For those of us who are visual learners, here is a series of graphics to visualize optimal court coverage.
You’ve heard it a million times: “Partners should move like they’re connected with a string.” Well, here you can see why that is important.
In pickleball, both blocking and counterattacking are strategies typically used when you are playing at or near the Kitchen line, and your opponents are hitting a hard shot at you. However, they differ in their execution and intent.
By now you should know the slinky drill is the best use of time before a match. It helps you lock in your drops at different depths in the court.
When you hit a third shot drop, do you know it’s good as soon as it leaves your paddle?
If you’re like most of us, you probably need a little feedback from your opponent to know it’s safe to come forward.
A recent trip out to the court with some beginners reminded me of an easy tip to improve your game: keep the ball in front.
Everybody loves ripping a powerful serve at their opponents. It's your chance to start the point and dictate the pace.
Generating power in pickleball is all about managing space — specifically, the space between you and the ball. Ideally, you want the ball to be at arm’s length to maximize your power.
The decision to hit the ball out of the air vs off the bounce is a core tenant of pickleball. Forcing the opponent to make the wrong decision is one of the quickest ways to win a point.
We covered the three states of pickleball in our last blog post. Now, let's go over how to react in these scenarios.
Knowing who controls the point dictates how you should prepare for your next shot. A transition from defense to offense can happen in a split second. Below are the three states of pickleball.
Here are the examples to identify if you’re on offense, defense, or in a neutral state.
So here’s the thing. Even the most experienced pickleballers forget the score. I think we’ve all experienced a fun game turn contentious:
“No no, you’re on the 2".
“We got one. It’s 6-4, not 6-3”
It happens to all of us, so here are a couple of tips to prevent you from seeming like a newbie on the court
Height is the most important factor in determining if a ball is attackable. That means both the height out of the air and off of the bounce.
Just because a ball lands in the kitchen doesn't mean it's unattackable. Just ask Morgan Evans — he outlines how to attack off the bounce in a new video.
The sport of pickleball has a range of skill levels, typically broken down by pickleball ratings from about 3.0 to 6.0+. The skills and strategies to be successful at each level generally differ. In other words, what works at the 3.0 level may not work at the professional levels. However, there are some pickleball strategies that transcend ratings.
Stop poaching this ball from your partner.
You're both trying to move towards the kitchen and you're a step ahead. The next ball is headed directly for your inside foot.
You just crushed a serve. The return is on its way back. Time to decide: drop or drive.
If you're still thinking about it, it might be too late. For a drive, you want to meet the ball early. Catch it on its way up.
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