Super HELPFUL Tips for Returns, Drops, & Drives | ft. Nick Wade (5.7 DUPR)

Please go support my friend Nick with a follow/subscribe! He's a rising pickleball champ and he makes super helpful educational pickleball content!
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In this video, Nick gives me some amazing tips that really helped improve my game.
What else would you like to learn from Nick? Comment below and we'll film those next!
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Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:59 Return of Serve
2:15 Fixing Ed's Mistake
4:31 How to hit Consistent Drops
6:38 Topspin Drops
9:53 Nick's insane drives
12:18 Summary
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Pickleball gear featured in video:
Montis Pickleball Shoe: montispickleball.com/products...
Hesacore Grip: shop.hesacore.com/products/pi...
UDrippin Overgrip: www.udrippin.com/products/pur...
Use Code: EDJU to save 👍
Other pickleball gear I'm using right now: linktr.ee/edjupickleball
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[@edjupickleball]

Nick also taught me how to hit overhead smashes like him. Wrapping up edits on that, so be sure to subscribe with notifications on if you haven’t already :D Nick’s IG: instagram.com/nicholaswade_pb?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[@earlewilliams4262]

As a pretty new pb addict I watch a lot of video content. I find your content to be more directed toward advancing skills rather than so basic. Love the slo-mo, focus, reps, and commentary. Anytime you have new content I am tuned in and learning. Now I just need to get a good partner to practice with routinely. Really good

[@edjupickleball]

Thanks so much! I’m learning with you all too! 🙌🏼

[@Musicaltwig]

This was a great video for someone like me or others who have no tennis background. It was so good that you asked him questions about things that tennis players take for granted that we have no clue about. Bravo! 👏👏👏

[@edjupickleball]

Glad it was helpful! 🙌🏼

[@mikemacdonald6855]

That was hands down the bet tip for drop shots!! I used that technique in my game yesterday and 90% of my 3rd shot drops were good. Thx Ed

[@patsam]

Thank you Nick for sharing your knowledge. Next level tips, very much appreciated! Ed, great content as always!

[@edjupickleball]

Nicks the man! He’s a wealth of knowledge so I’m hoping to get some more good tips from him!

[@Tonkovich2009]

This is your best video yet in my opinion. Very helpful simple things to clean up that will really make a difference in your game.

[@SpicyTofu808]

Probably one of the most informative videos I’ve seen in a while

[@miguelrivera1291]

SUPER helpful, Ed and Nick! This and the Jaume videos are the most helpful I've seen. Most training videos tend to focus on sort of text book form. It's great to see these showing good form and real-time application on plenty of reps. Well done 👍

[@supravmishra3030]

Wow these are so helpful, thanks for sharing and keep them coming ed ju.

[@edjupickleball]

Glad you found em helpful!

[@morrice]

One of the best teaching videos I've seen. Tips were broken down extremely well...much appreciated.

[@courtneyhannaford6970]

First, thx so much for the really helpful pb content, second, Nick’s look and sound should land him a 70s buddy cop film. 10s all around, guys.

[@tleparskas]

This guy is Gold! More with Nick!

[@neighbor5899]

Love seeing videos where you are able to find insights into your own flaws, or optimizing a portion of your game. We learn when you learn!

[@scottclegg9487]

Great video!! Nick is inspiring and smart! Figured things out so fast, applied it and verbalized it so well! Thanks

[@OTsMama]

Excellent video. SLO-mo was incredibly helpful. Thank you so much for the content and guest.

[@utubezenome]

Thank you so much for the great content, as always, Ed. Love Nick's tips! This is exactly what I needed to know for my returns. I thought the same thing while watching the pros, that they were running through the ball. Now I understand! Can't wait to try these tips out on the court!

[@melanieromero652]

Your channel is the most useful channel I have found. Thank you for bringing us so many pro tips and techniques

[@worldnomaderic]

More Nick tips! This was an awesome video.

[@robertkribs9513]

Analytics! Can't wait to put these tips into practice!

[@brianporter2806]

great video! with the return of serve, I've seen so many videos that teach the opposite of letting that ball float on the other side in order to give time to advance. But, I think that advice is better for the 3.5 level as I agree it gets ripped back at the higher levels. Love that your bringing in solid advice for the more advanced game that I haven't heard before on youtube!

[@linsu2854]

Great video, like always. Thanks for sharing your pickelball journey with us. You deserve to do well!

[@lalanipitts7959]

So well done!! Thank you.

[@Hutaro.o_]

Thanks you both!!!

[@user-hh7un7wj6s]

Great tips. Awesome!

[@gnarfish5555]

Very nice!! Thank you for the tips!!

[@amandawills6680]

Fantastic video. Incredibly helpful

[@SnapShot83]

Fantastic video - really like the tips in this, can’t wait to practice these

[@hervinalvarez]

The Mark Rober style music and intro :D Thank you for the video!!! your friend is great!

[@JeffLandauer]

Great video. The serve return stuff reminds me of the John Cincola video, but the specific tip to lunge while hitting instead of running through it makes so much sense.

[@level27xrock]

Really great stuff, thanks for posting 😁

[@MichaelKada]

Amazing tips

[@markuspotter42]

INCREDIBLE HIGH STUFF, THANK YOU!!!

[@joiedevivre541]

Awesome video! So helpful!

[@MotlyUele]

Another great video, great work gents!

[@fmroke]

Awesome content, would love some backhand drive, drop videos. Keep up the good work ed and nick!

[@rohitvasudeva2801]

+1 specially the backhand returns for hard hitting serves

[@mattwolf7722]

Great content! Really helped my drops!

[@matthewwestfall4753]

Good content here. Thanks

[@AverageBrosPickleball]

Awesome stuff!

[@AnnMitt]

Excellent video 🥹👏👍🏻

[@vksecfw]

Great video!

[@relaxationmusicgoodformedi4637]

Tnx. So good

[@TheSourcingSamurai]

Thank you Ed, great. Nick's Forehand is "Savage".

[@antonriniti9653]

Really great stuff here

[@roguegaston]

so good!

[@RegalOrb]

Great content like always. My partner was trying to get me to lunge into my returns recently, he too was a long time tennis player.

[@SellingToolz]

One of your best videos!

[@matthewbynum127]

I think one thing he did was his drop and drive had the EXACT same setup, also I noticed when you were practicing at the end there how dropped your left arm was compared to his. When he was doing his drives notice how raised his left arm was to generate the spin of his body. Thanks for making this man, really appreciate it.

[@jestercastillo4168]

Good stuff 🫡

[@richardsaglimbene6947]

Ed, great improvement and I’m learning a lot from you. Please thank Nick for me. I believe you are a 5.0!!

[@woodsonsanders1112]

Good stuff

[@MokeTheoryy]

More Nick ♥

[@FrankRollberg]

Thank you

[@optionswire2531]

yo do more vids with this dude. good vid

[@pickleball_dereck]

Hi Ed. Thanks for having Nick on the video. Great tips on all three topics. I noticed that on your drives at the end of the video, you did not employ your left hand much, as Nick was saying. Any reason why?

[@kosanmr2]

Hilarious. My coach told me the exact same things in this video today! - return of serve and the advice about the drops with top spin. awesome video as always!

[@luke9822]

Your coach watches the same channel and preps for the lesson by opening KZbin.

[@kosanmr2]

@@luke9822 I know, wasted my money! haha. jkjk. all good.

[@heartnsoul3357]

I think Nick's stache may result in some wind resistance.

[@wonkals]

ed you are the best, keep it up

[@edjupickleball]

Thank you!

[@gmont66g]

Fascinating to see 2 completely opposite views on service return. I just saw a video from John Ciccola where he makes a strong point that the return should NOT have any backswing AT ALL; it should just happen in a forward motion and deep so he can get to the kitchen. He even had a machine throwing balls, and he shows that if you use any backswing, there's simply NO time to get to the kitchen, and you’ll get a ball back at your feet. That said, yes, Nick's FH return is strong and beautiful. If it hits the server's backhand, then it'll definitely cause trouble for their 3rd shot. I don't really know the right answer here. Wonderful video for sure!

[@tyehegre]

Finally somone who can teach

[@JemMawson]

Nick is now my favourite out of all the Weasley brothers. Magic!

[@Casey_999]

Nicks awesome

[@ruhroah5044]

Love the tips, keep em coming. Funny how Ed scream like a girl when Nick blasts "insane drives"

[@PTL4179]

Love this video. I learn so much on these precisely instructions. Thank you Ed & Nick. My question to Ed that Nick kept his feet firmly on the ground on the power stroke and your feet was bouncing around, which is better?

[@edjupickleball]

I would say that for efficiency sake, Nick's is definitely better. Mine is perhaps a bad habit developed from watching too much James Ignatowich 🙃

[@mggilbert425]

Great video. One thing to note that sort of gets overlooked is that on the drops, Nick is actually setting his feet and hips up closer to 45° when executing the top spin drop. The risk with having your hips square to the net (like Ed doing the "Granny shot" Is that most players under 4.0 are going to lift that ball way too high. Much easier for them to turn slightly sideways and execute more of a topspin shot.

[@rohitvasudeva2801]

Quick question on the top spin drop- when making the inside out motion do we move the wrist or keep wrist and elbow both locked in same position?

[@user-wj5io9lm1u]

Best tutorial video in 2024

[@ericbooya]

Awesome Video! I felt the same in regards to some days feeling like I can't miss and some days I have no idea what I'm doing with that drop shot haha. What's your grip like on a drop shot between a 1-10?

[@edjupickleball]

Between a 3 and 5!

[@joysonmenezes2158]

Thank you for these tips!!! Can these be applied for backhand? Also, could you make a video on footwork, especially for singles?

[@edjupickleball]

For onehanded backhand drops, the mechanics should be slightly different because our arm is starting across our body now. If you have a two handed backhand, you can generate top spin. If you use one handed backhand, you will most likely have to go for a slice drop. One handed topspin is possible, but it is extremely difficult and not consistent in pickleball. If you see Roger Federer's one handed backhand drive, he has perfected it-- but for tennis the ball can stay on the strings a bit longer. In pickleball, the ball leaves the paddle so fast that for onehanded backhand drives or drops, the margin becomes very low.

[@pauljohnmarcelino2121]

Hey Ed, gotta a question. With the return of serve, if you return it with a slice that is slower but it's deep and with tons of spin, doesn't that at least give you more time to get to the kitchen line faster versus returning it with a hard topspin drive and you're in a hurry to get to the kitchen line? Or you'd still prefer a hard drive back to your opponent?

[@vpttour]

good

[@wulymammoth]

I wish I had Nick coach me, but things I had noticed about your version at the end, Ed, are: a) that you're hopping up a lot (going vertical on yours) rather than staying more horizontal on your weight transfer, b) your left arm isn't taken back enough as compared to Nick's, and c) you're not rotating or coiling as much as Nick's (I believe that he uses his left arm as a big guide). Amazing content tho!

[@wulymammoth]

On Nick's dinking, I notice that he's actually hitting more from in front of his right foot rather than directly in front between both legs. I think the important thing that I was also taught by another 5.0+ player is to really drop that paddle head. I was doing what you were doing prior and sort of still do out of bad habit and that's hit my drops from a more drive-oriented paddle position (sideways/diagonally) rather than dropping that paddle face and not breaking my wrist

[@ryankenneth2826]

Well done video! So when you mock hit the ball for the first tip “weight transfer” you step with the right foot as in your paddle side. When you actually do the drill and hit the ball you step in and make contact with the left foot first. When I’m teaching I do left foot forward because much smarter coaches from other sports have been doing it for years but I don’t know exactly why can you explain which foot it is for this drill. Then maybe explain why it is best to step with said foot? @ed ju

[@owenallenaz]

Amazing content as always. One small tip, try and show each different shot from a few different angles. For example, from the angle we have on the drive its hard to see how far the ball is in front of his body. A couple more sideviews would be awesome. I am definitely going to try his drop. Also, it seems like higher level PBers aren't as big in the finish over the shoulder mechanic, seems like he finishes chest high to get more linear power using the wrist for spin.

[@edjupickleball]

good feedback! i'll try and get some more sideview angles for you next time

[@jamjam2137]

Ed would help a lot if you and Nick told and showed what grip is used for each shot.

[@camoncam8021]

The Mark Rober music wins me over instantly

[@edjupickleball]

🤍 mark rober

[@pickleballnic]

You should evaluate how much space you have at the back of the court you are playing on and then be strategic about serving and returning serves. This makes a huge difference as the court you were playing on had a lot of room in the back. Most don't and then a high deep serve or return makes more sense as players tend to struggle with high slow deep bounces at the back of a short court vs low fast shots. It is a mental thing when their paddle bumps up against the back fence... LOL.

[@bart1476]

You have plenty of control moving through returns if you slice them. Just like an approach shot in tennis.

[@TonyBeingTony]

Drops from the middle of the body....I'll work on it today!

[@horsegal3358]

Curious to know what other exercise regimine you do? You seem fit overall, Is that just from pickleball? New to pickleball... Love it!

[@edjupickleball]

I post my exercise regime almost daily on my instagram stories :D

[@yoursurrender18]

I can almost hear Andy Murray

[@allansalzman1072]

What about drops with backspin?

[@luke9822]

Very helpful. The only question I have is with the drop tip: 4:54 Doesn't that method make it super revealing what you are going to do? One of the great skills top level players have is being able to disguise their drive vs drop - making the opponent have to prepare for either option.

[@edjupickleball]

That's a great point! If you watch nick alternating between his drop and drives, you will notice how smoothly he is able to hit the two. His footwork and positioning is drastically different, but his movements are so quick and buttery. Playing against him, it's actually quite difficult to read him because he's smooth with it. I think disguise and deception comes with mastery, but for anyone developing the fundamental techniques, I think it's more important to develop consistency over deception.

[@bart1476]

Ed Jew is learning

[@mikepetrandis8525]

Is techniques same on backhand drop? I find myself having to turn to left a little?

[@edjupickleball]

If you are going for a backhand slice drop, then you should turn to the left a little. If you have a two handed backhand topspin drop, then you can afford to be a bit more open stance.

[@chea7z913]

Where can we watch Nick and his partner David play against the Johns?

[@MLB1212]

I was instructed to hit my drops from outside my body and that by swinging my arm and paddle directly in front of my knee restricted my ability to follow thru due to less external rotation of the shoulder. Suffice to believe that pb instruction is in its infancy and there seems to be a lot of conflicting theories.

[@pickleball247]

Is Nick using standard shape or extended ?

[@kabob21]

He’s using a Pro XR Zane Navratil “The Signature” with a wide face standard shape.

[@edjupickleball]

@@kabob21yup! And 14mm

[@eyecandie2004]

Ed what level do you play?

[@edjupickleball]

5.0!

[@LeoSprBllr1]

I'd love to get lessons from ginger freddie mercury

[@derick9926]

I feel like Ed's drives still dont look like Nick's drives. Nick hits the majority of his drives closed stance and whenever he does hit open stance, its not that his right leg swings forward but more that his left leg swings backward. Ed, when he drives, swings his right foot forward on the drive which looks off balanced from my opinion. Just observations and by no means am i saying my observations are correct though

[@edjupickleball]

You're right. For some reason, I'm not super comfortable hitting drives in closed stance-- working on it! Nick's weight transfer is super optimal and efficient. His drives hold so much weight because every movement he puts into it is maximized. For me, I'm still developing the understanding and "muscle memory" of timing this weight transfer and footwork, so mine definitely feels clunky.

[@derick9926]

@@edjupickleball heh, could be an idea for a short video!

[@MrMightyBeans]

Always aim for your opponent balls

[@Andi-lk5ff]

Literally the sport is soooooo fking easy as f

[@xxxBlindSITExxx]

is this a mark rober video? :D

[@edjupickleball]

Rober fan!! Haha his music choice is so good :D