INSTRUCTION
By Rick Cipes
Pick on Someone Your Own Size
I was playing rec ball with an 83-year-old on my team when a younger opponent lobbed over my teammate ’ s head . All the more shrewd because we had the sun in our eyes . When I called her out on it , she said she thought I was going to get it . To which I was thinking , “ Hmm .” In any case , let ’ s face it , pickleballers , we all do it ! We all pick on the weak . And I ’ m here to suggest maybe there is another way . A way that will be more beneficial to us in the long run . And that ’ s to attack the stronger player to make us stronger .
Note : This strategy goes out the window in competition . Do whatever it takes to win . As Alice Cooper sang , “ No more Mr . Nice Guy .”
But back to rec play and devouring the weak . What ’ s that about ? It ’ s about winning at all costs , and our animal instinct to kill or be killed . Brutal , but true . The general public may see pickleball as a “ soft ” sport . However , those of us who play it know how far from soft it is .
I get that sometimes it ’ s about winning because we want to stay on the court when players are waiting to come on . To this , I say fine . But there ’ ll come a time when your game is in a rut , and you ’ re challenged to get to the next level . At that point , my advice is to start going up against stronger players . You need to learn how to take down the giant before you can become the giant . And you can ’ t do that if you ’ re consistently avoiding them . “ Fi , fie , fo , fum . I smell the blood of the picked-on one .”
Is that you ? If so , I ask , are you playing on the right court ? I often see players trying their luck too many levels above their own . I think it ’ s best when you play up by a half point . For example , if you ’ re a 3.5 player , play with the 4.0s . But if you ’ re a 3.0 player ? No , you ’ re on the wrong court , and it won ’ t be fun for anyone . When playing up , it ’ s important not to get discouraged , and instead analyze how you ’ re getting beat . What shots are besting you ? What techniques do the better players
employ ? Once you recognize them , you need to do what those better players once did , and that ’ s to practice . You may get to 4.0 without practice , but unless you ’ re the greatest athlete in the world , you ’ re never going to beat a 4.5 without a good deal of drilling .
How about if it ’ s your partner getting picked on ? What should you do ? Definitely something other than satiate your ego after the fact , “ Well , they picked on my partner the whole time .” Instead , learn to create chaos . That means poaching , stacking , controlling what you can control ( e . g ., an effective serve ), and keeping your opponent constantly worried about where you ’ ll be . It gets easy to intercept a bullying pattern once you get the hang of it .
But back to the giants . Take a few points from them and watch your confidence soar ! With time , and effort , you ’ ll be able to look the giant in the eye and exclaim : “ No more Mr . Nice Guy !” •
Rick Cipes has written for more than 40 publications including ESPN Magazine and the L . A . Times . Follow his popular Facebook group Bite Size Pickleball , and check out the YouTube site of the same name .