BY JAMES HACKENBERG
I
watched a fantastic pickleball match recently where some of the new , younger players were playing a game I could only dream of playing . Yes , there were plenty of drop shots and dinks , but the power , speed and reflexes of these young stars were incredible . What they may have lacked in terms of patience at the NVZ , they more than made up for with tremendous hand speed , anticipation and shot execution .
I overheard some people say , “ That ’ s not pickleball ; they ’ re just bangers .” Well , I ’ m sorry to tell you but , yes , that is pickleball — as the old saying goes , “ There ’ s a new sheriff in town .” Does this mean the soft game is on the way out ? Absolutely not . In fact , in order to combat the power game , you have to develop a good soft game and have the ability to “ reset ” points by learning how to hit the drop volley . It also requires tremendous anticipation , paddle readiness , and focus .
But , while the “ third shot drop ” has been , and will be , the primary shot for getting to the NVZ , you ’ re going to see more third shot drives and players quickly moving in to attack the returning volley , or taking the short volley and then dropping the ball into the NVZ on the fifth shot .
Power in pickleball is here to stay . With the younger players entering the game , many coming from strong tennis backgrounds , you will witness more and more lethal , hard-hitting shots , intense volleys and shorter dink rallies . Change is inevitable . Think of all the other sports that have changed over the years . Bowling balls and lane dressings have made for higher scoring . Golf equipment and new technology has dramatically changed that game . Even tennis equipment brings more power to the game , and the strokes tennis players make today look nothing like those of Billie Jean King and Rod Laver .
As pickleball continues its dynamic growth , change is a certainty . We can complain about it , but it won ’ t stop change from happening . I , for one , love watching these new stars of the game . And , I love watching matches featuring contrasting styles . Sometimes the patient softgamers win , sometimes the hard-hitting bangers win . One thing that will not change is that a lot depends on who can avoid the unforced errors . In the past , hard-hitting players generally made more unforced errors , but today ’ s young stars have such remarkable shot-making skills and reflexes that they can afford to go for broke more often .
So , the next time you hear someone say , “ That isn ’ t pickleball ,” don ’ t get into an argument , but just say to yourself , “ Oh , yes it is , and it ’ s pretty darn exciting to watch .” •
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017 | MAGAZINE 59