Quick Tip: How to Strengthen Your Overhead Shot

Top 5 pro player James Ignatowich

Hey guys, this is James Ignatowich, and today I’m going to cover how to maintain a wide base. I don’t mean super wide, but you want your feet to be at least the width of your shoulders. The reason for that is when the ball is up in the air, there’s wind, other elements, and a lot of time for that ball to be in the air, which means things will be changing. The most important thing with the overhead shot is staying balanced.

I’ve seen way too many players try to hit an overhead with their feet very close together, and when your feet are that close, you’re naturally going to be less balanced. The wider your feet are, the more balanced you’ll generally be. So when I hit an overhead, I try to keep my feet wide like this, and I’m also coming back facing the side of the court. I’m not coming back like this (figure 1); I can get back more quickly by side-shuffling (figure 2) instead of backpedaling.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Fun fact: I was teaching a clinic three weeks ago, and someone tried to backpedal, and they fell. You don’t want to end up like her (I’m not going to say who it was). But that’s another key tip!

For exclusive content and special giveaways, make sure to check out the full James Ignatowich newsletter.

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