HOW MUCH OF THE COURT SHOULD YOU TAKE
unpredictable and taking a lot of the
court. This might not be your choice
if you are playing drop in recreational
pickleball and you are the stronger
player.
OPTION 5
This is where the stronger player
tries to cover almost the entire court.
With this strategy, the weaker player
will only be guaranteed to serve and
return serve and the dominant player
is going to try and hit everything
else. This method of dividing up
the court has even won quite a few
tournaments in the past. This method
has even won national championships
in mixed doubles. Now, remember I
said the past.
In today’s top-level doubles,
usually the balanced teams have the
advantage. You will most likely always
see the man covering more than half
the court at the professional level,
and you will see the woman hitting
most of the shots and being the
dominant player when given the right
opportunity.
I would never play this style
of play in drop in or recreational
pickleball unless yo u want to be a very
unpopular player.
CONCLUSION
The best players and partners
recognize when they are the stronger
or weaker player and are willing
to cover the amount of court that
gives their team a better chance of
competing. Even though I am still a
5.0 player I am also 62 years old. It
would be silly for me to attempt to
take half of the court if my partner
is Wes Gabrielsen or Simone Jardim.
And, don’t be the male player who
assumes that you are the stronger
player when you are playing mixed. •
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2017 |
MAGAZINE
31