Weekly Roundup

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Top 5 Mistakes Beginners Make— From Kyle Koszuta

Hey everyone, it’s Kyle Koszuta from ThatPickleballGuy. Recently, I played with some beginners and identified five common mistakes they make. Here they are:

1. Serving & Stepping In: Many beginners serve and then step in, which puts them off balance. Instead, serve and stay where you are, or take a small step back for a forward move on the return.

2. 3rd Shot Drive: Beginners often drive the ball too much on their third shot, leading to errors. Try a third shot drop instead, landing the ball softly in the kitchen to move forward and play a softer game.

1. Being Sporadic at the Kitchen Line: Moving erratically at the kitchen line disrupts balance. Maintain a stable position, moving only side to side or with slight backward steps if needed.

2. Taking Big Swings: Big swings, especially on high balls, often result in hitting the net. Use a punch technique with a shorter, controlled motion for better accuracy.

3. Being Close-Minded: Stay open to learning and seek feedback from better players. This mindset will help you improve faster.

Bonus Tip: Keep your paddle in a ready position, slightly below your face, when at the kitchen line. This positioning helps you respond quickly to fast balls and block shots effectively.

For more tips. 

Aggressive Forehand Flip Shot— From James Ignatowich

Hey guys, it’s 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).

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. For more tips.

Thoughts on the new Paddletek Bantam TKO-C 12.7mm— From Stephen Sullivan

Though I prefer a one-handed backhand, the 5.3" handle is long enough for those who use a two-handed backhand. Initially, the paddle felt light and lacked the headweight I usually favor. To achieve a more balanced feel, I would consider adding weight to the handle and middle of the paddle.

After nearly a month of use, I found the Bantam TKO-C to have significant pop, making driving the ball effortless, and its raw carbon fiber surface excels in generating spin. However, the sweet spot is smaller than I’d like, affecting my reset consistency. While the control was unpredictable at first, especially with resets, dinks, and blocks, it performed better with baseline drives and dinks. Extended use might improve this, but I'd likely add lead tape to the sides to increase the sweet spot.

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