Tipbit #46 – Flick Dilemma
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For those of you members who play with or against me on a fairly regular basis know my backhand, off either a volley or dink is my better and more dependable wing. When I execute a low volley well, I often say, “that’s my Ben John’s flick”.
I originally read Ben’s article on the backhand flick (roll) in Pickleball Magazine and over the last year I’ve tried hard to emulate it. Below is just a small portion of Ben's long article:
“As you’re swinging you should extend your arm until it reaches
full extension as you make contact with the ball, this motion creates that recognizable snap or flick that makes ball shoot off the paddle. Many think that the motion involves a lot of wrist and it may appear that way when observing the shot in real time, but the wrist is actually stable throughout the motion. It’s the combination of arm extension and forearm rotation that supplies the power for the flick”.
Well, last Friday I was reading an article by Mari Humberg in The Dink. Mari broke onto the pro scene in 2024 and one of the biggest reasons for her success is her killer backhand flick; a deceptive and effective shot. Below are some of the Mari’s keys from The Dink article and the main cause of my Flick Dilemma.
“Use a continental grip for versatility, allowing seamless transitions between shots. You need to emphasize flexibility in your wrist for executing this advanced technique. The flick relies on wrist action rather than shoulder or arm power. I compare it to upward like Frisbee-like toss that adds spin to make the ball dip quickly.”
Both Mari and Ben agree on the basics; start with an exaggerated low-to-high motion, keep the top edge of your paddle forward and the face slightly angled down, take the shot in the air and not off the bounce, lean forward while maintaining balance, and hit cross court or down the line, exploiting angles and catching your opponents’ off guard. Both stress using flicks strategically, setting up your next shot rather than expecting a clean winner.
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So now members, you’re probably wondering, what’s Lueck’s Flick Dilemma? Well, my dilemma is, whom do I believe, Ben or Mari? The main difference in their instructions is the use of your wrist. Ben says to keep the wrist stable and Mari says you should drop the wrist and then flick or roll over the ball with wrist action. Now, if I were a pro, I’d be getting paid big money for writing these tipbits, but no, I only have a 4.0 DUPR rating (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating 2-8.0). I’m still considered only a recreation player, but I will go out on a shaky limb and give you my long racket sport educated opinion. Go with Ben John’s!!!!!
I’ve taught many pickleball clinics over the years and when I introduce the forehand drive, I often suggest to advanced players to lay their wrist back in an “L” form and then as they strike the ball accelerate their wrist. Well, it usually ends up a disaster. Anytime you add a wrist action, as Mari suggests, it just adds another variable to your shot and your timing, accuracy, consistency and dependability are lost. Plus, Ben is a proven commodity :-) Below is an illustration I made, with added text, to visually demonstrate what I think is the proper technique for the flick/roll. So in the end, if you don’t like my opinion, you can just “flick off”.
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