Hey!
Quick question: Ever play someone who hits better shots than you're used to... and suddenly you're popping balls up, getting off balance, and you're not even sure why it's happening?
If you play long enough, it will happen. And it's not always a skill problem.
Most of the time, it comes down to three things that almost no one thinks about:
The Reaching Problem – You're too close to the line and overextended (standing a foot off fixes this)
The Timing Problem – You're short-hopping everything instead of waiting for the ball's peak
The Trapped Problem – You keep getting hit to your backhand and can't escape
Here's the thing... being calm at the kitchen starts with better positioning and timing. Not just effort.
I made a full video breaking down all three problems (with demos).
Hope it helps!
-Kyle
PS. I hope you have an amazing and happy holiday–and you get to play LOTS of pickleball. 😉
PPS. I've got a special announcement coming next week about ThatPickleballSchool. Look for an email from me on Monday!