I’ve been working on my forehand drive, and I’ve hit a wall. I want to keep it in, hit it hard, and aim accurately, but right now, it’s a struggle. I’m comfortable enough to power it flat toward the centerline, but adding that crucial topspin to pressure opponents? Not happening. When I try, it’s wildly inconsistent—sometimes it’s a slice, sometimes it curves off to the right. It’s intimidating, to say the least. So, I turned to my coach for help. Here’s what we uncovered and how we started fixing it.

Diagnosing the Problem

We kicked things off with some straight-ahead groundstrokes, aiming for the centerline. The first few shots were a mess—my fault entirely (sorry, coach!). But it only took a couple of swings for him to spot the issue. “I see what’s happening,” he said. “Your power and topspin aren’t coming from your arm—thank God for that, or you’d be in trouble. It’s coming from your off-hand.”

Here’s the breakdown: I was swinging with an open stance, my hitting arm doing all the work while my left arm just hung there, chilling. That led to a swipe across the ball instead of a linear swing toward the target. The result? Unpredictable shots—slice one minute, a right-curving miss the next. No wonder I couldn’t control it.

The Fix: Engage the Off-Hand

The solution was simpler than I expected: use my off-hand to guide the swing. My coach had me prep with one finger lightly touching the paddle in my left hand—just enough to feel it—while rotating my shoulders. “This forces you to swing straight toward the target,” he explained, “not swipe across.” The shoulder turn aligns everything, and the off-hand keeps me from flailing.

“Don’t worry about your feet or the topspin yet,” he added. “Focus on the prep—keep that finger on the paddle. I bet the rest fixes itself.” Skeptical but game, I gave it a shot.

Hitting the Court

We started rallying again, and I could feel the difference right away. My stance tightened up—not loose and sloppy like before. The first few shots were still inconsistent (old habits die hard), but my coach was unfazed. “It’s going to be messy at first—any change is. Just keep going.”

And then it clicked. A few drives landed with a hint of topspin—not perfect, but promising. “You’re not executing yet,” he said, “but you’re getting the main thing. We’ve completely changed your swing. It’s going to take reps.” He had me step forward as I hit, letting my feet settle naturally. Slowly, the shots got sharper. “It’s happening!” I laughed, half in disbelief. “Dude, I can see the future!”

Progress, Not Perfection

Here’s the reality: this isn’t an overnight fix. My balls were spraying all over—sometimes hard and low, sometimes wide—but they all had a touch of topspin. That was the win. “Don’t focus on where they’re going yet,” my coach advised. “Focus on the feel. Does it feel good? The outputs will sort themselves out with reps.”

He’s right. The encouraging part? Even the wild shots weren’t blasting into the sky like before—they felt more controlled, even with the spray. We’re in phase one: nailing the inputs (shoulder rotation, off-hand prep, linear swing). Phase two—consistency and precision—comes later.

Your Takeaway

If your forehand drive’s stuck like mine was—powerful but flat, or inconsistent with topspin—try this:

• Prep with Your Off-Hand: Lightly touch the paddle with a finger in your prep to guide your swing.
• Rotate Your Shoulders: Swing toward the target, not across the ball.
• Rep It Out: Don’t sweat the misses early on—feel the motion until it’s muscle memory.

It’s a start, not a finish line. I’ll keep grinding until this swing’s second nature, then we’ll tweak from there. Loved this breakdown? Share it with a friend who’s battling their drive. Let’s get those topspin drives dialed in together!

Watch on YouTube: Want Topspin? Watch This Pickleball Lesson!