging in an arc—is right there in that one shot.

Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Muscle It

If you want a forehand that makes people stop and stare, it’s not about muscling the ball. It’s about moving efficiently. Paddle speed is the name of the game, and you get it by staying relaxed, letting the paddle lag, and rotating your body naturally.

Once you learn to swing this way, the power will feel easy. And when it’s easy, it’s consistent—and way more fun.

For exclusive content and full-version tutorials, make sure to check out my YouTube channel, ➡️ John Cincola Pickleball.

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