My Overhead Disasters
Coming from tennis, I thought overheads would be easy. Just smash the ball down, right?
Wrong. Everything about pickleball overheads is different.
The Complete Whiff Problem
This kept happening. Ball goes up, I'd position myself, swing hard, and hit nothing but air.
The ball would land softly behind me while I was finishing my swing.
So embarrassing. Like striking out in slow-pitch softball.
Problem was timing. In tennis, you can really wind up and blast overheads. In pickleball, the ball moves slower and you have less time than you think.
I was setting up like I had all day, then rushing the actual swing when I realized the ball was coming down faster than expected.
The Net-Finding Missiles
When I did make contact, I'd usually hit it straight into the net.
Trying to hit down too aggressively. Treating it like a tennis overhead where you can really angle it down.
Pickleball courts are smaller. The net is lower. You can't pound overheads like you can in tennis.
Took me forever to realize that placement matters more than power.
The Positioning Confusion
I'd see a lob coming and start moving backward. Keep moving backward until I was way behind where the ball was landing.
Then I'd have to rush forward to reach it. Always ended up off-balance.
Or I'd position myself too far forward and the ball would sail over my head.
My court positioning for overheads was terrible. Like I'd never seen a ball in the air before.
Learning Proper Overhead Technique
Finally got help from Gary, who has reliable overheads. Not spectacular, but he rarely misses the easy ones.
The Positioning Lesson
"Get under the ball early," Gary said. "Don't wait until the last second."
He showed me how to read the lob and move to where the ball was going, not where it was.
Get there early, then adjust if needed. Way better than scrambling at the last second.
Also taught me to keep my feet moving. Little shuffle steps to stay balanced instead of planting and hoping.
This one change eliminated most of my positioning problems.
The Contact Point Fix
"Hit it in front of you, not over your head," Gary explained.
I was waiting too long, letting the ball get behind me before swinging.
Contact point should be slightly in front of your body, like you're reaching up to grab something off a high shelf.
This gave me way better control and made timing easier.
When the contact point is in front, you can see what you're doing. When it's behind you, you're guessing.
The Swing Simplification
Gary's overhead swing looked boring. No big wind-up, no dramatic follow-through.
"Keep it simple," he said. "Just put it away, don't try to kill it."
Short backswing, firm contact, controlled follow-through.
Way more consistent than my wild tennis-style overheads.
The goal is to end the point, not to hit the hardest shot possible.
Different Types of Overhead Situations
Once I got the basics down, I learned that not all overheads are the same.
Easy Put-Away Overheads
Short lobs that land in front of you. These should be automatic winners.
Don't overthink them. Simple technique, aim for open court, put it away.
The key is not getting fancy. Just hit it firmly to an open spot.
I still miss these occasionally when I try to do too much with them.
Deep Defensive Lobs
Lobs that push you back toward the baseline. These are harder to attack.
Sometimes the smart play is to hit it back deep instead of trying to put it away.
If you're off-balance or the ball is really deep, just get it back and reset the point.
I used to try to attack every overhead. Led to a lot of errors.
Wind-Affected Overheads
Playing outdoors, wind makes overheads much trickier.
Ball might drift, hang up longer than expected, or drop faster.
Have to adjust positioning and timing based on wind conditions.
Sometimes it's better to let a lob bounce instead of trying a difficult overhead in the wind.
When Overheads Go Wrong
Even with better technique, overheads can still be challenging. Learning when not to attempt them is part of the skill.
The Let-It-Bounce Decision
Not every lob needs to be hit as an overhead.
If you're out of position, let it bounce and hit a groundstroke.
If the lob is really good, sometimes the smart play is to reset instead of forcing a difficult overhead.
I see players attempt impossible overheads instead of making the easy play.
Overhead Errors and Recovery
When you miss an overhead, don't get down on yourself.
Everyone misses them sometimes. Even good players.
The key is learning from the miss. Was it positioning? Timing? Trying to do too much?
I keep track of my overhead percentage during practice. Helps me see if my technique is improving.
Partner Communication
In doubles, communicate about who's taking the overhead.
"Mine" or "yours" prevents confusion and collisions.
Usually the player with the better angle takes it, but discuss this with your partner.
Don't assume your partner will take it just because they're closer.