How to Crush Your Pickleball Forehand: Power, Spin & Technique Tips

Main Points

• Focus on three core elements for a powerful forehand: legs, hips, and contact point.
• Use your legs to stay low and drive up through the shot.
• Clear your hips like on a serve to generate rotational power.
• Make contact out in front near your lead knee for better control and lower trajectory.
• Use a semi-open stance (around 45°) to balance rotation and forward momentum.
• Keep your backswing compact but your hip rotation quick for speed and consistency.
• Aim for a high follow-through, finishing near your opposite shoulder.
• Maintain a loose grip pressure (around 4–5/10) to stay relaxed and allow wrist action for spin.
• Stay relaxed through the body, especially shoulders and wrists, to prevent sailing shots.
• Practice breathing through contact to stay loose and consistent during fast swings.

---

---

Summary

This video focuses on how to develop a powerful, spin-heavy pickleball forehand by combining proper body mechanics with relaxed control. It begins by emphasizing the three key components of a strong drive: using your legs for stability and lift, clearing your hips to generate rotational power, and making contact out in front of your body for maximum control and pace. By lowering your stance and staying grounded through the shot, you create a strong base that channels energy up through your core and into the paddle.

A semi-open stance is highlighted as the ideal position for balance and mobility. This setup—angled roughly 45 degrees toward the net—allows players to rotate freely through the shot without over-twisting. The video explains that excessive shoulder rotation or a fully closed stance can limit your hip drive, while a completely open stance can cause you to lose forward momentum. Instead, staying semi-open lets you efficiently unwind your hips through contact, creating effortless power and topspin.

The lesson also dives into contact point and follow-through, explaining that striking the ball near your front knee keeps the ball trajectory low and consistent. The follow-through should finish high, near your opposite shoulder, which promotes topspin and ensures you’re accelerating through the shot. Players are reminded not to overswing; a compact backswing combined with a fast hip rotation creates more efficient and repeatable results than a long, exaggerated motion.

Finally, the video stresses the importance of relaxation and grip pressure. Holding the paddle too tightly can lead to tension, reducing both control and spin. A grip pressure around four or five (on a ten-point scale) helps maintain fluidity. Breathing through the shot also encourages relaxation, keeping the swing loose and powerful. By focusing on smooth hip engagement, forward balance, and controlled aggression, players can dramatically improve their forehand drive—adding both speed and precision to their pickleball game.

Source: Briones Pickleball Academy | YouTube

---

---

Tags: Briones Pickleball | Drive | Forehand | Forehand Drive