10
TEN WAYS TO BECOME A MORE
ALL LEVELS
EFFECTIVE PICKLEBALL PLAYER by ALICE TYM
1. Increase pace and depth on the ball 2. Precise placement 3. Know your quick fixes 4. Read your opponent 5. Practice combinations 6. Use your whole body 7. Develop a weapon 8. Develop a strong defense 9. Learn to exploit 10. Be able to move on after a bad-luck shot
1. Increase pace and depth on the ball
Good players hit deep. Plain and simple. You need to be able to hit hard and deep yourself, just to counter their attack or to prevent it in the first place. Depth buys you time. It also takes away the sharp angles from your opponent.
So, how do you achieve greater depth on your shots? Train yourself.
First, you must take your paddle back earlier. Your strong opponent will force you to hit off of your back foot unless you are ready to transfer your weight into the ball. Late preparation is the sign of a lowrated player.
How can you discipline yourself to get your paddle back early? I suggest hitting against a wall and pushing your paddle back with your opposite hand on your forehand and pulling it back with your opposite hand on your backhand. Train yourself by standing relatively close to the wall and driving the ball hard, then quickly set up for the next shot by using both hands to prepare. You can let go and hit a one-handed shot, but you prepare by using both. This is a discipline exercise.
Next, work on forehand crosscourts and down-theline drills where you practice taking the ball early. Emphasize moving forward into the ball. To improve your rating, you need to improve your preparation, and consequently the depth of your shots.
2. Precise placement
Good players place the ball and they do not hit harder than they can cover the next shot. Hitting hard just gives pace and openings to the opponent unless you are in good position and have a clear shot to hit.
How do you learn to place the ball? First, you need to know where to hit it. Think in terms of creating openings. Open up the court by hitting wide. Go down the middle to reduce the angles. Play to an opponent’ s weak backhand. Lob to get your opponents off of the net. If they are volleying well, you are letting them close in to the nonvolley zone( NVZ) line.
Practice hitting targets on the court. Be able to serve down the center as well as wide. Be able to return down the middle. If you can place the ball, you don’ t have to overhit.
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