Pickleball rules are full of quirks. And no technicality causes more tiffs or challenges than the “re-establishment” rule. Pros hate getting called for it. You’re probably not getting called for it enough.
Ever notice how the pros make the game look like it’s moving at .5 speed? There’s nothing slow about their play; they’ve just mastered a principle that puts them one step ahead on nearly every shot. It’s called “cornering the ball” — and it’s the difference between hitting measured, intentional shots at the kitchen line and reaching to stab at that inevitable pop-up.
Knowing when to attack at the kitchen line is a critical skill as you face better and better opponents. But knowing where to attack is what separates good attempts from points scored. PPA pro Eric Roddy is an assassin in the short game. It’s not because he’s the most skilled or powerful player out there; it’s because he knows when to go on offense — and how to hit every shot with intention.
Unless you’re new here, you should already know the golden rule for beating bangers at their own game: use their power against them. Zane Navratil doubles down on this mantra in a new video, stressing the point to the max: "If you start out with the mentality of slowing down the banger, you've already lost to the banger."
If you’re the type of player who constantly hits speed-ups off your shoelaces or keeps trying to make the third-shot lob a thing, well… we can’t help you. Do better. But if you’re like most of us and occasionally find yourself swinging for a miracle when a simple dink or reset would do, there’s a pretty simple fix for that.
When it comes to technique and strategy, Collin is the absolute GOAT. And he just dropped this nugget of wisdom on our third-shot choices. Firstly, when you’re about to rip a third-shot drive, what’s going through your head? You’re probably thinking winner, winner, chicken dinner, right? WRONG! (says Collin).
Before mastering volleys or working the angles, you need a solid foundation — your ready position. The right stance at the kitchen line determines how quickly you react, how efficiently you move, and how well you control each exchange.
You’re spending hours trying to add steam to your forehand drive, but guess what? You’ve been chasing the wrong things. It’s not your swing, says Briones Pickleball, or your follow-through, or even your grip first. It’s your hips that make all the difference.
Ever have one of those days where you’re getting absolutely lit up at the kitchen line? Where one player in particular seems to have your number and every hands battle goes his way? Us too. And it got us thinking.
Conventional pickleball wisdom dictates you play soft to get yourself out of hot water. Like when you’re deep behind the baseline, hitting off your back foot, for example. Drop until you can work your way in, right? Wrong, says Tyson McGuffin.
Shot selection is everything in competitive pickleball, especially at the kitchen line when points can move very fast and your reaction time is reduced to milliseconds. Things get even more complex on the backhand side.
Most recreational players think aggressive dinking means hitting hard, but James Ignatowich insists it's actually about placement and timing.
After coaching hundreds of players, and competing in countless pro tournaments, Ignatowich has identified the most common mistakes that hold players back from taking control at the kitchen line.
When you boil it right down, pickleball is really a game of a few critical shots. Sure, a blistering drive can come in handy. And a feathery topspin lob? Just delightful.
There’s a moment in every pickleball game, sometimes several, where a shot leaves you or your partner in a bad situation. It’s often when everyone is jockeying for position at the kitchen — a firefight goes bad and all of a sudden your opponent is 14 feet away, paddle cocked back, about to destroy a ball you just popped up by accident.
“Elongated” paddles have become the default shape in pickleball, the shape you see most of your friends playing with, the shape most pros play with, probably even the shape YOU play with. But there is a better option for the vast majority of players!
Zane Navratil wants you to loosen up. Or maybe tighten up? Allow us to explain. When it comes to fast hands at the kitchen line, he’s a big proponent of “The Coil Method.” By rotating your upper body as one unit, rather than standing stiff and just frantically swinging your paddle arm, you give yourself valuable extra range of motion to reload and counter-attack.
