Even the best players still keep surprises in reserve. At PPA Worlds, Ben Johns, a right-hander, pulled out a shot most fans had never seen from him: a forehand struck with his left hand. According to The Dink, he used it in a singles match against Brandon French, and the explanation turns out to be an old habit from his tennis days.
What happened
The Dink describes Johns as the best male player ever to step onto a pro pickleball court. It also notes that he has kept adding to his game over the years. One earlier addition was a twoey roll dink, a shot the outlet calls a killer.
This time the new weapon was a swing rather than a spin. Johns normally plays like most of us: a forehand on his dominant side and a two-handed backhand. In the match against French, though, he hit a series of left-handed forehands, and The Dink called them devastating.
The outlet says it does not know why he chose that moment to bring the shot out, and we will not guess either. What Johns did explain came in a post-match interview. Back when he played tennis, he said, he actually preferred having two forehands. He carried that approach into pickleball until it stopped working for him. Based on what The Dink saw at PPA Worlds, it appears to be working again.
The Dink credits Johns' Instagram for the feature image on its article.
What it means for you
Most of us will never swing a paddle with a left-handed forehand on a pro stage, and nothing in this report suggests you should start in your next league match. Still, a few useful ideas come out of the story.
- Skills can be recycled. Johns reached back to a habit from his tennis days. If you came to pickleball from another racquet sport, think about which instincts from that game still translate to the kitchen line or the baseline.
- What stops working can work again. By his own account, Johns used this approach until it stopped working, and now it seems to be paying off again. A shot that failed you a year ago may be worth a second look once your game has changed.
- Keep adding tools. The twoey roll dink and the lefty forehand are both extra options for a player who already has plenty. A new shot does not have to replace what you do well; it can simply give your opponent one more thing to think about.
- Practice before you compete. If you want to experiment with something unusual, a casual drill or an open play session is a lower-pressure place to try it than a tournament bracket.
If trying new things in match conditions appeals to you, the Vara Performance events page lists several tournaments on Saturday, November 7, 2026. They include the Cleveland Paddle Battle at Erie Pickleball in Ohio, the NP Boston Classic Powered by Onix at PICKLR Danvers in Massachusetts (MMP Sanctioned), the Atlanta Gold Cup at ITP Training Academy in Georgia, and the North Carolina Gold Cup at Burlington Pickleball. The West Virginia State Pickleball Championship, also MMP Sanctioned, takes place that day at the Hazel & J.W. Ruby Community Center. You can browse the full list at varaperformance.com/events.
If you are not sure which bracket suits your game, the Vara Performance ratings explainer is a good place to start before you sign up.
The takeaway from Johns' PPA Worlds moment is not that everyone needs a second forehand. It is that curiosity and old habits can sit alongside elite fundamentals, and that even the best player in the game is still experimenting.
Source
This explainer is based on reporting by The Dink, in its article Ben Johns Brings Back a Secret Weapon: A Lefty Forehand.