Hey, it’s your coach Jordan Briones.

Let me ask you something honest.

When someone fires a fast ball at you at the kitchen line, what happens?

Do you meet it with confidence and punch it right back? Or does it either fly into the net, pop up for an easy put-away, or just feel completely out of control?

If it’s the second one, you are not alone. This is one of the most common struggles I see across every level of pickleball. And the frustrating part? Most players don’t even realize what they’re actually doing wrong.

It’s not that you’re too slow. It’s not that you need a better paddle. It’s that there are a handful of very specific mechanical mistakes happening during your counter — and until those get fixed, you’re going to keep losing those exchanges.

Let’s go through all of them right now.

Common Volley Mistakes That Keep You From Winning in Pickleball

Mistake #1: Your Paddle Face Is Pointing Down at Contact

This one sends more balls into the net than almost anything else.

When players are receiving a speed up, a lot of them — especially those using a continental or backhand eastern grip — end up with their paddle face angled downward at the moment of contact. Maybe the wrist is turning in.

Maybe they just haven’t thought about it. Either way, if the face is down when you strike, the ball goes straight into the net.

The fix is simple but it has to be intentional.

Keep that paddle face slightly open at contact. Not exaggerated — just a slight tilt upward so the ball can actually clear the net. Once you feel that, everything about your counter starts to improve.

Mistake #2: You’re Making Contact Way Too Far Out in Front

Here’s another one I see constantly.

A player sees the ball coming fast, they panic a little, and they reach out as far as they can to meet it early. Their arm is fully extended, their elbow is locked, and they’re leaning forward just to get to the ball.

The problem? From that position, you have nowhere to push. There’s no room to drive through the shot. Your paddle face opens upward, your balance is compromised, and the result is a weak, floaty counter that gives your opponent another easy look.

What you actually want is to let the ball travel a little closer to your body — roughly a paddle to a paddle-and-a-half in front of you. That’s your real contact zone. From there you have leverage. You have balance. And you have room to push out through the ball toward your target.

Wait for the ball to come to you. That patience is the difference between a pop-up and a winner.

Mistake #3: You’re Swinging Downward Instead of Pushing Through

This one is counterintuitive for a lot of players.

When a fast ball is coming at you, the natural instinct is to swing down on it — like you’re trying to put it away. So players load up, get the paddle high, and then finish low.

The problem is that a downward swing sends the ball right into the net. Especially on balls coming in around waist level. You just don’t have enough clearance, and that downward path works completely against you.

The real key is a linear swing path. You want to push out toward your target using your shoulder — not swing down at the ball. Think less like you’re chopping and more like you’re driving a punch straight through the contact zone.

Build the habit of pushing out, and your net errors on counters will drop dramatically.

Mistake #4: Your Ready Position Is Too Far Out in Front

This one surprises people because it feels like the right thing to do.

You want to be ready. You want your paddle out in front. That makes sense. But when your ready position is too extended — arm stretched way out before the ball even comes — you’ve actually taken away your own power.

Here’s why. When a hard ball arrives and your arm is already fully extended, you have two bad options. You either use all wrist to redirect it, or you pull back and then have to push out again. Both waste time. Both kill your power.

The fix is to relax.

Bring the paddle in to a more natural, relaxed position closer to your body. Loosen the arm. Loosen the elbow. From that position, the moment you see the ball coming, you can load and push out with real authority. It feels less aggressive, but the result is way more powerful.

Mistake #5: You’re Generating Power From Your Elbow Instead of Your Shoulder

If your counters feel weak and your elbow has been bothering you lately, this one is for you.

A lot of players hinge their counter from the elbow — kind of snapping it forward like a quick flick. The problem is the elbow is a small joint. It doesn’t generate much power, it’s hard to control, and over time it puts a serious strain on that area.

Your shoulder is the engine. It’s a bigger muscle, a stronger joint, and it gives you a much more stable and powerful push through contact.

The motion you’re looking for isn’t a flick or a hinge. It’s a drive — initiated from the shoulder, pushing through the ball toward the target. Once you start feeling the difference, you’ll never want to go back to elbow-powered counters.

Mistake #6: Your Weight Is Moving Backward When You Hit

This is the one I see most often on the court. And it might be the most damaging of all.

When a fast ball comes straight at a player, the natural reaction is to flinch back. To back up. To lift up on their toes. It’s survival instinct. But that weight going backward is the reason your counter floats up or has no pace on it.

When your weight moves back, the ball goes up. Simple as that.

The fix is to make sure your weight is on the balls of your feet right before they make contact. Keep your chest over your knees. Stay leaning in — even just slightly — so that when you push out to counter, your weight is moving forward with the ball instead of away from it.

You don’t need a big swing. You just need your body moving in the right direction. Forward weight plus a compact push equals a strong, heavy counter.

Final Thoughts

Here’s what ties all of this together.

Strong counters are not about swinging harder. They’re about position, timing, and using the right parts of your body in the right way.

Paddle face slightly open.

Contact in front — but not too far.

Push out, not down.

Ready position relaxed and close.

Power from the shoulder.

Weight moving forward.

Get those six things working together and your counters will start looking and feeling completely different. The players who used to beat you with pace will suddenly find that their attacks are coming right back at them — fast, low, and on purpose.

Go work on these one at a time. Don’t try to fix all six in one session. Pick one, drill it, feel it, and then move to the next.

Your counters will thank you.

See you on the courts,

Coach Jordan Briones