With an impressive DUPR rating of 6.0 and experience competing professionally on the APP tour, along with having given thousands of lessons, Tanner, a seasoned pickleball instructor, has distilled years of competitive play and coaching into a comprehensive guide designed to elevate your game. This article serves as an expanded resource, delving deeper into the critical pickleball tips shared in the accompanying video, providing additional context and actionable insights to help you improve rapidly and consistently.
Mastering the Drive Return: No More Net Errors
One of the most frustrating aspects for many intermediate pickleball players is consistently hitting drives into the net when facing an aggressive opponent. The video highlights a critical error: attempting to “attack” the ball with a significant take-back when speed is the primary factor. This often leads to mistimed shots and errors.
The solution, as demonstrated, lies in proactive paddle positioning. Instead of a large backswing, keep your paddle out in front of your body, creating a “catch” position. Imagine if your paddle were a brick wall: it’s not about swinging hard, but about absorbing and redirecting the incoming pace. By eliminating the take-back, you simplify the stroke and maximize consistency. This technique essentially allows the opponent’s power to work for you, bouncing the ball off your paddle face with a controlled block or redirection, rather than attempting to generate your own power against a fast-moving ball. The key is to have a slightly open paddle face, allowing the ball to naturally lift over the net, rather than driving it downwards.
The Art of the Third Shot Drop: Patience is Power
The third shot drop is arguably the most crucial shot in pickleball, yet its execution often perplexes players. A common mistake is short-hopping the ball – hitting it immediately after the bounce. As the video explains, this robs you of consistency. Waiting for the ball to reach the apex of its bounce and then begin its downward trajectory makes a world of difference.
When the ball is at its peak and starting to fall, its rotational spin is at its lowest point. This is a fundamental principle of ball physics often overlooked in casual play. Hitting the ball during this phase provides the most stable platform for contact, allowing for a softer, more controlled touch that is essential for a successful drop. Conversely, hitting a rising ball amplifies any incoming spin, making it incredibly difficult to gauge and control. Therefore, exercising patience and allowing the ball to decline before making contact significantly increases the likelihood of a high-percentage third shot drop. This small adjustment reduces the margin for error and allows you to place the ball accurately into the kitchen, forcing your opponents to hit up.
Unlocking Your Game: The Footwork “Cheat Code”
Tanner emphatically states that “99.999% of your problems stem from having sloppy or lazy footwork,” calling it a “literal cheat code” for improvement. This bold claim underscores the foundational importance of active footwork in pickleball. Many players, especially at the kitchen line, become “cement-footed,” relying solely on their arms and wrists to reach for balls.
Effective pickleball footwork involves constant, small adjustments – split steps, shuffles, and diagonal movements – to ensure your body is always behind the ball. Imagine if you were a boxer, constantly light on your feet, ready to move in any direction. This active stance allows you to use your larger muscle groups, such as your core, shoulders, and back, to generate power and control for every shot. When you’re constantly reaching with your arm, you sacrifice balance, power, and consistency, leading to more unforced errors and less effective shots. Prioritizing footwork drills, even for just a few minutes each session, can dramatically improve court coverage, shot accuracy, and overall court presence, transforming your game from reactive to proactive.
Proactive Play: Anticipating Your Partner’s Speed-Up
When your partner speeds up the ball, the dynamic of the rally shifts instantly. Many amateur players become reactive, waiting for the opponent’s return before positioning their paddle. This delayed reaction is often too slow to handle the rapid pace of a professional rally. The key, as demonstrated in the video, is to become proactive.
Immediately after your partner initiates a speed-up, position your paddle out in front of you, anticipating where the opponent’s counter-attack will likely go. This means having your paddle ready, whether for a forehand or backhand volley, before the ball even crosses the net. Imagine if you were a goalkeeper, already anticipating the shot before it’s even taken. This pre-positioning shortens your reaction time, allows for a more compact and controlled stroke, and significantly increases your chances of returning the ball effectively. This isn’t about guessing; it’s about intelligent anticipation based on court awareness and the opponent’s probable return angles. This proactive readiness can be the difference between getting aced and maintaining control of the point.
The Overhead Dilemma: Extension or Adaptation
Overheads, when executed correctly, are powerful offensive weapons. However, hitting them into the bottom of the net is a common frustration. The critical insight offered is the importance of a fully extended elbow when hitting an overhead. If your elbow is creased, attempting a full overhead smash will almost certainly result in a net ball or a weak, ineffective shot.
This rule forces a tactical decision. If the ball is high enough to allow for a fully extended arm, go for the smash. Imagine your arm as a strong, straight lever. However, if the ball is too low to achieve full extension, attempting an overhead is counterproductive. Instead, adapt by turning your paddle sideways and hitting it more like a drive or a volley. This adjustment allows for a controlled shot rather than an attempted power shot from a compromised position. This strategy isn’t about power at all costs; it’s about shot selection and efficiency. Recognize when to commit to a full overhead and when to pivot to a different, more effective stroke, potentially even squatting slightly to get your arm fully extended for that critical smash.
Responding to the “Dead Dink”: Retreat to React
The dreaded “dead dink” – a ball that sits up invitingly in the kitchen – is an open invitation for your opponent to attack. In “nine times out of ten,” as mentioned, this ball will be aggressively attacked. A natural instinct is to stay put at the kitchen line, trying to guess the attack direction. This, however, is a recipe for getting caught off guard.
The most effective counter-strategy is counter-intuitive: step back. The moment you recognize you’ve hit a dead dink, retreat a step or two from the kitchen line. Imagine if you were a chess player, intentionally sacrificing a pawn to gain a positional advantage. This slight retreat buys you crucial milliseconds, allowing you more time to react, track the ball, and reposition for a controlled return. It transforms you from a stationary target into a mobile defender. This strategic withdrawal expands your defensive range, making it significantly easier to read your opponent’s attack angle and execute a solid block or counter-punch. It’s a calculated defensive move that improves your chances of staying in the rally and turning defense into offense.
Covering the Middle: Footwork and Compact Swings
The middle of the court is a high-percentage target for opponents, especially off a speed-up. Many amateur players make two common mistakes when covering this area. Firstly, they step at an angle towards the ball, creating unnecessary distance and throwing off their timing. Secondly, they take a huge swing, attempting to “murder” the ball.
The correct approach involves stepping parallel to the kitchen line, maintaining a consistent distance from the net. Imagine a laser beam extending from your paddle; you want to meet the ball cleanly, not chase it from an awkward angle. This parallel movement ensures your body is always in an optimal position for contact. Furthermore, when hitting a volley in the middle, the emphasis should be on a tight, compact swing. The video emphasizes keeping your paddle within your peripheral vision. This short, controlled stroke ensures precision and prevents over-swinging, which often leads to hitting the ball long or into the net. This combination of precise footwork and a compact swing maximizes control and accuracy, essential for handling fast-paced volleys in the crucial middle zone.
Team Defense: Handling Lobs Effectively
A well-executed lob can disorient a team and put them on the defensive. Handling lobs effectively requires precise team communication and pre-defined responsibilities. When a lob goes over one player’s head, it’s not always their job to chase it down; instead, it’s “always the diagonal person’s job to run back and get that ball,” as stated.
This coordinated movement means the player whose side was lobbed slides over and back to cover the potential attack from the net, while their diagonal partner retrieves the ball. Imagine a synchronized dance, each partner knowing their role. This prevents the partner retrieving the lob from being exposed by an aggressive shot while out of position. Crucially, the player retrieving the lob should always hit a drop, never a drive. Driving the ball while scrambling and out of position is a low-percentage shot, inviting a strong counter-attack from opponents who are likely already at the net. A controlled drop allows the team to regroup, move back up to the kitchen line together, and neutralize the offensive advantage gained by the lob. This systematic approach transforms a defensive scramble into a coordinated recovery.
Eliminating the “Chicken Wing”: Correct Paddle Tracking
Getting “chicken-winged” – where an opponent’s speed-up catches your paddle in an awkward, compromised position near your body – is a common and frustrating occurrence. This happens when players incorrectly track the ball, often flipping their paddle sideways and committing to only a backhand, thereby limiting their options.
The solution lies in precise paddle tracking: point the tip of your paddle directly at the incoming ball, regardless of whether it’s on your forehand or backhand side. Imagine your paddle tip as a laser pointer, constantly locked onto the ball. This subtle adjustment keeps your paddle face relatively neutral, allowing you to react with either a forehand or a backhand stroke without having to make a drastic, time-consuming paddle flip. It’s about maintaining versatility and avoiding premature commitment. By consistently tracking with the paddle tip, you increase your reaction time and ensure a more stable contact point, significantly reducing the chances of getting caught off guard and making your return more consistent and powerful.
Attacking Volleys: The Paddle Tip Down Advantage
Professional players utilize a subtle but highly effective technique when attacking balls out of the air: they position their paddle tip down, whereas amateurs often attack with the paddle sideways. This “paddle tip down” approach offers two significant advantages that can transform your offensive game.
Firstly, it allows you to attack balls that are beneath the height of the net. With the paddle tip down, you can generate upward spin, enabling you to lift the ball over the net even from a low contact point. Imagine trying to scoop a ball with a shovel; the downward angle of the shovel allows you to get underneath it. Conversely, a sideways paddle makes it almost impossible to hit an effective attacking shot from below net height, forcing you to wait for higher balls and reducing your offensive threat. Secondly, attacking with the paddle tip down significantly reduces the chance of hitting the ball wide. You might miss long, but missing wide becomes far less likely. Missing long still keeps the ball in play and forces a reaction from your opponent, whereas missing wide gives them a free point. By aiming for the opponent’s chest or body, the ball travels incredibly fast and allows less time for them to react, even if it might go long. This precision and ability to attack from various heights make the “paddle tip down” technique a hallmark of aggressive, effective pickleball play.
Serving Up Answers: Your Pickleball Questions
Why is good footwork important in pickleball?
Good footwork helps you get your body behind the ball, allowing you to use more power and control for every shot. It prevents you from just reaching with your arms and losing balance.
When is the best time to hit a third shot drop?
Wait for the ball to reach the top of its bounce and start falling down. This timing allows for a softer, more controlled touch, making it easier to land the ball in the kitchen.
How can I avoid hitting drive returns into the net?
Instead of a big backswing, keep your paddle out front in a ‘catch’ position. This lets you absorb and redirect the ball’s speed, guiding it over the net with a slightly open paddle face.
What should my team do when an opponent hits a lob over our heads?
The player diagonally across from the lob should run back to retrieve the ball. The retrieving player should hit a controlled drop shot to give the team time to get back to the kitchen line.
