Pickleball points: 3 obsolete strategies that are ruining your game
Jordan Briones recently posted this video: Be sure to watch it several times! He covers several misconceptions about strategy, that have changed as the game has changed.
Misconception No. 1: The serve is just to start the point
Jordan explains that eight years ago, he emphasized just getting the ball in for the serve. Not anymore, with more tennis players coming to the sport, bringing more spin and slice to their returns. Your serve needs to put them on defense, so they cannot attack you!
He mentions the “bowling motion, or elephant trunk” serve – I use this analogy also. Instead of just bringing your arm straight back and straight forward, like a bowling motion, you need to mimic the golf or baseball swing, incorporating your hips, your core, and your shoulders. Your paddle is part of your shoulder and hip motion, rather than a separate arm swing.
Rather than using just your arm, you will use your hips, your lower body, and your shoulders to execute a strong serve. I will add that “low to high” is a good tip to add topspin to your serve. Lastly, you need to follow-through with your shoulders and your off arm, with your paddle arm finishing across your body. Be sure to watch the video! Do not stop your paddle after contact – finish high. Deep serve – target their backhand or into their body.
Misconception No. 2: Dink until you die
This worked a few years ago. Now, with players getting better and stronger, we need to learn how to attack. Learn how to attack, off the bounce, and out of the air.
Off the bounce: Look for a ball that is out in front. This is a dead dink, or an attackable ball. Your paddle needs to come down, low to high. Jordan talks about pronation. Paddle is pointing down (6 o’clock}, and you flick it over, using pronation, finishing at your opposite shoulder. Watch the video!
Look to attack certain targets. Target your opponents’ dominant side. Force the “chicken wing” from your opponent. Try to think “speed up”, rather than a hard drive, since you are close to the net. Watch the video again.
Misconception No. 3: You must drop your third shot in the kitchen
You should not become a banger, but you can strategically use not only the third shot drop, but the third shot drive, third shot ¾, or the third shot lob.
If you are coming in on a short ball, this is an opportunity to drive it! Use topspin, and take this higher ball and target the middle, while your opponent is still moving in. This is also an opportunity to create a “Shake and Bake”. If you have a good drive that attacks your opponent as they are trying to get to the net, you can cause a pop-up or an attackable ball, where either you or your partner can attack with a poach or an aggressive response.
Lastly, if you hit a good third-shot drive, your opponent will not be able to get the ball back deep to you. They will have to defend, so their fourth ball will be short. This allows you to come in and hit an effective 5th shot drop and get to the kitchen line. Again, watch the videos several times.
A shout-out to Michelle Brodeur, Allen Stecker, Toni Adair, and the Erickson girls for their help with a school demo last Thursday at Cathedral Canyon High School. We demonstrated the skills and the game, and then played with the students during their physical education class. Let’s get Pickleball in our schools as a CIF sport!
Reminder: The Turkey Pickle at Fritz Burns Park on Nov. 26 is getting full. Email me at mgbarsaleau@gmail.com to enter and all my events are on PickleballBrackets.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Pickleball: 3 obsolete strategies that are ruining your game
