When, How, and Why to Hit Your Backhand Flick Crosscourt

James Ignatowich

Hey guys, this is James Ignatowich from Delray Beach, Fl. People say you should not attack crosscourt—or at least, you should be attacking down the line almost every time, with the super rare crosscourt speedup. I say that if you can take the ball out of the air, especially on the backhand side, taking that speedup crosscourt as a flick can be a very effective play.

Why the Backhand Crosscourt Flick Works

So the reason for that is—standing behind the kitchen line—if you’re trying to go crosscourt with your backhand flick, you can actually reach further out towards the ball enabling you to hit it quicker than if you’re going down the line (figure 1).

(figure 1)

Secondly, if I’m going crosscourt with that flick, I’m going over a lower part of the net because the net slopes towards the middle as shown in (figure 2).

And lastly, if I go crosscourt with that flick, I have significantly more space/court to hit the ball.

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James Ignatowich is a top 10 professional pickleball player originally from Connecticut, now residing in Delray Beach, Florida. A former Division 1 tennis player at Vanderbilt University, James made a transition to pickleball, quickly rising to prominence in the sport and often playing doubles with Tyson McGuffin and Anna Bright. In addition to his athletic achievements, he runs his own podcast, where he shares insights into the game and interviews other professionals. jamesignatowichnewsletter | PPA | MLP | My paddle