PICKLEBALL INSTRUCTION
TO RETREAT OR NOT TO RETREAT
BY MITCH ANDERSON
What ’ s the deal with retreating ? You know what I mean — when you and your partner have worked your way up to the kitchen line , and one of you has popped up the ball a little too high . You have a good idea that your opponent is going to attack the ball . Your instinct is to retreat a little to give yourself a little more time to see and react to the ball that is going to be driven at you . Yet , some very good players have told you not to retreat , saying , “ Once you have gotten to the kitchen line , hold your ground .” So what do the top players say ?
We all know that the strongest position is for you and your partner to be side by side at the kitchen line . From here you are in a position to cover any dink , and also you are in position to capitalize on any mistake that your opponents make . From here you can most easily hit down on the ball toward your opponents ’ feet . You are also closer to your opponents so when you drive the ball at them , they have less time to react . In a recent PBX Club interview , Dave Weinbach said that once you get to the kitchen line , you should never retreat except to run down a lob that has gotten over your head . He says that whenever you retreat , bad things happen . Dave practices what he preaches . At the last US Open , in the championship match , Dave did not retreat even once while winning it with Kyle Yates .
Now , contrast this philosophy with instructional videos put out by Sarah Ansboury ( Link 1 ) and Brian Staub ( Link 2 ). They show how to retreat a few feet when you or your partner have popped the ball up , and you realistically expect the ball to be driven at you . They both emphasize that after retreating a couple of steps , you should be in your ready position at the moment that your opponent strikes the ball . Your weight should be forward with your nose over your toes with your paddle up and ready . They also both emphasize that the objective is to reset the point and get back to the kitchen line . The reason for the retreat is to give yourself a little more time and to make it a little easier to reset the point .
30 TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 724.942.0940 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG . COM