INSTRUCTION By PPR ’ s Collin Johns
Establishing a Pattern
When it comes to making an opposing team uncomfortable , players will generally have little overall strategy . Shot selection is often seemingly random and it is difficult to maintain consistency and hold a good understanding of how you are attempting to set up a point when you change your shots frequently . One of the best general strategies is to establish a pattern and break it at an unexpected moment .
This can take the form of abruptly switching the direction or the speed of your shot . For example , you might dink several forehands fully crosscourt then redirect a dink at the opponent ’ s backhand . Or , in the same crosscourt forehand dinking pattern , you could attack the opponent in front of you after several shots .
One of my personal favorite pattern setups is the crosscourt forehand dinking scenario — dinking wide crosscourt several times to push my opponent off the court , preferably with soft topspin volley dinks . When I receive a slightly higher ball that I like , I redirect the ball as a topspin roll attack at the body of the player directly in front of me . The abrupt change to the pattern coupled with good disguise catches even the quickest players by surprise .
This is just one example of momentarily sticking to a pattern to lull your opponents to sleep , then putting them into a losing position by suddenly breaking from what appeared to be a predictable pattern . You can employ this strategy in countless scenarios , but it works best when you can disguise your pattern-breaking shot to look similar to the pattern-establishing shot . You can further build the strength of your pattern setup when you make your default pattern your most personally reliable shot .
So , next time you find yourself moving the direction of your shots around without much purpose , try establishing a brief pattern to set up your winning shot . It ’ s one of the most effective strategies in pickleball . •
Establish a pattern to set up your pattern-breaking shot to put your opponents on the defensive . Photo by Bruce Yeung / Instagram : @ yeungphotography .
Collin Johns , PPR Clinician , 2021 US Open Men ’ s Pro Doubles champion , Head Racquets Professional at Baltimore Country Club .