INSTRUCTION By PPR ’ s Collin Johns
Let it Go ( The Out-Ball , That Is )
There are a variety of skills that contribute to becoming a competitive pickleball player , but perhaps one of the most overlooked and valuable skills is the ability to leave out-balls .
Balls fly long of the baseline frequently at all levels of play due to a combination of basic factors — the length of a pickleball court is short relative to the height of the net , playing with a paddle with limited friction gives you little access to topspin , and the bounce of the plastic ball is quite low . Couple these factors with the numerous players who relish hitting the ball hard as often as possible ( a . k . a . bangers ), and the number of errors produced by balls that are overhit is extremely high .
The more interesting question beyond the errors that occur is : How many shots would have landed out if no player had intercepted the shot during its flight ? Playing out-balls can be a quite invisible deficiency , since nobody consistently knows whether a ball would have landed in or out , provided it would have been somewhat close .
The sooner you can determine that a high-risk shot has been launched by your opponent , the better chance you have of letting it go .