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INSTRUCTION by SUZEE ANDERSON What Type of PRESSURE Are You Dishing Out?
In pickleball, pressure is your best friend— when it’ s applied strategically. But most players default to one kind: hitting hard and fast. The players who really dominate understand that there’ s more than one way to make your opponents uncomfortable. The two key types? Forward Pressure and Lateral Pressure. Let’ s break them down.
Forward Pressure: Speed, Power, and Pace
This is the type of pressure most players start with— drives, speed-ups, and aggressive volleys. It’ s about hitting hard, forcing fast reactions, and trying to overpower your opponents. It absolutely has its place, especially when you catch someone off guard or out of position.
Example: Forward Pressure – Speed-Up Combo
You are Player B and receive a dink that is attackable in the outside quadrant of the court.
A great speedup combo is to speed up down the line at Opponent 2’ s backhand( shot # 1). The counter will likely float back toward the middle( shot # 2). Partner A shifts, steps in, and looks to finish the point with a counter up the middle( shot # 3).
This type of combo is a classic forward pressure pattern: applying pace, forcing a weak return, and finishing decisively.
But here’ s the thing: In today’ s game, players are getting better at handling pace. If all you bring is power, your attacks can become predictable. You may even find yourself giving your opponents exactly what they want— some players love pace and will use your power against you.
So yes, forward pressure can score points— but only if it’ s used at the right time and set up correctly.
Lateral Pressure: Make Them Move
Lateral pressure is more subtle but just as deadly. It’ s about moving your opponents, forcing them to lean, stretch, recover, and reposition: a precise dink to an open spot, a targeted dink to a weak side, a lob that pulls them off the line. These shots don’ t need to be fast— they just need to be smart.
Example: Lateral Pressure – Crosscourt Dink(“ Ankle Breaker”) You are Player B and receive a dink that’ s attackable.
You notice Opponent 1 has shifted to face you and stepped over to close the middle. Your instinct might be to speed up straight ahead— but instead, look across the net. There’ s a big open space crosscourt and behind Opponent 1.
A soft crosscourt roll or push dink into that space creates immediate pressure. Your opponent will be scrambling, likely popping the ball up or missing it entirely. That’ s what we call an ankle breaker.
Lateral pressure creates space, messes with balance, and opens the door for forward pressure to shine. If you’ ve pulled someone out wide or off-balance, that’ s when your next speed-up or put-away becomes much more effective.
Think of it like chess. You’ re not just hitting shots— you’ re setting traps.
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