Hawaii Pickleball Academy® Clinic Recap

Clinic Recap: Blocking Bangers and Moving Smarter in Pickleball

Fast drives are much easier to handle when you stop trying to out-swing them. This clinic focused on using a stable paddle, simple angles, soft hands, and efficient movement so players could block pace without feeling rushed.

Updated September 2026

Pickleball clinic on blocking fast drives and moving efficiently — The goal against a hard drive is often to use the opponent's pace rather than create more of your own.

This recap comes from one of our Intermediate+ / Advanced Hawaii Pickleball Academy® clinics. We had eight players and focused on two connected skills: blocking fast drives and moving efficiently enough to be balanced before contact.

The main idea was simple: when the ball is already traveling fast, you do not need a big swing. Your job is to get the paddle into the right position, control the face, and redirect the pace.

Use their paceA block is more of a redirect than a full swing.

Control the paddle faceSmall angle changes create large changes in ball height and direction.

Arrive balancedGood contact becomes much easier when your feet are under control first.

Blocking Fast Balls on the Forehand

Keep the Elbow in Front of the Body

When the elbow stays slightly in front of your torso, the paddle is easier to position in the path of the ball. Think about catching a ball rather than swinging at it. You place your hand where the ball is going and let the contact happen in front of you.

The same concept applies to a forehand block. Set the paddle early, keep the movement compact, and let the incoming speed provide much of the energy.

Simple feeling: instead of punching at the ball, imagine gently pushing a door open. Stable arm, small forward movement, no unnecessary wrist action.

Paddle Angle Controls the Result

Your paddle face determines whether the blocked ball stays low, floats high, or gets driven into the net.

If contact is comfortably above net height, the paddle face can be more neutral or slightly closed depending on the incoming ball.
If the ball is lower, you usually need a slightly more open face to give it enough height to clear the net.
The faster the incoming ball, the less extra swing you generally need.

Grip affects the paddle face too. A Continental-style grip is common for quick volleys because it lets players move between forehand and backhand without making a large grip change.

Blocking Fast Balls on the Backhand

The same principle applies on the backhand: put the paddle where the ball is going and avoid turning the block into a full groundstroke.

One-Handed Backhand

Use a compact movement and stable paddle face. If you can meet the ball in front of your body, the incoming pace can do most of the work.

Two-Handed Backhand

With two hands on the paddle, the non-dominant hand can provide additional stability. Keep both hands relaxed enough to absorb speed instead of making the paddle rigid.

A two-handed block can also be useful for developing transition-zone resets because the extra support can make it easier to soften a fast ball.

Moving Smarter When You Do Not Want to Over-Move

Later in the clinic, we worked on efficient movement for players who do not want to rely on constant hopping or aggressive lateral shuffling. That can be especially useful for players who prefer a more controlled movement style.

The goal is not to move less at all costs. The goal is to use the right amount of movement so you can arrive balanced before the opponent's ball reaches you.

Small adjustmentUse short shuffle or adjustment steps when the ball is still within your normal reach zone.

Larger recoveryWhen pulled farther away, a controlled crossover step can cover more distance efficiently before you recover your stance.

For example, if you are pulled wide to the backhand side, you may need a crossover step to recover toward the middle. The important part is regaining balance after the larger step instead of continuing to drift when the next ball arrives.

Movement rule: use the fewest steps you need to create good spacing—then get balanced again.

Three Drills to Practice Blocking Bangers

1. Cooperative BlockPartner drives at 50–60% pace while the blocker redirects the ball with almost no swing. Focus only on paddle face and contact.

2. Forehand / Backhand RandomThe feeder alternates direction so the blocker has to prepare both sides without making a big grip change.

3. Block + RecoverFeeder moves the blocker one step wide, then attacks the next ball. The blocker practices returning to balance before the second contact.

Key Takeaways From the Clinic

Against fast drives, less swing is usually better.
Keep contact in front whenever possible.
The paddle angle changes depending on ball height and the direction you want.
Relax the hands enough to absorb pace.
A two-handed backhand can add stability, but a one-handed block remains useful for quick reactions.
Efficient footwork matters because the best blocking technique will not help much if you arrive late and off balance.
Do not judge a block by how hard you hit it. Judge it by whether you stayed in control of the next ball.

Why Blocking Matters More as the Level Goes Up

As players get better, drives and speed-ups come back faster. Trying to beat every fast ball with another hard swing can create a cycle where you have less and less time.

A good block changes that. You can neutralize the first attack, redirect the ball to a better location, and sometimes force the opponent to create pace again from a less comfortable position.

For the broader strategy, read our full guide on how to beat bangers in pickleball and our article on how to gain time and control the rally.

Want to Work on This in a Clinic?

Hawaii Pickleball Academy® runs structured monthly clinics around Oʻahu. Current clinic sessions are generally 90 minutes and start around $60, with groups organized by level.

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Clinic Recap: Blocking Bangers and Moving Smarter in Pickleball