The Pickleball Lab

In this episode, Josh and Elliott dive deep into the physical and mental demands of leveling up in pickleball. Elliott shares his struggle with a lingering piriformis injury, leading into a masterclass from Josh on the exact dynamic warm-up and cool-down routines used to stay on the court.

We also break down the "Pro" mindset: why your performance drops in tournaments, how to use visualization to regain confidence, and the "50/50" rule for drilling vs. playing. Whether you're a 3.0 looking to hit 4.0 or an aspiring pro, this episode covers the technical and mental shifts needed to reach the next level.

Key Topics Covered:

- The ultimate dynamic warm-up to prevent common pickleball injuries.
- Why "Availability" is the best ability in sports.
- How to balance drilling vs. playing based on your specific goals.
- The "Deliberate Practice" method: Why mental fatigue is a sign of growth.
- Tournament Prep: Visualization techniques and why you should play points before your first match.
- The DUPR "Reset" debate: Should you care about your rating?
- Rapid Fire: The #1 habit to move from 3.0 to 4.0.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro & Elliott’s Sciatic/Piriformis Injury
01:07 The Ultimate Dynamic Warm-up & Cool-down Routine
05:16 Diet, Inflammation, and Recovery
06:16 Singles Training & The Goal of Reaching 6.0
07:02 Drilling vs. Playing: Finding the Right Split for Your Goals
09:12 Deliberate Practice: Why Mental Fatigue is a Sign of Growth
12:01 The Tournament Performance Gap: Handling Pressure
13:38 Visualization Techniques & Tournament Day Prep
17:40 The DUPR Reset: Details, Controversy, and Ratings
20:00 Rapid Fire: Moving from 3.0 to 4.0 (Film Work)
20:48 Beginner Myths & Low Ball vs. High Ball
21:46 How to Practice with Only 2 Hours a Week
22:24 Overrated vs. Underrated Drills (Volley Drills)
23:47 Outro & How to Join the Pickleball Lab

Join the Community:
Have a question you want us to answer on the next pod? Drop it in the comments below or join us over at https://thepickleballlab.co/ and post it there!

Level up your game with The Lab, the only pickleball community that combines structured video lessons, specific practice plans, and direct coaching feedback to help you truly get better at the game: https://thepickleballlab.co/

Listen on the go:
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms. Search "The Pickleball Lab" to subscribe.

4 2

The Weekly Public Q&A Stream is a live coaching session where you can ask questions in the chat to get answers on how to improve your game. While we often perform film breakdowns for those who have it, the primary goal is an open forum where any player can get technical advice on winning more pickleball games. Join the next session to get your questions answered and understand the "why" behind improving in pickleball.

0 0

In this week's live Q&A, we break down real match film and answer technical questions to help players neutralize bangers, improve third-shot decision making, and win more points through better positioning and ball quality.

- Countering Bangers - The common mistake is blocking or dropping too short, which gives opponents free access to the kitchen; the fix is countering with speed so they’re forced to hit up, allowing you to take control of the rally and avoid getting overwhelmed.
- Third Shot Drive Quality - Players think they’re putting their partner in a bad spot, but the issue is a high drive; the fix is generating topspin and a low, dipping ball so opponents must hit up, reducing their ability to attack.
- Drive vs Drop Decision (3 Criteria Rule) - Driving balls that are too low or out of position leads to pop-ups; the fix is only driving when it’s on your forehand, above knee height, and in your strike zone so you can apply pressure without giving away easy counters.
- The Strike Zone Rule - Poor footwork leads to weak contact and inconsistent drives; the fix is moving your feet to get the ball into your strike zone so you can generate controlled speed and more reliable offensive shots.
- The Feet Line Rule - Hitting directly at opponents or too shallow allows them to counter; the fix is targeting the feet line or space so they can’t take the ball cleanly, leading to more attackable balls and easier putaways.
- Volley Posture Fix (10% Incline) - Standing upright or leaning back causes pop-ups in fast exchanges; the fix is a slight forward incline so your paddle angle keeps the ball traveling downward and prevents opponents from attacking.
- Hit and Run on Returns - Watching your return leaves you stuck in transition; the fix is committing forward immediately to close the kitchen gap so you avoid defensive situations and control the net.
- Beating Bangers Framework - Players try to fix everything at once and become reactive; the fix is focusing on one variable at a time (speed, space, feet line, or backhand targeting) so you can systematically improve and handle aggressive players.

This stream is part of The Pickleball Lab’s weekly public Q&A coaching, where any player can join live, ask questions in chat, and get coached—no film required. You can join our next stream live by going to https://pickleballlab.co and joining for free. Inside the community you will see the next Q&A you can join!

Level up your game with The Pickleball Lab, the only pickleball community that combines structured video lessons, specific practice plans, and direct coaching feedback to help you truly get better at the game: https://pickleballlab.co

Timestamps

0:00 Counter vs Block — The Core Decision
2:25 Why Your Counter Isn’t Hurting Them
3:16 Escalation Principle (9 vs 12 O’Clock)
6:13 Drive Quality — It’s Not Your Partner, It’s the Ball
7:48 Targeting: Chicken Wing vs Middle
9:11 When to Move Up After a Drive
10:05 Drive and Go (Punishing Late Opponents)
11:24 Drive vs Drop — The 3 Criteria Rule
12:15 The Low Ball Rule
13:16 The Strike Zone (Footwork Fix)
14:30 When to Drive vs Let It Go
17:45 Volley Drill for Handling Speed
19:30 Reading “Up” Balls to Move Forward
21:16 The Feet Line Rule (Point Ending Concept)
23:30 Using Topspin to Add Speed Safely
24:20 Bounce vs Air Contact (Why Air Wins)
28:31 Volley Posture Fix (10% Incline)
30:10 Countering to the Feet vs Letting It Bounce
32:00 Recognizing Patterns (Drive + Lob Players)
34:00 Reading Your Partner to Crash the Net
37:00 The 4 Keys: Speed, Space, Feet Line, Backhand
38:39 Hit and Run on Returns
40:10 Fixing Return Footwork (Stop Watching)
41:00 Punching Volleys Down vs Popping Up
43:00 Third Shot to the Returner Advantage
44:00 Attacking Late Opponents
47:00 Practicing vs Bangers (Be Willing to Lose)
48:15 Mental Fatigue & Tournament Energy
50:25 Electrolytes & Hydration Strategy

2 0

In this episode of The Pickleball Lab Coaching Podcast, Josh and Elliott break down how to neutralize "bangers" and stop getting overwhelmed by pace. You’ll learn the "shoulder high, let it fly" rule for identifying out balls, how to improve your fourth-ball volleys, and why playing to improve—rather than just to win—is the only way to consistently beat power players. They also dive into the "green light" rules for when to speed up vs. when to keep dinking, including how to reset to the middle to disrupt your opponent's rhythm and avoid desperation shots.

The guys also tackle technical essentials for the 3.5 to 5.0+ transition, including one-handed vs. two-handed backhand dinks and how to handle aggressive, deep returns. From mastering split-step timing to understanding the "Four Phases of Pickleball," this episode provides the tactical and mental framework you need to stop playing for your ego and start growing your game.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- The "Banger" Mentality: Why you should be excited to play power players and how to use them as a learning tool.
- The "Clear" Strategy: How to handle deep, high-pace returns without popping your 3rd up.
- Dink Selection: When to use two-handed vs. one-handed dinks and why positioning is everything.
- The Art of the Split Step: Timing your footwork to stay proactive instead of reactive.
- Singles for Doubles: Why getting better at singles is one of the fastest ways to improve your doubles game.
- And more!

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro & Welcome
00:23 Tournament Recap: Elliot’s first singles experience
02:33 How to handle hard and deep returns
08:23 The Backhand Dink: One-handed vs. Two-handed
12:19 How to neutralize "Bangers" and power players
19:00 The Speed-Up: When to keep dinking vs. when to attack
25:40 Footwork Essentials: The Split Step

Join the Community:
Have a question you want us to answer on the next pod? Drop it in the comments below or join us over at https://thepickleballlab.co/the-pickleball-lab/ and post it there!

Level up your game with The Lab, the only pickleball community that combines structured video lessons, specific practice plans, and direct coaching feedback to help you truly get better at the game: https://thepickleballlab.co/the-pickleball-lab/

Listen on the go:
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms. Search "The Pickleball Lab" to subscribe.

3 0

In this live Q&A stream replay from The Pickleball Lab, we break down real match film and use it to fix the most common problems that hold 3.5–4.5 players back from winning more games.

Using El and Jessica’s gameplay as our case study, we walk through point-by-point what actually creates advantages on the court: smarter returns, tighter transitions, better positioning, and cleaner decision-making under pressure.

What you’ll learn in this session:

- Hit and Run vs. Hit and Watch
Why pausing after your return kills your advantage, and how to use your forward momentum to close the kitchen gap and make 3rd shot drops much harder on your opponents.

- The First 4 Balls Principle
How the serve, return, third, and fourth shots decide most rallies—and what to change in those four shots to play “above your level” without perfect dinks.

- Escalation & De-escalation (Power Management)
A simple framework for handling transition: when to move up, when to move back and how to turn balls that are pressuring you into balls you can move up on and conversely, how to turn balls that you can't pressure into balls you can.

- Volley & Reset Technique
How grip pressure and paddle angle cause pop-ups, and what to change so your volleys stay low over the net instead of sitting up to be crushed.

- Transitioning to the Kitchen
How to move through the transition zone without getting picked apart, including when to “hit and run” vs. “hit and sit” (split step and be ready).

- Handling Bangers
When you should counter back hard instead of trying to softly block, especially if your goal is to reach higher levels (4.0–4.5+).

- Targeting & Court Positioning
Why hitting the returner, aiming around the “feet line,” and adjusting your position to protect your chicken wing creates easier balls and fewer forced errors.

- Drill Structure & Improvement Plan
How to structure a weekly practice plan (serve/return drills, third shot work, skinny singles) so that your mechanics and decisions actually change over time—not just “play more and hope.”

- And a whole lot more...

Timestamps:

0:00 – Intro & Stream Logistics
1:43 – The "Enigma" of the Lob
2:42 – The "Hit and Run" Return: Why you can't pause after your shot.
4:16 – The First 4 Balls Principle: Why these shots determine a 5.0 level.
7:31 – Fourth Shot Strategy: Aiming for the "Feet Line."
9:11 – Volley Technique: Fixing pop-ups with paddle face & grip pressure.
14:15 – The "Spider" Defense: Handling shoulder-high attacks (Gabe Tardio style).
17:36 – Escalation & De-escalation: Using the 12-Point Power Scale.
21:45 – High Ball vs. Low Ball Logic: When to attack vs. when to reset.
25:51 – The "Hit and Sit" Rule: Mastering the split-step in transition.
31:12 – Why you should ALWAYS hit the returner.
35:40 – Two-Handed Backhand Resets for better control.
42:52 – Handling Bangers: Why you should counter hard instead of blocking.
45:57 – The Weekly Drill Plan: How to structure your practice (40/40/50 rule).
55:20 – Serve & Return Drills: Targeting the backhand.
1:02:15 – Skinny Singles for Stacking Teams.
1:08:30 – Grip Recommendations: Eastern vs. Continental.
1:15:10 – The 2,000 Ball Rule: How to actually change your mechanics.
1:22:45 – Tournament Frequency & The "One Thing" Rule for Rec Play.
1:30:00 – Wrap Up & Future Stream Schedule.

This stream is part of The Pickleball Lab’s weekly public Q&A coaching, where any player can join live, ask questions in chat, and get coached—no film required. You can join our next stream live by going to pickleballlab.co/the-pickleball-lab/ and joining for free. Inside the community you will see the next Q&A you can join!

Level up your game with The Pickleball Lab, the only pickleball community that combines structured video lessons, specific practice plans, and direct coaching feedback to help you truly get better at the game: https://thepickleballlab.co/the-pickleball-lab/

1 0

In our debut episode, Josh Mackens and Elliott Kindred dive deep into the fastest ways to level up your game, whether you're a 2.0 beginner or pushing for that 5.0 pro-level proficiency. We break down grips, why the "First 4 Balls" are the most critical steps to improve, and much more

In this episode, we cover:

- The "First 4 Balls"
- The Power of the Drive: How mastering one specific swing can fix your serve, return, 3rd shot and more all at once.
- Grip Secrets: When to use Eastern vs. Continental, and why Ben Johns' childhood attic might be the reason he has the best backhand in the world.
- The "Choking Up" Trend: Is holding your paddle higher the secret to faster hands at the kitchen?

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro: Meet Josh and Elliott
02:18 - The fastest way to level up your game
03:45 - Why the first 4 balls are the most important
06:50 - Why you MUST drill your returns and serves
11:25 - Pickleball Grips: Eastern, Western, and Continental explained
15:14 - The Ben Johns "Attic" Story
16:39 - Should you "choke up" on your paddle?
21:55 - How to get your questions answered

Join the Community:
Have a question you want us to answer on the next pod? Drop it in the comments below or join us over at https://thepickleballlab.co/the-pickleball-lab/ and post it there!

Level up your game with The Lab, the only pickleball community that combines structured video lessons, specific practice plans, and direct coaching feedback to help you truly get better at the game: https://thepickleballlab.co/the-pickleball-lab/

Listen on the go:
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms. Search "The Pickleball Lab" to subscribe.

10 6

Are you making the #1 beginner mistake in pickleball? This video breaks down the most common error new players make and shows you exactly how to fix it to improve your game fast! Stop losing points and start winning more games.

7 0

The 4 Phases of Pickleball is an important concept to understand to help you breakdown the game into manageable chunks so you can get better faster!

343 22

Once you’ve mastered the Cooperative Volley Drill, it’s time to level up with the Aggressive Volley Drill! This drill simulates real game-speed exchanges and is designed to sharpen your reflexes and develop lightning-fast hands at the net.

7 0

The return is EVERYTHING. Let's watch some pro pickleball film together and break down everything they're doing at the pro level to hit solid returns.

0 0

Footwork is SUPER important. Going to look at kitchen footwork that the pros use and also how footwork happens with the pros after a 3rd shot drive into a 5th shot drop! A viewer asked about a good paddle at the end of the stream which I answer.

1 0

Going to breakdown some student pickleball film today in the 3.0 - 3.5 range. Topics covered: return and run, transition, top spin and a whole lot more.

0 0

Going to go through some matches from the PPA Red Rock Open and learn from the pros!

1 0

Volleys at the Kitchen in Pickleball is an incredibly important skill. Being able to hit the ball with control, aiming the ball, and generally placing the ball where you intend to can be the difference between winning and losing your game. With this Cooperative Volley Drill you'll be developing that all important control so you can start winning more hand battles and therefore, more pickleball games.

7 1

The Dinking Game is a great pickleball drill. It emphasizes dinking and volleys and helps you focus on those 2 phases of your pickleball game. Whether you're working on dinking consistency, speed ups, counters or just general volleys, The Dinking Game puts you in a real live pickleball situation so you can grind out the technical and strategic aspects of kitchen play in Pickleball.

0:00 - Intro
0:26 - Drill Setup
0:45 - The Feed
1:10 - The Dinking Game Example
3:08 - Are Lobs Allowed?
3:39 - Summary
3:56 - Outro

40 4

Struggling to get dinking down? Hitting high balls, balls into the net, balls out of bounds, or not hitting aggressive enough dinks to cause the other team errors? Then do this drill! Do this drill once a day and you'll skyrocket your dinks to the next level and you'll start to hear more and more, "dang, your dinking has gotten ridiculously good!"

0:00 - Intro
0:21 - Drill Setup
0:36 - 3 Things to Focus On
1:17 - Positions & Length of Drill
2:35 - Summary
2:53 - Outro

14 0

If you're looking to improve your 3rd shot drops, this is the main drill you will likely use throughout your pickleball journey. It's a mainstay of any professional drilling routine and you should add it to your drill program to watch your quality and consistency of 3rd shot drops go through the roof!

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:28 - Drill Setup
1:12 - Drill Example
2:17 - Summary
2:23 - Outro

16 0

When we baby our shots in pickleball it can lead to us making bad decisions and compromising parts of the point like transition distance. This bonus video will show you what I’m talking about.

11 0

0

8 2

0

Holding your paddle correctly in Pickleball is uber important. Hold it too far this way, too high, too far out, etc. and you'll get beat almost every time. Having your paddle in the right position will give you faster hands and faster hands means more points. But what is the right position to hold your paddle? In this video Josh dives into how to hold your paddle in Pickleball correctly. How high to hold your paddle, what depth, rotation, position, etc. And at the end of this video, you'll be able to be confident that you have the paddle in the exact right position when you're out playing to give yourself the best opportunity to hit a quality ball.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:32 - Topics Covered
0:46 - Paddle Position
1:05 - Paddle Rotation
3:10 - Paddle Height
3:27 - Paddle Depth
4:13 - Paddle Ready
5:48 - Ball Tap & Hold Drill
7:09 - Advanced Tip: Film!
7:30 - Outro
8:12 - Bloopers

19 0

Want to learn the bare bones basics of Pickleball? In this video, Josh explains how to play Pickleball in under 2 minutes! Get out there and playing immediately!

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:24 - The Pickleball Court Explained
0:35 - Serving
0:54 - Faults
1:04 - The Two Bounce Rule
1:31 - Non-Volley Zone (or "The Kitchen")
2:00 - Clean Up Rules
2:10 - Outro/Bloopers

33 8

In this video we talk about Skinny Singles, one of Pickleball's BEST drills to get better and improve your game. There's a reason the pros play this game/drill all the time. Learn how to play and why you should be playing skinny singles all the time.

116 13

Welcome to The Pickleball Lab YouTube Channel! In this video we dive into the why behind The Pickleball Lab and how we'll use YouTube to accomplish these goals. You'll also learn more about what our plans are with YouTube and the types of content you can expect from us. Welcome to The Lab!

14 2