How To Hit the Backhand Roll in Pickleball | Ben Johns

Learn how to hit the World's No. 1 Pickleball Athlete, Ben Johns' favorite shot in the game. Ben shares the fundamentals, what to look for, and how to set up drills to improve your backhand roll.
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:34 Drilling Set-Up
1:06 Things to Watch For
5:14 Variation 1: Roll
6:18 Variation 2: Flick
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[@Fernando-kh9oo]

cj was just killing it in the counters

[@vanillakilla813]

@@zaf7819that would annoy the shit out of me if I were trying to drill

[@teeqz_raiderfn]

​@@vanillakilla813 well your black so no duh

[@GugerIsMe]

Im hyped for the release, this will take me from a 2.5 to a 6.0 in a matter of minutes!

[@NickAlmeida2012]

😂😂😂

[@wtcb7892]

6.0 😂😂😂

[@kcalhoun0580]

😂😂😂 then there must me hope for me!! Haha 😆

[@ImAHusband809]

Nay, seconds.

[@PierreRattiniQFFHangout]

😱🤬I have been working on the backend flick thinking it was the backend roll shot. This video corrected everything I was doing wrong. 🎉To much wrist on my flick and now understand how to properly hit the roll. I'm super excited to drill this. Ben and CJ THANK YOU... I hope you continue to make these videos. This was fantastic.😀

[@fire.pickleball]

Same here...

[@rudy0839]

Thanks Ben, for the great video tutorial! Pls keep making these type of videos, they are so helpful.

[@Aesthetic.Fitness.Apparel]

We definitely need more of these types of videos, thanks Ben!

[@wolf-xf6hf]

I didnt have a backhand flick at all but when I moved to nepal for 3 months where there wasnt pickleball I had nothing to play but table tennis and after coming back to pickleball it felt so natural

[@stankeye]

We need Collin's video on the best defense against this shot since he has practiced the most!

[@loblandmarks]

Absolutely brilliant tutorial on the pickleball backhand roll shot, Ben Johns! Your step-by-step breakdown makes this advanced technique seem much more approachable. The slow-motion replays were especially helpful for catching the subtleties of wrist movement and foot positioning. I appreciate the emphasis on practice and patience - it’s clear that mastering this shot can really elevate one’s game. Thanks for sharing your expertise and making high-level play more accessible to us all. Looking forward to applying these tips on the court!

[@josefbleaux6724]

Great video! I love that shot... Can't wait to dril this one. Thanks Ben and CJ. You guys Rock!

[@Robb0h]

Awesome. Thank you for taking the time to explain. 👏

[@aziziadnan9660]

Hi Ben, very pleased with your guidance, thank you from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ( Picklelagi)

[@CharlesBrodheadIII]

Thanks for such a comprehensive tutorial. Learned a lot here!

[@loblandmarks]

These videos have been helping me tremendously!

[@ivalani]

Great explanation and demonstration of the correct form.

[@Zenon-fg4dw]

Thank you for explaining the difference between roll and a flick. I did not realize the difference. I think I am ready for you John. I would not want to hit it to CJ though. Thanks guys!

[@livingthedream6749]

Thank you for all the tutorials, professionalism, good manners, sportsmanship on and off the court. This video is going to help a lot of people...hopefully not the people I play against here in Naples. :)

[@NickZhurav]

Such a good guide and breakdown. Good stuff man

[@kathlenejeff3296]

So good thanks for explaining possible pitfalls. So much fun looking forward to addung this.

[@anwarsadat6825]

Thank you Ben.

[@momsmith3374]

Great video, thank you!

[@jaysvlogs8199]

That’s how I backhand drive when playing table tennis. I applied the same technic the first time I played and it was easy to adapt.

[@AJCsr]

I am trying to get better at both the roll and the flick. Getting good at these are both very satisfying.

[@DinkSpectrum]

Great Tips from a Great Pro

[@claycc79]

Wow great video. Most people can do can't teach, you just blew that myth away. Thanks,

[@AlexHammer13]

Extraordinary Technique!

[@FreewindSP]

Great vid Ben! Super helpful!

[@MichaelLamson-wg2wf]

Thank you Ben! :D

[@nicholaswittendorf7230]

How do you do this shot when you have short arms?

[@RedneckAsian]

Great Video. I think it's important you point out what you're doing with your LEFT arm. Having it back to balance the center of gravity is an important lesson. I can see a bunch of beginners trying this after watching this video and having both arms out front and falling into the kitchen.

[@Mcfly77777]

Great video. Makes it look easy (when it really isn’t!)

[@voiceofreason9238]

The motorcycle throttle makes total sense to me as I didn't understand it before that. Thanks!

[@GIO_RUBBLE]

GOLD!

[@fire.pickleball]

Flick!!! I was flicking the entire time! Can't wait to drill this into exsitance...Mine also were staying too high/out and i think it's the trottle wrist(mine was to flat). Ben your the best, thank you for this content and keep it coming!

[@BlGSac]

People sleep on how good Collin is.

[@PickleballChris]

OMG…. True sign of a legend. Giving away his favorite and most successful shot in the game.. And holds nothing back.. Gives instructions and tips a coach would charge you $75 an hour for! Study this video and practice like a pro and you’ll improve your game 100 fold! Thanks Ben for putting this out there. This type of generosity is what has made pickleball the game it is! So, if your good and playing people that aren’t.. Please take the time to teach them! We ALL get better it!! #pickleballchris #tylerwrenpropickleball #OptaHealthAndWellness

[@dathomirdd636]

Great Video. I would also have liked to see a video montage of your backhand rolls in tournament play. (Maybe at the end of the video). Just to put a cherry on top of the instructional video. Still, it’s a great video. Thanks for doing it.

[@jamesmack3122]

Just when I had talked myself into going pro you see what real skill looks like… guess I will stay in 2.5 😂. Great video fellas

[@AlphaTennisinPittsburgh]

Pickleball is the hottest game in the country. Great video!

[@CareyFan]

CJ looks absolutely thrilled to do this. hahah. Nice demo!

[@videoheroics]

I was thinking the same thing!

[@jbr84tx]

This shot reminds me of the loop in ping pong. The topspin causes it to drop quickly. I often don't get enough lift to get it over the net though.

[@rocx.4297]

Hi Ben, what grip you use for this shot? Continental?

[@genebrady1725]

Great tips. The 'windshield wiper' shot is mentioned a lot by coaches. This vid shows it's not always the best to use in regards to rolls and flicks.

[@markuspotter42]

Do you change grip mid point? Or do you stick with the same grip throughout a point?

[@NK-oy3cg]

How do you know when to use it? When you see a higher drop, bad dink, or a particular positioning?

[@riod43]

Do you start with the top of the paddle at 8oclock low and finish with the top of the paddle at 11oclock high?

[@adrianstalnaker4529]

How much elbow should be used when hitting a roll?

[@arautus]

He has the paddle angled forward so the ball will automatically get topspin. You can use a similar technique on forehand drives.

[@TOEDad]

Is it eastern grip?

[@ianradford502]

My buddy uses the windshield wiper technique and it works great for him! Why do you say, "Don't do it?"

[@saviomendonsa5029]

He mentioned that the windshield wiper technique involves precise timing. That makes the chances of errors to go up and pickleball at higher levels is mostly about increasing reliability of your shots.

[@marvindennis3664]

nice engineering to these shots.

[@longkuang]

What about the grip?

[@noahb_pickleball]

Most likely eastern backhand or halfway between that and continental, so index knuckle on bevel 1 or 1.5. Continental is possible... but you have to contort your wrist in an awkward position to get the paddle face closed.

[@tommyshin277]

Do you usually dink in a continental or eastern grip?

[@saviomendonsa5029]

He did it in continental with the "motorcycle throttle" effect.

[@ponkey8569]

What if you use a double handed backhand, can you do the same shot with two hands?

[@saviomendonsa5029]

Double handed backhand mostly uses the weaker hand (left hand for righties) for power, so you can't call that a backhand shot anymore.

[@anwarsadat6825]

It seems that you are also changing the grip a little on the backhand roll. It is not continental because with continental grip and closing the paddle on the backhand feels very awkward in the hand. It would be nie if you could address this issue. Are you changing your grip a little?

[@nikkienguyen2792]

How do you hold your paddle? cont. ? eastern?

[@Mr.Martini549]

A saw an interview where Ben said he uses Continental grip for 90% of his shots. He may have changed since then. He’s using a cont. grip here, but rolling his wrist forward as he strikes the ball.

[@jinetduran6621]

All of that is played with the same grip ? Continental ?

[@johnperkins5450]

Wish you had used some slow motion footage of the actual shots to further demonstrate & emphasize the arm motion.

[@KC-dw9ky]

Benny boy!

[@rachy9801]

benny boy!!!

[@crumdogmillion]

Continental grip?

[@Becapu]

grip?

[@matthewshepherd5390]

Is that not just a topspin backhand pretty standard tennis shot.

[@saviomendonsa5029]

It is not common to hit this shot in Tennis (from about 3 feet from the net and from below the net). You are probably thinking of a backhand drive from further back up the court and that is a very different shot. This shot comes from Table Tennis. It is one rare pickleball shot that Tennis players are not inherently very good at (unless they specifically drill it). In tennis, if you had this scenario, you would just lob the ball because there is ample space to do so and there is no need to worry about the kitchen line.

[@saviomendonsa5029]

Which motorcycle has a throttle that you turn AWAY from you like in this video?

[@shuikwok9586]

We do this all the time in table tennis.

[@Mr.Martini549]

Ben grew up playing table tennis. 😉

[@user-zg9sb2kq8n]

i thought back roll was on now??? live?

[@Skurtz007]

Some slo-mo replays would be helpful to better see the nuances. Thanks

[@Mr.Martini549]

Try adjusting the playback speed in the KZbin settings. 😉

[@filmfaithandlevity]

Ah, so this is basically a backhand strike from table tennis.

[@btreese7]

When I hit this it's more like a forearm rotation, and very little wrist.

[@SwankyDetailer]

It’s a video CJ, take a deep breathe 😅

[@golfmaniac007]

Hearing pickleball noise would drive me nuts as ur neighbor

[@angelatu6325]

Back hand roll/flick is really similar to a ping pong move

[@Mr.Martini549]

Ben and Collin grew up on table tennis. That’s why they’ve adapted so well to pickleball.

[@dpglink]

flick

[@Paul-kg3ub]

Who's gonna disagree with this guy!

[@jonathanking154]

What happened to not training people

[@btreese7]

Colin looks so enthused. You must be hitting too many balls off the tape.

[@nilkamals]

Zero percent effective against cj lol

[@dnasty9673]

Dude should of been a pro tennis player. Ohhhh wait…. Wasn’t good enough.

[@Delc0]

His brother was a pro tennis player; Ben chose pickleball and I'm sure he's quite happy with his decision...all the while you're here, watching his video and hating.

[@trex1448]

This is called a backhand in tennis... the fact that rb player will use two hands to hit backhands is ridiculous and stupid. It's a plastic ball. You don't need two hands. A tennis ball coming at you at 80mph is one thing. A plastic ball no matter how hard it's hit at you doesn't require two hands.

[@ezrasanmiguel9472]

That’s calleda one handed back hand. Every one, just play tennis instead.

[@Mr.Martini549]

Anyone who’s ever watched tennis knows that’s not a backhand, Champ. 😂😂😂

[@btreese7]

Not quite

[@cbvoicenotes267]

Love your profile pic BJ!