Pickleball is a paddle sport involving hitting a perforated ball made of durable plastic with a paddle made of a strong core material. Im order to land the ball on the other side of the net, a player plays a variety of shots which are based on power and precision.
In any sport, two terminologies are frequently used: Overhand (overarm) and Underhand (underarm). Both these terms indicate the position of the palm or the entire hand in relation with the shoulder. Let us understand both these terms in relation with Pickleball.
An overhand shot in pickleball is played when the player hits a shot from above the shoulder level. The grip on the paddle is such that the palm faces downwards. Moreover, the swing of the paddle while hitting such a shot is from up to down.
An underhand shot in pickleball is played when the player hits a shot from below the shoulder level. The grip on the paddle is such that the palm faces upwards. In contrast to overhand, the swing of the paddle is from down to up.
Pickleball is a flexible sport, allowing players to opt for both overhand and underhand shot based on their convenience. However, there is one area where a player cannot go for an overhand shot: the serve. In pickleball, the serve is always done underarm. When a player serves underarm, the paddle should contact the ball below the waist level.
Apart from the serve, a player can hit both underhand and overhand in the entire match.
