How To Hit Forehand

Have you recently decided to take up pickleball?

If you have, then we’re sure that you’ll agree with us when we say that, along with getting the right equipment, understanding how to perform basic moves such as the forehand is essential.

This is where we come in to lend a helping hand.

In this guide, we are going to be talking you through how to perform the forehand, which is a basic groundstroke movement.

As well as this, we’ll also be showing you how to do the backhand.

These two moves go hand in hand (pardon the pun) and are an essential part of the game – regardless of whether you’re a beginner or advanced (see also ‘Is Pickleball Easy For Beginners?‘).

So, without further ado, just keep on reading to learn more about how you can hit a forehand in pickleball!

How To Hit Forehand In Pickleball

So, how can you hit a forehand in pickleball?

Before we dive into the instructions of how to go about hitting a forehand correctly, we first think that it would be a good idea to first take a moment to outline what this type of movement is, as well as when it should be used.

Essentially, a forehand is most often used when the player is situated directly from or near the baseline.

The forehand, out of all shots, is one of the most powerful shots in pickleball as well as one of the most accurate.

Let’s take a look at how to hit a forehand below:

1. First things first, you’re going to want to begin by moving yourself into the correct court position.
2. Once you have done this, go ahead and carefully move your feet instead of reaching, in order to ensure that you are ready to perform the move.
3. After you have correctly positioned your feet, you are then going to be ready to position your shoulders and hips in the correct position, too. To make sure that you can perform this move correctly, you should make sure that your shoulders and hips are facing forward towards the net, as this will ensure that you are able to make the backswing correctly.
4. After you have positioned yourself into the right position and you’re comfortable to proceed, you can then go ahead and place your front foot towards the direction of the ball (towards the net) as this will help to power through the shot.
5. When you’re ready, bring the paddle forward in order to connect the paddle face with the ball, all while making sure that you are keeping your wrist and forearm strong and firm.
6. Follow all the way through for maximum speed and power with your forearm and shoulders, before coming back to the start position.

As a side note, if you find yourself struggling to get yourself in the correct position in order to safely and correctly carry out the backhand shot, you can try extending your opposite arm to help give you some extra balance and stability.

How To Hit Backhand In Pickleball

Now that we have shown you how to hit a forehand in pickleball, we are now going to be showing you how to hit backhand in pickleball.

These two cover the basic groundstrokes that you should know about as a pickleball player, so just keep on reading to discover more:

The backhand in pickleball is often used when a ball is approaching the side that is opposite the paddle arm.

While this is usually only the case when a backhand is officially required, many pickleball players often find that this groundstroke move becomes their most frequently used.

So much so, that around 75% of pickleball players state that their go-to move is the backhand along with the forehand.

Let’s check out the following instructions to learn how to do it below:

1. First things first, you are going to want to move into your correct court position.
2. From there, you can then go ahead and get yourself ready to begin playing this move by piloting your shoulders/hips sideways. This will allow you to easily maneuver your hand to perform the backhand shot.
3. When you’re ready to perform the backhand, you will need to begin by bringing the paddle arm directly across your body, and then carefully extend the paddle until it is directly parallel to your face. If it feels comfortable to do so, you can also take your opposite arm and extend it across your body for some additional balance.
4. When you’re ready, step your front foot towards the direction of the ball, as this will help you to create some forward momentum to help power through the shot. After you have done this, bring the paddle forward simultaneously to be able to make contact with the ball.
5. When you’re ready, power through with your foot and arm to connect the paddle to the ball, making sure to keep your eyes directed towards the area in which you want to send the ball.

For the best results when carrying out the backhand, you should make sure that you are keeping your forward foot firmly planted on the ground.

This will help you to ensure that you’re grounded and balanced.

As well as this, you should also make sure that your wrist and forearm (the ones that are holding the paddle) are firm and strong in order to power through with the shot after the paddle connects with the ball.

Wrapping Up

There we have it. You’ve made it to the end of the article.

Now that you have taken the time to read through all of the above, we hope that we have been able to show you how you can easily perform the forehand shot, as well as the backhand shot (see also ‘How To Hit A Two Handed Backhand‘).

These two shots are essential for all pickleball players to learn and perfect, and will likely become your “go-to” moves after some practice.

Thanks for reading!