INSTRUCTION i by PPR ’ s CHRISTINE BARKSDALE Every Second Counts !
We all know that time is a valuable part of life . Time with friends , time with family , time for hobbies , etc . I am sure you have all sorts of thoughts on the importance of time . As a pickleball player , do you also know that seconds in a pickleball rally are also important ?
Players of all levels generally understand that every shot has purpose . It might be as simple as starting the point or keeping the ball in play . Or more strategic like creating an opportunity to hit a clean winner or force an error from the opponent . What you may not realize is that a key factor in accomplishing any of the above is TIME . When choosing a shot , time is your friend . Time can be thought of in two ways :
• How do I take time away from my opponent ?
• How do I give myself more time to get into position or recover ?
How do I take time away from my opponent ?
There are many shots to achieve this : 1 . Deep Serves — they make it more challenging for the returner to advance to the net and get in proper position for the next ball .
2 . Volleying a Ball / Hitting a Ball Out of the Air — this will send the ball back to your opponents quicker , reducing their time to react or potentially catching them off guard .
3 . Speeding Up the Right Ball — this will take time away from your opponents either by not allowing them to get fully in position and ready , or by shrinking their time to react .
All of these shots take time away from your opponent and , if used properly , are extremely effective options . So , you ask , “ Why not just do this all the time ?” We must realize that taking time away from your opponent also takes time away from you . Speeding up the ball to your opponents may create a winner or pop-up , but if they are ready for it , there is a good possibility the ball will come back to you at the same pace or possibly even faster .
This means that before you attack a ball , you either need to be sure it ’ s a winner , or you need to be fully recovered with your paddle ready to handle the counterattack . If you aren ’ t recovered and ready , suddenly your attack becomes the opponent ’ s winner . I know I have watched a good counterattack sail past me , and I can only turn my head and hope it goes out ! My guess is that this is a situation many players have experienced or witnessed happening to other players .
With this in mind , there are many times you should think about slowing things down . Slowing the ball down is especially beneficial when you or your partner don ’ t have good court positioning or can ’ t quickly get into position .
How do I give myself time to get into position ?
Deep Loopy Returns — these can slow your opponents down a step or two and hopefully not allow them to get all the way to the non-volley zone line . This shot may also generate a shorter return , which gives you a few extra seconds . Situations where you can buy yourself some time :
1 . As the serving team , as you approach the net , hit a soft , slow ball — slower balls from midcourt make it so much easier to take those next few steps toward the net .
2 . Out of position — if you or your partner are stretched digging a ball out , slowing the ball down offers a few extra seconds to recover and be ready .
3 . Allow a ball to bounce that might have been reachable to hit out of the air — sometimes it ’ s better to allow the ball to bounce , while looking at the court for a potential opening that would allow you to place the ball for an offensive dink .
Recently , I ’ ve been hearing players all around the country say , “ The game is so much faster — just watch the pros , they speed up the ball all the time .” While this is true in some respects , we should keep in mind that pros train daily , have developed amazing hand speed , and create opportunities to speed up the ball with a wellexecuted shot prior to the speed-up . Plus , pro players
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