Hey there, it’s your coach Jordan Briones.
I had Mari Humberg back on the court with me recently, and this time we went deep on one of the most game-changing skills in modern pickleball — the speed up off the bounce.
And I want to be upfront about something. This shot barely existed a few years ago. Go back and watch pro matches from 2021 or 2022 and you’ll see almost none of it in men’s doubles, women’s doubles, or mixed. Fast forward to today, and it’s everywhere. The game evolved, and if you haven’t evolved with it, you’re leaving a massive weapon off the table.
Here’s everything Mari broke down for me — and trust me, standing on the other side of this during our session was a humbling experience.
The Five Spots That Actually Hurt Your Opponent on a Speed Up
Before we get into patterns and strategy, you need to know where to aim. Not just anywhere on the court — specific spots on your opponent’s body that create real problems.
Mari laid out five targets:
The shoulders. The hips — both left and right. And the body, right around the belly button.
Now here’s where it gets interesting. Mari’s personal favorite? The hips. Specifically because a ball driven hard at the hip stays in the court. If you go hard at the shoulder and miss slightly, that ball might sail out. But at the hip, the geometry works in your favor — and if it hits them, it’s still your point.
We’ll get into each of these in detail, but keep this in mind as the foundation: you’re not just speed-uppingsomewhere in their general direction. You’re picking a precise spot and attacking it on purpose.
Pattern One: Left Hip Speed Up and What to Expect Back
The first pattern Mari walked me through was the left hip speed up, and she used it on me during live dinking without warning. I didn’t know when it was coming, and that’s exactly the point.
What I noticed as the one receiving it — and what Mari confirmed — is that when you’re caught late on a ball at the left hip, your paddle is almost always going to be in a position that sends the ball straight down the line.
Meaning, right back toward the attacker’s forehand side.
So here’s the pattern. Mari speeds up to the left hip and immediately takes a step toward her forehand side. She already knows where the counter is most likely going, and she’s set up for it before I even hit the ball back.
That’s not luck. That’s a planned sequence.
Speed up to the left hip. Step toward your forehand. Get ready for the next ball on that side. Simple, repeatable, and effective.
Pattern Two: The Body Speed Up and Why It Works at Every Level
This one surprised me a little, because we talk about the right hip so much in pickleball content — and for good reason. But Mari made a strong case for going right at the body, especially against amateur players.
Here’s why it’s so effective. A lot of players don’t have a reliable one-handed counter. When you jam someone right at their midsection, they don’t have the space to swing freely. They end up being a little late, a little cramped, and what comes back almost always goes either straight at you or slightly to your backhand side.
Mari’s setup for this pattern is a forehand-backhand combination. She speeds up to the body and immediately prepares for either a ball coming right back at her or drifting toward her backhand. She can slide either direction and be in position.
She also pointed something out that I think is worth saying twice. Attacks are setup shots. She said it more than once during our session, and she meant it. You are not going for a clean winner every time. You are putting your opponent in a bad position and setting yourself up for the next ball. Once you accept that, the whole game opens up.
Pattern Three: The Right Hip and Why It’s the Default Target Against Someone You’ve Never Played
If you step onto a court against someone you’ve never faced before and have no idea where to attack, Mari had a clear answer.
Start with the right hip.
For a right-handed player, the right hip is typically the most uncomfortable spot to defend. The options from there are a chicken wing — where the elbow flares out awkwardly — or a slide to try to get the body out of the way and hit a late forehand behind the body. Neither of those is comfortable.
But here’s the key detail Mari shared about executing this one. She actually takes a little pace off compared to the other speed ups. The goal with the right hip isn’t raw power — it’s precision. Get it low and tight to the hip, and the counter that comes back is going to be high enough for you to choose your next ball freely.
If someone is countering your right hip speed up cleanly and driving it back at you hard, Mari was blunt about it. That means you’re not executing the shot well enough. A well-placed right hip ball should not be coming back hot. It should be floating up so you can close the point.
Pattern Four: Where Gender Tendencies Change Your Target Selection
Where Gender Tendencies Change Your Target Selection
This part of our conversation was something I hadn’t really thought about before, and it’s worth paying attention to.
Against men, Mari starts with the right hip.
Against women, she starts with the body or chest.
The reason comes down to how players tend to defend. Women, in general, are less likely to slide effectively to hit a two-handed backhand counter off a body ball. And without a strong one-handed option in that cramped position, the body speed up creates even more chaos than it does against a male opponent who may be more comfortable with that slide.
This doesn’t mean these rules apply to every single player — but as a starting point when you’re reading a new opponent, it’s a smart place to begin.
Pattern Five: The One Speed Up You Should Never Attempt
I asked Mari about the bad version of this shot — the one she sees amateurs trying all the time — and she didn’t hesitate.
Attacking a ball that’s too short and too close to the net.
If the ball lands closer than halfway through the kitchen, she said just dink it. Don’t attack it. Because from that position, you’re too close to the net, the angle is working against you, and you’re almost certainly going to put it into the net or launch it out of bounds.
And if you’re on the sideline? Even worse. The net is higher out wide, so your margin shrinks even further.
Mari’s guideline: the ball needs to land at least three-quarters of the way back in the kitchen — ideally closer to the kitchen line — before a speed up off the bounce is a smart choice. Give yourself room to work with, or just reset and wait for a better ball.
How to Read Where the Speed Up Is Going Without Watching the Paddle
One question I get all the time — and brought up with Mari — is whether players should try to read the speed up by watching the opponent’s paddle angle.
Mari’s answer was clear. Stop doing that.
What matters more is body positioning. Where is your opponent standing? How are they approaching the ball? Those clues tell you far more about where the ball is going than trying to track paddle face angle in a split second.
If you’re locking onto the paddle trying to decode the shot, you’re actually slowing down your reaction time. Trust the position, trust your instincts, and let your body react. That’s what works at the highest level, and it’s what will work for you too.
How to Practice Speed Up Patterns So They Actually Work in a Match
Watching this. Reading about it. Listening to a podcast. None of that by itself is going to fix your speed up game. Mari was clear on this — and I agree completely.
You have to get reps.
The simplest drill is this: have a partner hand feed you the ball at kitchen line height while you practice speeding up to different targets. Your partner tries to counter, and you work on positioning yourself for the return based on the pattern you chose.
Do this enough times and the patterns stop being something you think about. They become automatic. You see the ball, you pick your spot, and your feet are already moving to the right place before the counter even comes back.
That’s what Mari does. That’s what every top pro does. And with enough reps, it’s what you can do too.
Final Thoughts
The speed up off the bounce isn’t a trick shot. It’s a legitimate weapon that the best players in the world are using constantly — and the gap between pros and amateurs on this particular skill is still pretty wide.
That means there’s a real opportunity for you here.
Pick one target this week. Start with the right hip if you’re unsure where to begin. Work on reading where the counter is coming back. Set yourself up for the second ball instead of hoping the first one ends the point.
And remember — attacks are setup shots. The moment you internalize that, everything about this shot gets smarter.
See you on the courts,
Coach Jordan Briones
