SOFTER IS HARDER In most cases a Retriever feeds off your pace. They love to take what you’ve supplied (energy in the form of a hard hit ball) and turn it right back on you. The harder you hit the ball the harder they hit the ball! Only they aren’t hitting harder, you are. And the harder you swing the more likely it is you’ll make a mistake. They just stick their racket out (and with the new wide bodies that’s all they have to do) and like magic the ball comes back harder.