BEGINNER by JIM HACKENBERG
Anticipation
Anticipation. No, I’ m not talking about the 1971 song by Carly Simon. I’ m talking about anticipation on the pickleball court. When you think about all the possible shots in pickleball, the footwork required, or the strategy involved, you can probably find a plethora of drills to help you improve your game. Go to a clinic or go on YouTube or various professional podcasts to find drills for dinking, serving, return of serve, third shots, groundstrokes, volleys, lobs, overheads, and footwork( like the split step). But how can you improve your anticipation skills?
I’ ve watched countless hours of professional pickleball and had the privilege of playing this great game since 2009— before it was THE game! I’ m constantly amazed at the incredible hand speed and reactions of the great players of today. It’ s truly awesome to watch, and it’ s also a reason why the game is so much fun to play.
How exciting is it to have a multi-hit firefight at the net, especially when you win it? And, while reflexes and hand speed play a key role in the professional game, let’ s face it, most of us don’ t possess those reflexes and quickness— especially those of us in our senior years.
So, what’ s the answer to improving your chances of getting that speed-up back, or that overhead returned to reset the point? The answer, in many cases, is anticipation.
So, what can the average player do to improve anticipation skills, without there being any specific drills? Here are a few things I’ ve learned and try to incorporate into my game that may help you.
1. Every shot is coming at me.
The first thing you can do is have the mindset that every shot will be hit to you. Even if your partner and opponent are in a long crosscourt dink rally, you need to be constantly vigilant and think the next ball hit by your opponent will be coming at you. This means having your paddle up and ready, and being light on your feet in case you need to move quickly to your left or right.
Watch the pros to see how they track the ball and adjust their footwork to prepare for anything that might be hit to them.
It’ s easy to get lazy, especially if opponents have been targeting your partner, but having the mindset that the next shot is coming at you will help you to react to anything headed your way.
2. Recognize tendencies.
As you play, try to recognize what your opponents like to do at various times throughout the match. Do they usually drive their third shot? Do they always try to hit a third shot drop? Do they like to stay in extended dink rallies, or do they like to speed it up after just a couple of dinks? Do they lob a lot? Do they love to try drop shots when you’ re at the baseline? When they get a high shot at the net, do they always go for the crosscourt sideline, or down the middle?
Most players have favorite shots they feel comfortable with, or just happen to fall in love with. The more often you play against certain players, the better you’ ll be at recognizing their tendencies, helping you to anticipate where their next shot might go.
If they drive their third shot, make sure you hit a deep, higher-arching return to give yourself time to get up to the net and in a ready position to volley. Also, make sure you and your partner communicate to know who will be taking a drive up the middle. If the opponents always hit a third shot drop, you or your partner can take the shot while enabling the other to get up to the net to establish your dominant position.
If they speed it up after a few dinks, make sure you are ready for shots at your body, and learn to recognize
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