Awareness – recognizing patterns early and adjusting faster than the other side.
The quicker you process signals, the closer you get to solving the puzzle— and winning the match.
1. THE PUZZLE IN FRONT OF YOU
When you step onto the court, the goal isn’ t to“ play your game.” It’ s to discover what game you need to play to win.
Here’ s a classic example: the power team that loves hitting the ball hard. They may not have the widest range of shots, but they apply pressure relentlessly. They overpower opponents around their level, and often beat players who technically have more tools. There’ s nothing wrong with this approach— in fact, it’ s effective. It’ s a competence hierarchy established through a single well-honed weapon.
One tool, applied often and confidently, can be a stronger equation than a long list of unused skills on the other side of the net.
When power works, it suffocates structure. It keeps teams back, rushes decisions, and prevents clean entry to the kitchen. The puzzle, then, is not how to hit harder, but how to turn their pressure into your opportunity.
That’ s the heart of winning the game within the game:
• Identify what they’ re using as pressure( power, tempo, angles, consistency).
• Understand what that pressure is doing to your structure.
• Adjust your equation to counter it.
• Figure out the weaknesses in their equation— their games individually and as a team.
When you do this, you stop reacting. You start engineering points. You confront the chaos they’ re creating and transform it into something you can navigate.
2. THE DIAGNOSTIC PROCESS
Every match demands that you become a detective. You’ re gathering evidence with every exchange, testing hypotheses, and adjusting your approach based on what you learn.
This is the mental framework you should use, especially against new opponents.
Here are the essential questions that reveal the most:
• Which serve( deep, low, spin, lob) creates their weakest return?
• Does one player have a significantly weaker thirdshot drive or drop?
• Do they handle pace well while moving forward, or does it create chaos?
• Should we slow the game down with drops and resets, or do drives work better?
• Can they dink for extended exchanges without attacking bad balls?
• When they speed up, do their balls stay in, or are they overhitting?
• Do they handle being attacked well, or does pressure create errors?
The Big Picture:
• How are we losing points?
• How are they winning points?
• What patterns are working for us?
• What do we need to reduce, remove or emphasize?
This is not about memorizing a checklist. It’ s about training your brain to ask the right questions in real time— to see the structure beneath the surface.
Players who can diagnose faster and more accurately have a profound advantage, because they’ re playing a different game than their opponents. They’ re playing chess while the others are playing checkers.
3. THE ELEMENTS OF THE PUZZLE
Every pickleball point can be broken into layers— puzzle pieces that fit together in real time. Understanding each layer helps you control the structure of the rally and dictate outcomes.
4. THE SERVE AND RETURN: STARTING THE EQUATION
The serve and return establish the initial structure of the rally. They don’ t win many points outright at advanced levels, but they shape almost every point that follows.
Deep, aggressive returns push servers back and make third shots defensive. Short or floating returns open the door to early control and offensive third shots.
The serve isn’ t about speed alone; it’ s about forcing a specific response. Some players handle flat, hard serves easily but struggle with loopy, high-bouncing serves that force them to generate their own pace.
As the server, you’ re asking: Which serve creates the weakest return from this player? Does depth cause them issues?
As the returner, you’ re asking: Who should I return to? What return makes their third shot most difficult? Can I limit their options before the rally even starts?
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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2026 | MAGAZINE 17