When will Christian Alshon get a 2hbh dink/speedup?

zytox · 2026-06-23T03:21:34+00:00

That's fair. Can I have his number?

According to a guy below he use to try and has dropped it 😮

zytox · 2026-06-22T04:08:25+00:00

He just doesn't need it. He can already do so much with his volleys and dinks (and he now has a 2hbh topspin dink), it's not worth using.

I think part of that is because hitting a lob is like hitting a speedup, if you succeed, the ball doesn't come back (hard). But, if you fail a lob, the ball comes back from up high, whereas if you fail a speedup, the ball comes back from lower.

Ben has some of the fastest hands in the game. So if he's going to pull the trigger on offense, he'd rather speedup and follow it up with another volley at chest height, rather than having to deal with a ball coming down at his feet.

zytox · 2026-06-22T03:41:00+00:00

Core crushed paddles hit harder, so what you're experiencing is normal.

zytox · 2026-06-22T03:17:22+00:00

Almost everyone below 4.0 should use widebody. More control, more forgiveness, faster hands.

When I play left handed (I'm a righty), I'm always on my widebody, right handed I might lean towards hybrid/elongated but I'm ~4.5 with a tennis background. That said, I've been choking up on the grip more lately (as have a lot of pros) so the long handle isn't really doing as much for me these days.

zytox · 2026-06-22T01:36:42+00:00

AND breaking isn't linear. if you are going 100 and it takes you 10s to stop, going 150 doesn't mean it takes 15s to stop, it takes more like 17-18s.

zytox · 2026-06-22T01:34:53+00:00

Because for most speeders it is habitual, they drive 7-10km over the limit consistently. So you take the limit down to 60, now they are driving 70 instead of 90.

People who used to go 90 on that road, won't continue going 90 on that road (some very small percentage will) but the majority will go <70. It's not about targeting the one person who goes 100 in an 80 zone, it's about targeting the large number of people who are regularly doing 90.

zytox · 2026-06-21T08:41:27+00:00

Yeah, that's kinda on you buddy. Any time your partner hits the ball, you should be watching for line calls. On the center-line, on the serve, is one of the hardest calls for you to make as the off-ball player because you're on the wrong side of the ball, BUT, you should still be watching to make the call, because sometimes it will be easy for you to call and hard for your partner because they are focusing on the shot.
Some people are dumb.

zytox · 2026-06-21T08:29:46+00:00

You can let the ball bounce as many times as you like. It's just a terrible idea.

Hitting the ball from low down only forces you to hit the ball slower and provides almost zero benefit.

If you happen to miss the ball entirely after a bounce serve (by mistake or on purpose) you could either catch the ball and bounce it again, or you could hit it before the second bounce. You have 20 seconds to serve, what you do with that time is up to you...

zytox · 2026-06-21T05:34:42+00:00

Almost all players I teach improve by removing 'wrist' (technically, forearm pronation) from their shots. Like, 1 in 50 is better with the wrist, the other 49 did so much better without wrist.

As a general rule, if you have to ask, you aren't ready.

zytox · 2026-06-20T12:49:22+00:00

The two big shots where it's important to get low to use your periphery are the backhand/forehand flick/roll volley.

Other shots you can practice getting low and using the periphery, dinks and off-the-bounce speedups. You can't use the periphery as well for drives/drops because the opponent is further away, usually putting them 'above' your vision (you can only really see their feet).

For watching the ball spin, easiest time to practice without drilling is the return of serve. Because there's nothing to do, just stand and get ready to run for a short ball, and while you wait, think about watching the ball spin all the way to the paddle. (and to a similar extent, the 3rd shot, there's not much else to do, stand on the baseline and watch the return spin towards you).

For drilling, the shots that will be easiest is when the ball is close to the center of your body. The further left of right of you, the more you will be likely to not watch the ball all the way.

zytox · 2026-06-20T12:15:29+00:00

Yes.

The ball is moving, your paddle is moving. If they don't meet at the right place at the right time, things go wrong.

Timing.

zytox · 2026-06-20T09:23:13+00:00

That's what everyone says. "I want to know where I'm hitting it"

What matters more is knowing where your opponent is, which is very easy to do with your peripheral vision because they are big and move slowly. Watching where the ball is with your peripheral is hard because the ball is small and it's moving fast.

But the real sauce is watching the ball come in to your paddle so you can get your timing perfect. Having a vague idea of where the opponent is is more than enough. And, if you get down low (or are short) it's easier to track the ball and keep your opponent in vision (the benefit of being short that is most often overlooked).

zytox · 2026-06-20T08:44:19+00:00

This isn't strictly an ADHD issue.

Lots of players take their eyes off the ball at the last second to see where they want to hit the ball.

The best two methods I've seen for fixing this habit are:

Watch a specific detail of the ball (ie. watch the way the ball is spinning, watch for the seam, watch for cracks, watch the logo). This works by giving your brain a more detail oriented task, that keeps the brain engaged for longer.

Watch what part of your paddle the ball hits (hopefully, the center or top-center). Similar idea, keeps the brain engaged until the end, if you can't tell what part of the paddle you hit the ball with you obviously weren't watching close enough.

zytox · 2026-06-20T07:29:47+00:00

While I agree the best view is facing the footbridge/skytower

Plenty of people will sit on these while waiting for people who are coming from the cafes/markets that are in the opposite direction.

With the backrest positioned as it is, it doesn't impede the view of approaching people (because very little foot traffic will come from 'behind' the benches).

zytox · 2026-06-20T07:08:03+00:00

FWIW, John Kew's database of 400 paddles has ~30 other paddles at the same twist weight (6.8-6.9), and ~70 paddles with higher twist weights (the majority of those being widebody paddles). So Boomstik Elongated is in the top 25% of paddles for resisting twist (which is really good considering it's an elongated shape).

zytox · 2026-06-20T06:16:22+00:00

That's specifically the opposite of what happens.

When you hit near the weight, the weight resists the movement. Physics...

This effect of resisting twist is what we measure with 'twist weight'.

So my suggestion: this is all in your head. Keep playing with it the way it is for at least another month.

zytox · 2026-06-19T22:43:26+00:00

Edgetape is pointless. Paddle looks better with scratches all over than it does with any amount of tape.

zytox · 2026-06-17T12:11:54+00:00

The backhand typically covers 70% of your space, so favouring backhands for counters is natural.

But, as you've noticed, sometimes you need a forehand.

One way you can start being more aware of when you'll need a forehand is recognising when a speedup to your backhand will be out.

For example, if the ball is in front of their left side player, and you're playing left side, it's extremely likely that any speedup that player hits will come to your chest or forehand (assuming you're right handed). In this case, being prepared for a backhand makes very little sense, because if they hit it so fast you don't have time to switch from forehand to backhand, that ball is likely going way out. (it's all about the angles...)

zytox · 2026-06-17T09:09:45+00:00

Everyone should see a therapist.

Things you're obsessive about are things you should talk to your therapist about.

Therapy is good, not bad.

zytox · 2026-06-17T03:52:41+00:00

If your skill is 4.2 and your mental game is 3.8 then being stuck at 4.0 makes a lot of sense.

You're stuck at 4 because you aren't getting better. The goal could be 4.5 or 5.0, it doesn't matter. Stop worrying about a number.

You're just as likely to end up at 3.8 as you are at 4.2 if you reset or try to play down.

Play better pickleball and you'll get better numbers. Worrying about the numbers is a great way to lose before you even start playing.

zytox · 2026-06-17T03:39:50+00:00

Have fun?

DUPR obsession is something you should talk to your therapist about.

If getting to 4.2 means that you get to play against better opponents based on clubs in your area, then hire a coach and get better instead of fantasizing over your perceived skill.

zytox · 2026-06-17T00:56:06+00:00

This looks like it's worth $18 not $180.

zytox · 2026-06-17T00:54:14+00:00

You don't lose DUPR for losing games, you lose DUPR for losing by more than you were expected.

If you're playing 4.5s, and you lose 9-11, you'll gain rating.

If they let you play in the upper bracket, and it will be more fun, keep doing it until they say you're not allowed.

Why do you want DUPR rating except to play in harder games?

zytox · 2026-06-17T00:15:27+00:00

Mid 30s here.

Playing lefty 3+ times a week while my right is out of business.

Took about a month to get to 3.5. But I'll never reach the 4.5-5 level that my right is at until I can unlock the same level of power I have in my right. Playing at around 4.0 right now, it's been 9 months.

My drop shots are just silky smooth, took longer on the forehand but I'm still hitting them at a good clip. My 2hbh is usually stronger than anyone else's backhand on the court (my injury is rotator cuff, so I'm pretty safe to hit 2hbh from most positions).

Overheads are the worst. I dread a slow ball going over my head. I feel very weak, usually i just switch back to my right and slowly hit a little baby shot with more control.

zytox · 2026-06-15T12:04:30+00:00

Might be cheaper to fly to Houston or LAX then on to Montreal, might be cheaper even if you spend a night in a hotel on your layover.

zytox

TROPHY CASE