scene on the court
Occasional Observations from a Pickleball Curmudgeon
By Craig Laughlin
‘Why Would You Waste Your Time
Learning to Stack?’
For over half-a-century, I’ve claimed the ability
to achieve instant mediocrity in almost any
sport, with the caveat that if I ever want to
get good, I really need to work at it. Given my
modest natural abilities, I always look for ways to gain an
edge over superior athletes. In addition to eating right
and staying in shape, that means becoming a student of a
sport’s technique and strategy and, of course, practicing
what I’ve learned.
Wanting to become a better pickleball player, I
approach rec play as a learning opportunity. I often tell
my partners I’d rather see them try to make the right,
although difficult, shot and fail—such as a third shot drop
attempt that falls short—than to hit an easy shot that
gives your opponent an advantage. In return, because I
believe the only way to learn to play better is to practice
making better plays, I often tell my partners what I’m
working on that day and ask for their understanding in
advance should I muff an attempt to make the right shot.
I sometimes ask my opponents for their patience as
well, especially if I want to practice stacking with a new
partner. More than once, I’ve been asked, “Why are you
guys wasting your time learning to stack?” My simple
answer is, “To get better.” Since most players’ forehand
is stronger than their backhand, and since the majority
of shots are hit toward the middle of the court, the “odd”
court will be the “strong side” (to
borrow a volleyball term) for most
right-handers, and the “even” court
will be their “weak side.” For lefties,
of course, it’s just the opposite.
So, a lefty-righty team is usually
strongest when both players are
on their strong sides, and weakest
when the positions are reversed.
Also, when both players are on their
weak sides, there tends to be more
lost points to “hubby-wife” mistakes
(to borrow another volleyball
term used to describe a ball falling
between two beach players who fail
to communicate).
Much like a baseball manager who
can pinch-hit a righty for a lefty, or vice versa, in order
to get the best matchup against the opposing pitcher,
stacking enables righty/lefty pickleball teammates to
“pinch-hit” for each other by swapping sides when they
would otherwise be in their weaker alignment. Similarly,
because men often hit harder than their female
partners, you will see higher-level mixed doubles stack
in tournament play, in order to maximize the number of
balls played by the man’s more powerful forehand.
Because the pickleball rules dictate only where the
server must stand, and which player on the opposing
team must receive the serve, but don’t say anything
about where their partners must stand, it’s a relatively
simple matter (especially when serving) for the stacking
partner to stand on the “wrong side” of his or her
partner, and for both to slide into their respective strong
sides after the serve.
Notice I said “simple” (i.e., straightforward or
uncomplicated), rather than “easy” (i.e., unchallenging
or effortless), because stacking must be practiced before
it becomes routine. The result, however, is worth the
effort for players who want to improve their game—
provided that their opponents are gracious enough to
extend a little patience and understanding as they go
through their learning curve. •
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