During a PicklePod Q&A session, Zane was asked about the best location to reset, cross-court or middle?
He’s fine with it from the transition zone. But “from the kitchen line, never reset. Stop resetting. Resetting is crushing your game. You should just counter-attack instead.”
What’s the difference? And how can you start countering more yourself? We’re so glad you asked. A “counter” or “counter-attack” can take many forms. What matters is that it applies pressure.
✅ If you can reset, you can probably hit a more aggressive volley instead. Angle your paddle face down, keep a firm wrist, and punch the ball toward your opponents’ feet. This is far more difficult to defend than a soft, dead dink.
✅ A slide step is your best friend here. Rather than letting the ball come into your body, take a quick, hard step away from your dominant hand to clear your paddle from your torso. Now take a full swing.
✅ Or, mix in an offensive lob from the kitchen line to break your opponents’ rhythm and push them back to the baseline.
Just remember: A counter doesn’t have to mean a speed-up. It’s any shot that forces your opponent to move, scramble, defend, or block. This is modern pickleball: Offense wins games.
