Pickleball Strategy: Tournament doubles

This picture of the men's open doubles was from the recent Pickleball Canada open nationals recently held in Abbotsford BC.  Chris Miller & Billy Jacobsen, arguably among the best pickleball players in North America currently took gold, Zhekovsky & Skinner took silver, and Wagner & Power took bronze. ***Note - No Chris Miller did not win by wearing flip flops*** All 3 teams had some different strategies that allowed them to win points, yet there were some universal strategies that could be passed along to everyone that could benefit us all.

1. Move your feet: anticipate the shots. get ready to move from side to side, on the balls and toes of your feet. The second that you plant your feet will be the exact second that a winning opponent shot is put past you.
2. Anticipation: Always assume that the ball will be hit back at you, so be ready. If you have just hit a shot at your opponent, anticipate how he will react.
3. Angles: Your goal should be to make your opponents move. Look for those uncovered areas where you can place a shot. Hit those open shots. Often times the center line, called the doubt line for a reason, is a steady consistent aim zone.
4. Don't gift wrap shots: The best pickleball doubles players are playing rallies of soft shots at the net, back & forth until the space opens. Often the more unexperienced doubles players are the ones that will give their opponents perfect shots to smash, play a soft outward spin shot. 
5. Keep your paddle up: Especially true when all four are at the net. Keeping the paddle in front of your chest or face allows you to react quicker at the net. We have no chance to make a good shot, or react fast enough if we keep the paddle by our side. I hear some people say, "But I need the paddle down so I can get maximum power on the return." WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! The ball at the net is coming so fast, that you with the paddle down won't be able to put the ball in the right place even with your power. And you think the opponents won't know what to do with your power? Wrong again. All they need is to simply have their raised paddle at the ready and "pop" it's back at your side in a split second. 
6. Keep the ball in play: Mark Friedenburg says in his book (The official Pickleball handbook) that 75% of all shots are won on errors. Be patient and just get the ball back. This is the key to all strategies in competitive pickleball. We can think of all the shots in our reptoire, and we often get mad at ourselves that we didn't do that particular shot. when the opportunity allows itself then go for that shot, preferably down the middle at the opponents feet. Let your opponent make the mistakes.
   
   
   

Pickleball Strategy: Preparedness

Attached is a pickleball article from a site called RetrofitPilates: entitled pickleball fitness. There is concern about how many injuries pickleball causes. This should not be the case, so I decided to address this issue with a few training tips and some words of wisdom.

• Improve your mobility by jogging both forward and backward.
• Without using your hands to pull yourself up or down rise from a chair and sit down in a controlled motion.
• Loosen your torso by twisting from forehand to backhand in cross punches.
• Before you play stretch your chest muscles on both sides by holding onto a pole while turning away from it (photo 1).
• Hold onto the net while rounding and flattening your back (photos 2 and 3).
• From a sitting position extend one leg straight in front of you and lean forward to stretch hamstrings.
• Stretch hip and calf muscles by doing a runner’s stretch (photo 4).

Beginning a new sport requires an honest evaluation of your fitness level. If you have been a couch tomato or potato for some time, you really need to begin playing pickleball slowly and non-competitively until you can do my exercises easily. Do them every day and start a walking program, increasing your distance or time each week. It’s no fun being injured. Pickleball is way too much fun to not be able to play.

RetrofitPilates July 2012

Pickleball Strategy: Practice with weaker players

In previous pickleball strategy blogs we've talked of the strategy of learning pickleball with all levels of players, be it that they are advanced or beginner. But how can you practice with significantly weaker players?

1. Hit only your weakest shot whenever possible.
2. Try to hot every shot at the center line.
3. Do not rush the net, volley only.
4. Experiment with your serves.
5. Play 2 against 1.

Pickleball Strategy: Don't panic

The other evening at pickleball I did what I've never done before. I lost my cool after making so many dumb mistakes in 2 straight games, that I walked off the court after our losses, and chucked my paddle towards my bag (which made annoying slap, bang, boom, as it bounced across the floor.) I went out of the gym and reminded myself of the dumb mistakes, which wasn't a great idea! I went for a walk down the hallway, found a sink, and splashed multiple waves of water on my head. I couldn't believe that I had even done this. I've never lost my cool in pickleball.  None of us play professionally, whether or not we win is not going to have any bearing on our income, livelihood, success in life, or if our friends and family love us any more or less at the end of the day. It’s awesome that people love pickleball so much that they take it seriously and really try their best to reach their full potential, but at the end of the day it’s just a game, something that we should all be doing for enjoyment! It sucks being so hard on yourself, it’s really not fun at all. Be realistic about your performance that day and lighten up a little bit.
   “If you practice being negative, you’ll get good at being negative. If you practice getting angry, you’ll get good at being angry. If you practice being positive, you’ll get good at being positive. What do you want to be good at on the court?”. Many of us fall intro the trap of thinking that when we hit a crappy shot we have to be disgusted with ourselves. Well, it’s your choice. You can make the choice between focusing on the negative emotions and feelings, and projecting those on the court, or to let those feelings pass and move on to the next point you have to play with a level head.  Have a sense of humor about it. It’s not that I’m actually “ok” with screwing up, I’d obviously rather not, but heading out onto the court I know that errors will occur, and I want their occurrence to affect my game play as little as possible that day. Make a conscious effort to practice being positive on the court.
   Why will it improve your game? Because nobody plays well when they’re angry. Almost always getting angry and frustrating becomes a terrible cycle on the court. An error is made, your emotions go south, the next point is played with a poor attitude and another error is made furthering that crappy outlook on your game.
   Lastly, I’d like to reiterate something that I mentioned before: you’re going to make errors. It doesn’t matter how good you become, you will never leave a pickleball court without making unforced errors. I’m not pointing this out to be negative or a pessimist, but rather to make sure that you all have a healthy expectation on yourselves out on the court. So many players make those inevitable errors and immediately focus on how stupid they were to make a mistake, as if they’re above it and too good for such things. This kind of attitude will only set you up for frustration and a constant feeling of failure which is simply unrealistic. When errors happen immediately give yourself positive feedback, tell yourself specifically what you’re going to do better next time you get that same shot or are in that same situation on the court. It’s not the end of the world, errors are all just part of the game, nobody plays without them.
***My pickleball paddle was not harmed in any way, and is encouraged to do great things next pickleball session.***

Pickleball Strategy: Hydration & power-ups

The other day I was playing in a different pickleball location, and there wasn't a water fountain nearby. After playing several games, without a break, I noticed that I wasn't hitting the same advanced shots. I kept playing and again noticed I was starting to miss some of the easy shots. At this point I needed to find that water fountain. After I downed an amazing amount of H2O, I re-entered the court for a 100% better game. So the strategy lies in keeping Hydrated: whether it is constantly drinking water, eating energy bars/chocolate bar,  chewing fruit. Keeping your cool off the court, makes you cool on the court.

Pickleball Strategy: Singles 3 rules

When I'm playing singles, I think of a quote I had heard from tennis great, Andre Agassi. He stated 3 simple rules,

• Hit shots you know you can make.

• Make your opponent hit a shot he/she can't make.

• Remember most of all, tennis (Pickleball) is meant to be enjoyed.

 Pickleball singles like tennis is a game unlike doubles in so many great ways. It can be hard mentally & physically, yet most of all it demands our full attention. Pickleball singles isn't for everybody, but a great cardio brain workout.

Pickleball Strategy: Hocus...Focus

Certainly pickleball is a magical game! From the very first "pop pop" as you enter the court, or the way we hit that plastic whiffle ball, to its own pickleball language. It may seem or sound weird to the unknowing observer, but for those of us that play it is a "joyful addiction."
  Unfortunately today, I lost my focus as I was playing, much to the dismay of my partner. I allowed certain things to take my mind off my game. From the well meaning "professional who wanted to tell me all the things I was doing wrong, to the customers who wanted more info on the paddles they were demoing, to the kids that walked in off the street and had balls flying through our court. My focus went elsewhere, and my game followed. So what can we do?

• Remember that games are won through winning points. Take each point individually and separately. "One point at a time" is a great mental affirmation to utilize.
• Deliberately tell parents, siblings, friends, and others who may serve as distractions to lay low during your matches. Though they usually mean well, they can become just another distraction.
• Practice playing with distractions in order to learn how to ignore them. Loud music, people on the court next to you, outdoors, etc. The more distractions you can throw at yourself during practice and learn how to ignore, the tougher you'll be to "crack" when the pressure is on. 

Single-minded focus on getting to each and every shot hit our way. In a tournament setting, you almost become oblivious to the world, but focused with your partner, and winning the next point, and the next one. If you miss, then do it with the next point. Small steps to focus.

Pickleball Strategy: Pickleball Lessons from Baseball

I watch my kids play baseball, and I can’t help but think how the game of baseball relates to pickleball.  Baseball is a game where players fail almost every game that they play, but the great players can overcome their failures and get up to play again.

The best hitters in baseball get hits about 3 times out of ten.  That means that about 7 times out of ten they get out.  They need to be mentally capable to handle the ups and down of the game. 

Also, professional baseball seasons go for 183 games a season.  No team has a perfect record.  In fact, the best teams in the league lose 30-40% of their games in a season.

How does all this relate to pickleball?  I believe that players don’t give their pickleball enough time to work because of impatience.  And after they lose a point, game, how much should that impact how they play in the next game?

Not one little bit. It’s a new day and a new game, and they need to have the confidence in their strategies, tactics, and abilities to continue with their plans.

The day after a loss, a major league player gets to travel on a plane to the next game.  There’s no real break.  A pickleball player needs to think the same way.  Success means playing and practicing hard on a regular basis.

Baseball players have to be able to deal with the ups and downs of each game and season.  Players must also be able to handle the ups and downs of a pickleball match.

Pickleball Strategy: Practice forehand placement

If there is court space and time available, practice some fun drills.
However, this can sometimes be a luxury if they play at recreation centers. Players have limited time to play and that is what they want to do. Some have driven a long way to get there and of course they want to play. To practice both placement of the ball and forehands, tell the players that all shots must be made to the opponents’ forehands and you can only use forehands to make your shots. The serve must be to the opponents’ forehand. If a shot is not placed or taken on the forehand it is loss of serve or loss of point. Also, the two bounce rule is in effect for the whole game. All players must stay at the baseline and allow the ball to bounce before they can play it. You can also add a variation to the game by switching it to strictly backhands.

Pickleball Strategy: Encourage

Hey everybody, if you give out any pickleball words of wisdom to other pickleballers do it with a smile. Sometimes we all need pointers to help us improve our game, but we like it when someone does it with a sincere heart, not out of a better-than-thou-so-you-need-to-know attitude. Smile! Give a thumbs-up! Pat on the back! High 5! Fist pound! Hug! Encouraging words! We all have something to learn, and we all have something to give...HEEEEYYYYY! It's all good.

Pickleball Strategy: How to lose games

How to lose games!

Always remember that about 75% all lost volleys are unforced errors. The following are common mistakes that we all make that can give up points or lose serves.   Usually, there are only 11 points in a game. You make a few of these mistakes, your opponents make a few good shots and you've lost.  Neat!    After successfully performing one of these techniques be sure to carefully examine your paddle.  Your opponents will think you were actually trying to make a good shot.  We give these suggestions here as recommendations with tongue in cheek but they are very real.

*Serve really hard.  Lot's of balls will go into the net or over the baseline.

*Stand in the playing area to receive a serve.  When players return the ball deep you can try to reach behind you to hit it. Holler "Great Serve"

Return serves hard.  This causes lots of hits to go into the net or over the end line and gives you less time to get to the non-volley line so you're still trying to move in when the ball gets back to you.  You get lots of chances to hit balls at your feet this way.  If you return the serve soft and deep your opponents have to let the ball drop before they can hit it,  You could actually win the volley. No! No!
*Aim "kill" shots at the side lines.  One of the really great ways to lose points! Often we miss the lines for a fault when a softer shot in the same direction but nearer the middle of the court would work just as well.  As the ball goes out of bounds yell "Darn, I just missed"
*Rush your shots when you have the time to make a controlled shot.  This causes all kinds of mistakes.  Your paddle make contact with the ball at all sorts of angles. They won't know what to expect next. The folks in the next court might not like it.  Just say "So?"
*Stand close to the center line.  You can take a good shot away from your partner and you leave the outside area of your court uncovered. When your opponents hit he ball into that open space yell "Nice shot!"
*Stand close to the side line.  This leaves the middle of your court open and makes you vulnerable to the dreaded center-line shot.  Your opponents will love it and you get to make a lot of eye contact with your partner!
*Snap your wrist on overhead slams. A nice follow-through helps control the ball but we don't want to do that do we? A lack of follow-thru and the slightest mistake in timing can cause the ball to go awry in almost any direction but usually into the net.
*Poach.  Though a good shot at times this leaves your part of the court open for return shots to the space you just vacated. Your opponents will drool over all that open space.
*Put lots of spin on a lot of shots.  They're harder shots to control and people are waiting for them. Be sure to stand in one place and admire that crazy bounce.
*Play catch, hit the ball right back to the opponent who hit it to you instead of making them reach for it. They'll never know you did it on purpose.
*Lift your eyes as you swing at balls near your feet.  A common fault that makes it more difficult to get your paddle at the correct angle, or even make contact. And you usually look pretty good doing it.
Watch where you are going to hit the ball.  Like the item above, this adds a third element to hand-eye coordination and greatly reduces the probability of making a good shot plus your opponents will know where you're trying to hit it.
*Back peddle to return a hard hit toward your feet.  No one can consistently make  controlled shots when moving backwards and you can't get into a set position before the ball gets to you.  Watch out though, if you trip and fall backward it could be very dangerous.
*Hold your paddle low, below the waist.  It's very hard to get your paddle into position when you have to raise it quickly. Great for driving the ball out of bounds at all angles.
*Stay back from the non-volley line.  This leaves lots of room for your opponents low shots and even if you get to the ball you are moving.  You can hit the ball with more control when you are stationery so play back near the base line and give your opponents lots of room to place their winning shots.
*Don't be patient at the non-volley line. When you are faced with a dinking game end the rally quickly, commit a fault, and let them have the stupid point.

Pickleball Strategy: Trio games

So, how many times have you been at pickleball and there are only 3 people to play pickleball. You wait and wait for that 4th to join, but there will always be that awkwardness or empty court. Here's a great game you can play using three people. In this three player game, each player will take turns serving and trying to win points against the other two players. However, each server will get two service turns instead of one and will serve from the right side when they have an even number of points and from the left side when they have an odd number of points.
When calling the score before each serve, the server should call their score first, then the score of the opposing player on the left, and then the score of the opposing player on the right.
After a player has finished their service turn, all players should rotate with the server going to the left hand return of serve position on the opposite court, and the player he replaces now taking the right hand return of serve position, and the remaining player now becomes the server on the opposite side of the court.
In this game, it is usually very difficult for the serving player to score points since they are playing against two players. Several of our players have used this variation and had a lot of fun, but these were players who were able to run fairly well. If you don't move well, or are primarily a doubles player, then the next variation should be more fun and better practice for you.

Pickleball Strategy: Pre-game warm-up

So the other night at pickleball I re-introduced myself to some newbies to pickleball, and asked how they were enjoying themselves. They remarked that they liked the game but are feeling more and more sore after pickleball. I asked them if they were warming up before playing, and astonishingly...they weren't. Dynamic warm-up and flexibility training is an essential element of any pre-practice or pre-competition routine and helps prepare the body for the demands of today’s pickleball game. An effective warm-up does five very important things for pickleball players.

1. Increases body temperature allowing muscles to work more efficiently.
2. Gets the heart and lungs ready for vigorous activity.
3. Stretches muscles actively, preparing them for the forces experiences during pickleball.
4. Engrains proper movement patterns and the coordination needed in pickleball.
5. Wakes up the nervous system and gets the brain talking with the muscles.

A dynamic warm-up, which involves stretching with movement, accomplishes all of these tasks.
Warming up for pickleball is an important part of your routine. Research suggests it can speed nerve transmission, increase blood flow to the muscles and assist in injury prevention. The aim is to increase your breathing and warm up the specific muscles to be used in each stroke and court movement. Start with low impact movements and gradually build to more dynamic movements that contract and stretch the muscles through their full range of motion. Start at the baseline and move forward to the net, then repeat each movement backwards to the baseline:

• Walk on heels
• Walk on toes
• Right leg lunge, then rotate upper body to the left. Repeat on left leg, and alternate
• Lift right knee to hip level, then straighten knee, repeat on left leg and alternate
• Lunge sideways
• Skip
• Jog
• jog with knees high in front
• Jog with heels to buttocks
• Side steps
• Side step crossovers.

On the spot with racquet:

• Split step then shadow forehand, repeat for backhand 10 times each side
• Split step then shadow forehand volley, Repeat for backhand volley 10 times each side.

Pickleball Strategy: Court movement

Mobility is important but don't overlook economy - don't waste energy shuffling backwards and sideways. Striding, lunging and sidestepping are much more effective than using lots of small steps. You will find it difficult at first to judge strides, often arriving beyond the ball or losing your balance after over-striding. By striding, your body position is lower and your knees are already bent, a much better position from which to stroke the ball than an upright, running posture. Karate, for example, executes well placed lunges for side to side movement.

Pickleball Strategy: Pre-match walk

Often times when we come to afternoon or evening pickleball, and we've just completed some meal. We've also probably driven the 15 minutes to get there. We see our friends already on the court, we whip our paddle out and jump right into a game without so much as a warm-up. At our rec center we were blessed to have a running/walking track upstairs where we could easily take 2 or 3 quick laps around to get our legs moving properly. Couple that with some arm, and shoulder stretching as we walk, and we have a decent enough pre-stretch. If you are unsure of stretches before pickleball, then walking is something that 99% of us can do. If you don't have a walking/running track, then walk or light jog around the pickleball courts. People might think that you are weird, or get dizzy watching you, but you will be the one who will last longer on the court, and be less susceptible to injuries.

Pickleball Strategy: Control the overhit!

How Do You Know When You're Over hitting? It's easy to over hit when you are tense or when the match gets very close.

There are three surefire signs of over hitting: 1) You begin missing shots you normally make, 2) You can't understand why you're missing, and 3) You lose your "feel" for the ball. The three usually occur together.

There are two things you can do to regain your feel for the ball: a) consciously relax the muscles of your hand and forearm by flexing and relaxing the muscles and taking a few deep breaths, and b) consciously begin hitting the ball with less pace.

Hitting with less pace is the most important thing you can do because it increases your ball control. Better ball control gives your muscles better feedback and very quickly improves your timing and your feel for the ball.

Pickleball Strategy: Hitting the overhead

Never........never........never..... back up while facing the net in an attempt to hit an overhead. You are to likely to lose your balance leaning back and fall and hit your head. This is especially true for  seniors that are less agile on their feet than they used to be!

1. As soon as you see the lob coming, turn the shoulders and therefore the body and feet and get into a sideways position immediately.
1. This will allow the younger player and advanced senior players to move back athletically and jump off the back foot with a scissors kick.
2. The rest of us will try to back up sideways and then step forward with the front foot to hit the overhead.
3. On any lob that is high enough for you to move over and hit a forehand overhead, you should do so. Only use your backhand overhead when the ball is so low that you don't have time to move around it.
2. As you turn sideways, you should put both hands up high. The front hand should be up and is often described as pointing at the ball. Even if you don't actually point at the ball, which many players don't, it will serve to keep your head up and is good for balance. Keep your eyes on the ball looking over your left shoulder at the ball.
3. Don't forget to move your feet. Try to get right underneath the ball so that if you didn't swing at it, it would hit you on the forehead as you stepped into it with your front foot.
4. As you step forward and swing at the ball, your front hand comes down out of the way and you end up facing the net just as if you had thrown a ball.

Other Tips on hitting the overhead

Don't aim too close to the lines and make a lot of errors. Have patience and wait for a short lob before taking a chance.
If you often hit your overheads long, it is usually because you are not hitting the ball far enough ahead of you.
If you often hit your overheads short, it is usually because you are hitting the balls to far in front of you.
Use the middle. In Pickleball, it is often difficult to hit the ball away from two good defensive players. If your opponent hits a lob that makes you hit a smash from 3/4 court or farther, don’t try to do too much with your reply. Hitting a solid overhead down the middle can be a smart and effective way to keep your opponents on the defensive. The opposing team might be confused as to who should handle the overhead, and it draws them into the center of the court, creating more angles for your next shot. They will usually hit another lob, and if you get to hit it around the no-volley line, you are more likely to hit a winner from there.

Pickleball Strategy: Bop-it Bounce!

So for Christmas I got a neat gift from my eldest son to help keep my eye on my paddle and ball. The game is from Hasbro, who make an endless supply of board games every year. It's called "Bop-it Bounce." If you have ever tried the other bop-it games where you have to twist, pill, hit, and speak to it, this is an entirely different breed. This game involves a red hard foam ball (larger than a golf ball, and slightly smaller than a pickleball) and a trampoline fabric desert plate with a handle. I know sounds weird, but it's a really neat game. There are 6 different electronic games that all involve bouncing & keeping the red ball on the soft plate. Some of the games involves hitting the ball as many times in 30 seconds, or bouncing the ball as high as you can whilst keeping it in control, or where you have to hit the ball: low, medium, high continuously. I've taken some time to head outside, or in a large space indoors where I can focus on hitting the ball. In pickleball when I'm playing, there is alawys distractions: people yelling, balls flying past your head, bright lights, people walking in and out of your periphery; so we need to learn focus...like hitting a little red ball on a tiny plate. I know I can get distracted through other sources at pickleball, or my own playing mood can also affect my focus. But those are the times you take that break, take a breath, stretch, grab a drink of water, tie your shoes again. It gives you that edge to refocus not on hitting the red ball on the pklate thingy, but watching & hitting the"Holey" pickleball off you paddle.

Pickleball Strategy: Keep the score straight!

How many times have we been playing a pickleball game and an opponent shouts out the score, and there is lots of confusion? I know it has happened many times to me. Many times when there is confusion about the score, the score is off by one. If you knew whether the score should be odd or even, that would help you to know the correct score. There is a way to always know whether a team’s score should be odd or even.

At the start of each game, make a mental note of the player that served first for each side. If the rotation is done correctly, a team’s score will always be even when that player is on the right and odd when that player is on the left. As you call the score, use the player position as a double check on whether you have the correct score. If every player would use this technique, it would put an end to those long discussions about whether a team’s score should be 3 or 4.

As an aid to help everyone to keep the score straight, call the score before every serve, including the server number. It helps to call the score well before the serve to give everyone a chance to make a correction. It is very distracting to call the score while you are in your serving motion, especially if the score is wrong.

Pickleball Strategy: Bend your knees

Bend your knees! But Why? 

• Bending your knees helps keep the paddle face square to the flight of the pickleball, which increases likelihood of solid contact. More control & placement of your shots.
• Preparing low allows you to hit with more power. Because force is generated with help from the ground, bending your knees places your body in better position to help trunk, hip, and shoulder rotation.
• Keeping your body closer to the ground allows for better balance because your center of gravity is lower. Not only does it give you more control, it allows you to recover faster.
• Bending your knees helps you cover the court better because it puts your body in optimum position to spring for the ball.