Tip 1
When you’re hitting a reset, grip strength is key. Your grip strength should be very loose when you’re resetting. In fact, you should approach it the same way that you approach a dink! When we dink, our focus is always keeping our paddle out in front and maintaining a very loose grip in order to drop the ball into the kitchen effectively.
On a scale of 1 – 10 (10 being the most tense grip possible) we want to be around a 2 or 3 so that the paddle absorbs the power of the shot coming at us and we can comfortably guide the ball over the net without the fear of generating too much power.
Now, this is certainly easier said than done, because the natural reaction to getting attacked (which is the situation we will be resetting from) is to tense up and tighten your grip. However, as long as your body is stationary as you hit and you aren’t afraid of the ball, with practice you’ll be able to stay loose on resets and keep the ball low the same way you do on your dinks.
Tip 2
When it comes to playing the soft game, balance is key. This is especially true on defensive shots, like resets. Whether or not you are able to hit from a balanced position plays a large role in whether or not the ball pops up. Resets are easiest to execute when your weight is evenly balanced, your feet are a little over shoulder-width apart, and your body is still. Resets often pop up when you are leaning in one direction, or are moving while you hit. Being balanced on resets is certainly easier said than done, since they are defensive shots, however if you want to have the greatest chance of keeping the ball low you should do your best to get behind the ball, stop, and get into a low athletic stance before you hit.
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