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INSTRUCTION by SUZEE ANDERSON Be a Tiger, Not a Cheetah:
THE ART OF SPEED CONTROL
One of the earliest lessons most pickleball players learn is simple: Get to the non-volley zone as fast as you can. While that advice isn’ t wrong, it’ s incomplete— and for many players it becomes a ceiling rather than a foundation. Winning points at higher levels isn’ t about how fast you move, it’ s about how well you control your speed.
On the pickleball court, cheetahs chase; tigers stalk. And if you want better shot selection, cleaner contact and more controlled points, it’ s time to channel your inner tiger.
Why Slowing Down Actually Speeds Up Your Game
One of the main areas where speed can make or break you is during the transition from the baseline to the non-volley zone. When you move too fast through this phase, your brain can’ t keep up with your body. You lose the ability to read the court, recognize patterns, and prepare for the right shot.
This is where players must adopt an accelerate / decelerate mindset. Accelerate through your shot, then decelerate between shots to allow yourself time to adjust and read what is happening on the other side of the net.
Controlled movement gives you:
• Better visual processing
• More time to read your opponent
• Stronger positioning for contact in front of your body
• The ability to transfer weight through the ball
Smart shots are hit in front of you. That simply can’ t happen while you’ re rushing through space. Speed control allows you to arrive balanced, prepared, and ready to execute— whether you’ re attacking or defending.
Transitioning as the Serving Team: Stalk, Don’ t Sprint
As the serving team, your job isn’ t to race to the non-volley zone. It’ s to create an attackable ball. Think of this phase like a tiger stalking prey in the jungle. You’ re moving forward with purpose, eyes up, reading everything. You’ re waiting for the moment to pounce.
When players rush this phase:
• They overrun attack balls.
• They fail to recognize pop-ups early.
• They move into danger instead of advantage.
Moving too quickly forward can also put you directly in front of a cannon. If your opponents are loading up for a counter, speed without awareness turns into vulnerability.
A tiger doesn’ t chase blindly. It slows, watches, and explodes only when the opportunity is clear.
That controlled movement allows you to:
• See where the ball is going.
• Set up with your weight moving forward.
• Strike the ball at an optimal contact point— one that is high enough to be offensive, not a ball sitting at your shoelaces.
This applies whether you’ re preparing for offense or setting up for defense. Slowing down and creating space in front of you is the prime objective.
Transitioning Off the Return: Close the Drawer Softly
Speed control is just as important when you’ re returning serve. Yes, you want to move forward briskly after the return— but the final 2½ to 3 feet of your transition should feel like a soft-close kitchen drawer, not a slam. This subtle deceleration is critical.
Slowing down at the end of your approach allows you to read the third shot more clearly, maintain multiple shot options( such as taking the ball off the bounce or loading forward into a swinging volley) and avoid getting jammed up or forced to back up.
From this controlled position, you now have choices. If the third shot floats, you may take it out of the air with a swinging volley or load your weight through the ball and counterattack a drive. If the ball is dropping but
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