AROUND-THE-POST SHOT
When a player is pulled out wide past the net post , he / she has two shot options . One option is to put the ball back in play by softly hitting it short and cross-court . The second option is a bit more exciting … the around-the-post winner . Not only is this shot fun to hit and exciting to watch , but it puts pressure on your opponents , knowing that you ’ re capable of hitting winners on any wide dink shot .
How to Hit ‘ Around the Post ’
1 . First , you need to quickly recognize when your opponent hits a ball to you that is angled or wide enough and gives enough room to hit the ball around the net post . This can happen when dinking crosscourt and your opponent takes an overly aggressive angle . At the same time , keep in mind that you want to be careful not to angle your dinks so much that you give your opponent the opportunity to hit around the post .
2 . Once you recognize that you have the right ball to go for the around-the-post , you need to move your feet and set yourself up quickly enough where your reach is beyond the net post . Ideally , get to the finish spot before the ball gets there . In doing so , you will have time to wait for the ball to drop low .
3 . You want to contact the ball at the lowest possible point . The longer you can hold off hitting the ball , the wider it is away from sideline – thus the easier to hit around the net post . It is common for top players to hit the ball two to four inches off the court .
4 . Keep your paddle firm when you make contact with the ball and strike the ball fairly hard . You want to put enough pace on the ball so that your opponent cannot defend your shot .
5 . You want to aim about 2 inches inside the sideline and make sure to keep the ball low . Remember , you are going for a winner .
How to Defend ‘ Around the Post ’
1 . The first step to defending around the post is to recognize that your opponent is about to hit it . Usually , this is when your opponent has received a high , wide-angled shot .
2 . This is one of the toughest shots to defend so you want to give yourself the best odds of returning the ball by standing in the correct location . The best place to stand is roughly two feet behind the non-volley line and just inside the sideline . Make sure that your body is still inside the court because you do not want to defend balls going out .
3 . Bend your knees to keep your body weight low and forward .
4 . Place your paddle low to the ground and just try to block the ball before or after it bounces . Again , make sure that your paddle is still inside the court because you do not want to hit an out ball . Since the aroundthe-post is a tricky shot for your opponent to hit , there is a good chance that he / she may miss it wide — so watch where the ball is going .
Next time you are out at practice , try hitting and defending this shot . A good drill is to practice dinking cross-court , and every once in a while have your drill partner feed a ball that is highly angled so you can practice hitting around the post . If you have a third drill partner , you can have that person stand in front of you to practice defending the shot . Everyone in the group can then rotate . •
Christine McGrath resides in Los Angeles , CA . She was the highest female prize money winner for pickleball in 2015 . Christine is a 2017 President ’ s Cup and Grand Canyon State Games Champion , 2016 US Open Pro Champion , 5x Tournament of Champions medalist , and 8x Nationals medalist . She also enjoys the outdoors , dirt biking , snowboarding , and spending time with family .
MARCH / APRIL 2017 | MAGAZINE 43