⚡ The nasty fourth shot that deserves a permanent spot in your arsenal
🎯 Ruling the rally — precision, patience, and putting it where they aren’t
🇯🇵 Power the Japanese way — drills for drives, volleys, and pancake defense
🧘 Release, reset, refocus — my new mid-game comeback routine
📱 Last Name: Pickleball — the truest meme of them all

Let’s get to it!

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Saw this reel on Instagram and immediately thought: I need this shot in my life.

It’s a filthy fourth.

Watch it and tell me this wouldn’t be an absolute weapon in your arsenal.

If you already have this shot… please, for the love of spin, come to Utah and drill with me.

This week has been some seriously good pickleball—hard hitters, fast hands, smart dinking.

What I’m realizing: the players who rule the rally don’t rush the point. They don’t swing for winners or force speed-ups. They move you.

Wide dinks. Pressure through the middle. Make you stretch, reach, and finally pop one up.

All the hours I’ve spent drilling my targets—shoelaces, chicken wings, transition feet—still matter. But at this level, those balls are coming back. The real key is putting the ball where they aren’t.

When you’re up against players who can cover the court and anticipate everything, you have to plan, be patient, and play with precision—and with a partner who understands the same. When you’re both in sync, moving opponents side to side, getting them off balance and out of rhythm, that’s when the court opens up and the easy put-aways appear.

So this week—and every week after—I’m focusing on exactly that: putting the ball where my opponents aren’t. To do it, you have to slow the game down, build points instead of chasing them, and trust the process.

When it works, it’s pure magic. Like dancing. Winning a rally you’ve orchestrated feels way better than lucking out on a speed-up. That’s real pickleball mastery.

These two short reels from @AllMikePickleball stopped me mid-scroll. Mike’s been training Japanese pros before they head to the U.S. to compete—and his lessons are pure gold.

In the first reel, he works with Mayu on unlocking her power. She was losing pace by staying upright and not using her hips, so he literally had her sit in a chair to feel what it means to stay low through contact. Once she found that drive position, he built from there—adding a 4th-shot speed-up to use her power as a weapon.

Then came the power volleys—teaching her to wait for the ball, move her feet fast, and make clean, balanced contact from anywhere on the court. It’s simple but brilliant: stay low, trust your hips, and drive through the ball instead of just at it.

In the second reel, Mike trains Hinano, another Japanese pro, on generating that same hip-driven power. He has her stand on one foot to feel the motion, then works on defending against shoulder-high speed-ups using a pancake shot—a sneaky, compact counter every player should have.

Together, these reels are a mini power masterclass:
💥 Stay low and use your hips to drive through the ball.
💥 Add a 4th-shot speed-up when your opponents are moving forward.
💥 Drill quick, balanced power volleys from all positions.
💥 Use the pancake shot to defend high shoulder attacks.

These are 60-second clips worth saving—and adding to your next drilling session.

Lance and I had a pickleball date night playing with one of our favorite couples, and honestly, the first game didn’t start great.

The very first point, Jon dropped a perfect third. I go to roll it backhand… straight into the net.
Next point? Easy putaway. I hit it long.
Then a middle ball confusion with Lance—essentially, three ugly errors in a row.

Instantly, that voice in my head started up: You freaking suck! What the heck is your problem, moron?

Thankfully, I remembered something I’d read a few days ago about the Release, Reset, Refocus mindset. (Pretty sure it popped up in a sports psychology blog.) I’m so glad it did, because that exact moment was headed for a full-blown mental spiral.

So I tried it. I smacked my leg with my paddle—hard. It worked, but it also left a mark and looked like I was mad (and I kinda was). . . so I decided to refine it.

Here’s how I use it now:

It sounds small, but it really does flip the switch. I used it again this morning in our league—twice—and it pulled me right back into the match.

If you ever spiral after a bad shot or two, give this a try. And if you want to understand why it works, this short YouTube video breaks it down beautifully. The mental coach in it talks about how pros in every sport use simple resets to release emotion, regain momentum, and re-center before the next play.

It’s worth five minutes—especially if your brain ever starts heckling you mid-game like mine does.

If you’ve got your own reset routine or mindset framework that helps you bounce back faster, reply and share. I’d love to learn from you.

I don’t think I need to say much here…

I still have friends I’ve been playing with for two years—some of my favorite humans—and their last name in my phone is still “Pickleball.”

And the ones whose last names I now do know? Haven’t even updated their names in my phone. 😆

I know I’m not the only one!

💥 That’s it for this week’s Five Dink Friday!

If you laughed, learned, or added at least one new trick shot, power drill, or reset cue to your game, forward this to your favorite partner in dinks. Let’s keep growing the Five Dink Friday fam—one spin, smile, and perfectly placed ball at a time.

If someone served this into your inbox, hit subscribe so you don’t miss next week’s drop. 🥒

Until next week—dink smarter, laugh louder, and put the ball where they aren’t.

—Janelle

P.S. Did anyone else miss the biggest supermoon of the year on Nov 5? 🌕
If you were playing pickleball indoors, it’s totally excusable. Otherwise… Google what you missed. It won’t happen again until November 24, 2026. Best mark your calendar now.