- Blocking Basics
- Definition of a block - taking a hard attack hit at you in the air and dropping it short into the kitchen or at your opponent’s feet.
- Objective is to reset the ball back into the kitchen to get back to a neutral position.
- Eliminate any backswing and minimize your follow through. Let the ball rebound off your paddle.
- Contact your block out in front but slightly tighter to your body than normal to have maximum stability to absorb the pace of the ball.
- Balls at your body should be taken as backhands to maintain a forward facing paddle face.
- Grip pressure should be firm to ensure stability but without gripping so tightly that tension is created in your arm.
- Bend knees to stay low and contact your blocks closer to eye level rather than reaching away from you.
- Lead very slightly with the bottom edge of your paddle to create loft and slight backspin to give yourself margin for error over the net.
