Three Common Mistakes When Learning Topspin in Pickleball

If you've been grinding on your topspin and wondering why it feels so awkward, you're probably making one of three common mistakes.

Tanner Tomassi breaks down exactly what's going wrong and how to fix it in a quick, no-nonsense video that'll have you hitting cleaner topspin in no time.

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Mistake #1: Muscling It With Your Arm

The biggest culprit? Trying to power the topspin by coming over the ball with your elbow and wrist. That's the opposite of what you want. Instead, think of it like waving hello, but sideways. Your wrist should stay loose and relaxed, not tense and controlling. The motion comes from your arm's natural swing, not from forcing it. Once you let go of that death grip, the spin happens almost on its own.

Mistake #2: Starting With Your Paddle Sideways

A lot of players begin their topspin stroke with the paddle already turned sideways. The problem? It's nearly impossible to catch the ball properly and come over it from that position. You need to start with your paddle tip down. This gives you maximum surface area to make contact with the ball and actually generate that spin. It's a small adjustment, but it changes everything about how the stroke feels and performs.

Mistake #3: Finishing to the Side Instead of Over Your Shoulder

Here's the detail that drives Tanner crazy: your follow-through matters. You should finish your stroke directly over your shoulder, not off to the side. That finishing position is what completes the topspin motion and ensures you're hitting with the right angle. It's the punctuation mark on the sentence, and skipping it leaves your stroke incomplete.

Put all three together, and you've got a loose wrist, paddle tip down, finishing over your shoulder. That's the recipe. The video shows it in action, and once you see it, the mechanics click into place pretty quickly.