Bart Brannon is hitting an overhead off of a deep lob that has forced him back toward the baseline . He hits this overhead down the middle because he is too far back in the court to hit a sharp angle . The highpercentage shot when you are forced deep is to hit down the middle . You do not have the angle and you are probably not set up as precisely because you are being forced back .
option . That means better footwork on the part of the person hitting the third shot drop . Just because you are hitting the ball softly does not mean that you can cheat on using good footwork to get into good position . For better players , good footwork also provides a bit of disguise ; players should set up to hit an angle or a center drop or a drive . For a change-up , you can go for a screamer down the line . Then play percentages as often as possible after you have kept the opponent honest at the net and guessing your next shot .
Volleying ? The highest percentage shot means not breaking the angle of the ball . If the ball comes crosscourt , the safest shot is hitting back deep crosscourt . The paddle meets the ball head-on . The same principle applies if you receive a ball head-on down the line . Go back down the line . But , if you want to change the direction of the ball , you now have to use good footwork to play in a high-percentage position . If you choose to hit the lower percentage volley , i . e ., breaking the angle of the path of the ball , you must have an opening or at least better court position to make it worthwhile . Chart your volleys . Can you redirect a crosscourt volley down the line 80 % of the time ? That may be a good ball machine drill worth charting .
What about overheads ? These are perhaps the most overplayed shots resulting from delusions of grandeur .
They seem so easy , but in pickleball , placement usually trumps pace . Your opponent can run down an overhead because the court is small . So , where is the safest placement shot , the highest percentage shot ? Down the middle is the safest if you have good court position because the opponent ’ s next shot should come without much angle and now their court is open for the put-away angle . If not , keep going down the middle because you have control of the higher percentage shots and the superior court position .
Patience . Placement . Position . Percentages .
Playing percentage pickleball is not so cut-and-dried because there are so many factors . You cannot control all of them , but you can control your own shot selection . Eyes wide open . Chart yourself regularly . Accept the results and work on your weaknesses . Be mindful of geometry . Be that player who is unpredictable to others , but solid in your own skin . •
Roland Hoeger is being forced off the NVZ line . Morgan Thompson shifts to cover the center so that the two players remain about 9 feet apart for better court coverage . Roland must hit a high-percentage shot here since both players are on the move . A hard-hit shot at this point is a low-percentage shot because neither player has established a dominant position . Think pace when you are in charge , and soft when you are not .
Alice Tym was ranked 13th in the world for tennis in the ‘ 60s . She ’ s been named USPTA Coach of the Year and is a USPTA Master Professional . As a 4.5 pickleball player , she won gold in Huntsman , NSGA Nationals , US Open , and USA Pickleball events around the country . Alice is an IPTPA member , SSIPA founding board member , Bainbridge Cup Originator and gold medalist in Spain , Italy , and Germany .
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2021 | MAGAZINE 31