Get a Grip

While everything about a player's swing is important, one of the trickiest parts to learn is the grip. How hard a paddle is held makes a big difference on what happens to the ball. A good analogy is the difference between throwing a ball at a wall versus at the drapes. When you throw a ball at a solid wall, it will come back hard and fast. The drapes will cushion the ball and drop it down instead.

It's not just about knowing how to grip your paddle, but also when. For harder shots like drive, serves, and slams, a tighter grip is preferably. This will help put more power on the ball and make sure it goes the right direction.

When slowing the ball down, like for blocks, drops, and dinks, loosen up the grip. This helps cushion the ball. Most of the time, when players are popping up dinks, it is because they are gripping the paddle too hard. The ball then bounces off more, and with the upward angle of the paddle, provides a popped up ball that opponents can slam.

This is something that takes practice. Go out and hit several, focusing on the grip strength until comfortable with where the shot goes. It is worth noting that the ball matters. Indoor balls don't have as much pop as outdoor balls and even between brands there is a difference. The more you practice, the better you will get at adjusting quickly to the proper grip strength.