WINNING
TIP #2
USE THE SOFT GAME TO SET UP KILL SHOTS
2016 Minto US Open Pickleball Championships / Pro Men’s Doubles Gold
Kyle: We definitely made sure to keep
the ball down. Our opponents, Wes
and Daniel, will hurt you if you pop the
ball up. So, we thought, stick to smart
pickleball. Keep the ball down and be
as consistent as possible.
Dave: Wes and Daniel are two of
the best players in the world, and it's
hard to attack them. You really have
to pick your spots. So, we wanted to
use the soft game and third shot drops
to set up our kill shots. And you have
to be very patient. As you saw when
watching the match, there were points
that went 20-25-30 dink shots until we
got the right opportunity to strike.
W IN N IN G TI PS
FO R YO U R N EX T
TO U RN A M EN T
PLAY WITH PATIENCE
CONSISTENCY
AND
USE THE SOFT GAME
TO SET UP KILL SHOTS
HAVE FUN & STICK TO
YOUR GAME PLAN
WINNING
TIP #3
HAVE FUN & STICK TO YOUR GAME PLAN
2015 SoCal Classic / 19+ Men’s Doubles Gold
Kyle: Partner communication, trusting in your partner, and making sure that you
mesh well is very important. And Dave is a good friend of mine. We just had a lot
of fun. And that kind of propelled us throughout the day, I think.
Dave: You've got to remember, this is a game. And it's all about having fun first
and foremost. And the quality of the field here was just fantastic. And you know
what? Before every match, we had a game plan. And I thought we followed that
game plan pretty well in terms of our execution. And that felt good to be able to
execute what we talked about before the matches. And that pulled us through.
Rusty Howes is the Executive Producer
and creator of Pickleball Channel.
Rusty worked for the likes of Warner
Bros and Disney before creating
Pickleball Channel to develop and
provide fantastic, professional video
content for the pickleball community.
He is deeply involved in promoting the
sport of pickleball at home and across
the country.
MARCH/APRIL 2018 |
MAGAZINE
15