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INSTRUCTION by ALICE TYM
TEN WAYS TO BECOME A MORE EFFECTIVE PICKLEBALL PLAYER
1 . Increase pace and depth on the ball 2 . Precise placement 3 . Know your quick fixes 4 . Read your opponent 5 . Practice combinations 6 . Use your whole body 7 . Develop a weapon 8 . Develop a strong defense 9 . Learn to exploit 10 . Be able to move on after a bad-luck shot
1 . Increase pace and depth on the ball
Good players hit deep . Plain and simple . You need to be able to hit hard and deep yourself , just to counter their attack or to prevent it in the first place . Depth buys you time . It also takes away the sharp angles from your opponent .
So , how do you achieve greater depth on your shots ? Train yourself .
First , you must take your paddle back earlier . Your strong opponent will force you to hit off of your back foot unless you are ready to transfer your weight into the ball . Late preparation is the sign of a lowrated player .
How can you discipline yourself to get your paddle back early ? I suggest hitting against a wall and pushing your paddle back with your opposite hand on your forehand and pulling it back with your opposite hand on your backhand . Train yourself by standing relatively close to the wall and driving the ball hard , then quickly set up for the next shot by using both hands to prepare . You can let go and hit a one-handed shot , but you prepare by using both . This is a discipline exercise .
Next , work on forehand crosscourts and down-theline drills where you practice taking the ball early . Emphasize moving forward into the ball . To improve your rating , you need to improve your preparation , and consequently the depth of your shots .
2 . Precise placement
Good players place the ball and they do not hit harder than they can cover the next shot . Hitting hard just gives pace and openings to the opponent unless you are in good position and have a clear shot to hit .
How do you learn to place the ball ? First , you need to know where to hit it . Think in terms of creating openings . Open up the court by hitting wide . Go down the middle to reduce the angles . Play to an opponent ’ s weak backhand . Lob to get your opponent off of the net . If they are volleying well , you are letting them close in to the nonvolley zone ( NVZ ) line .
Practice hitting targets on the court . Be able to serve down the center as well as wide . Be able to return down the middle . If you can place the ball , you don ’ t have to overhit .
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