Avoid these common mistakes when hitting a drive:

1. Overplaying the Pickleball – Too often, pickleball players will overplay and try to do too much with the pickleball. This is especially true when hitting drives. Remember to keep it simple and, above all, keep the pickleball over the net and in play on the court.

2. Taking Too Big of a Backswing – An easy mistake to make when hitting a drive is to take too big of a backswing. It is imperative that you take a short backswing on a drive. If you take too big of a backswing, the pickleball will certainly get behind your body and you will not be able to hit a powerful drive where you want.

3. Flicking the Wrist – Do not flick your wrist on your drive because if your wrist flick is not perfectly timed (which often happens) your wrist flick will send the pickleball every which direction, except for straight over the net. Instead of flicking your wrist, keep a firm wrist all the way through your drive.

4. Standing Too Tall – The lower you get on the pickleball court, the more successful you will generally be. This is true of all shots, but particularly drives. Bend your knees, stay low, and drive through the pickleball using your legs.

5. Taking Your Eyes Off of the Pickleball – Watch the pickleball all the way through contact. If you pull your eyes off of the pickleball too quickly, you will pull your head, upper body, and paddle off of the pickleball and certainly get a mishit as a result.

If you can avoid these common mistakes, you should be able to develop a beautiful, consistent drive!

Key Takeaways:

1. Keep it simple!
2. Take short, compact backswings on your drives.
3. Keep your wrist firm throughout your drive.
4. Get low and use your legs on your drives.
5. Keep your eyes on the pickleball!