Pro Tip: Aggressive Forehand Flip Shot Down the Middle

(illustration Dan Langston)

Hey guys, this is James Ignatowich, and today I wanted to cover the forehand flip speed-up through the middle. This is a shot that you hit if you’re a righty on the left and you want to get aggressive through the middle. Ultimately, being aggressive from the middle can be a good play because the net is the lowest in the middle, and it’s a pretty short distance to get it through that spot.

I’m going to open my paddle face to the wide corner of that left-side player in front of me (Figure 1), and then I’m going to flip it at the last second so that it looks like I’m going with a wide dink and then speed it up right through the middle (Figure 2).

Figure 1

Figure 2

This is tough because if you can hit an aggressive dink to that outside left-side player’s left foot, they’ll be fading that way, ready for that shot. Then, if you can flip it at the last second to the middle, it’s probably going to be tough for them to cover, and for the right-side player to go in there with a backhand is also a challenge.

So, I’ve found the forehand flip speed-up middle to be very effective as long as you can first establish a good aggressive wide dink to the left-side player’s left foot.

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James Ignatowich is a top 10 professional pickleball player originally from Connecticut, now residing in Delray Beach, Florida. A former Division 1 tennis player at Vanderbilt University, James made a transition to pickleball, quickly rising to prominence in the sport and often playing doubles with Tyson McGuffin and Anna Bright. In addition to his athletic achievements, he runs his own podcast, where he shares insights into the game and interviews other professionals. jamesignatowichnewsletter | PPA | MLP | My paddle