How to Bully the Bully
There is a fine art in taking down the Bangers
In today’s issue of the Bite Size Pickleball newsletter:
How to Bully the Bully
This week in the Bite Size Pickleball podcast
HOW TO BULLY THE BULLY
As I was stepping onto the court the other day to take on the winning couple from the previous game, my friend, who had just got beat, shook his head at me, as if to say, “You’re in trouble.” I was, like, “Huh? Me? In trouble? How so?” He had definitely just been humbled. He whispered, “Bangers.”
Sure enough, on the first point, both the woman and the man started slamming it as us, as in: right at us, myself and my male partner. Neither of us had played a game yet, and the coffee buzz had long worn off for me, so I did the most important thing you need to do when you’re facing bangers.
Remain calm!
Bangers are essentially like bullies in that they’re trying to intimidate you into submission. “REMAIN CALM! ALL IS WELL!!!!!!!”
(Kevin Bacon in the movie Animal House screaming for everyone to remain calm when all hell was breaking loose around him.)
Remain calm. Because if they see you sweat, it’s going to make them thirstier to hit it even harder at you. Yup, you don’t want to be chum in the water with the sharks circling, especially if they’re on cocaine. That’s a true story! Just read it in the news today. Out of 13 sharks tested in Brazil, all 13 had cocaine in their system. Don’t you just know what whomever wrote the Cocaine Bear movie is already half finished with Cocaine Sharks! Whether or not you think your opponent is jacked up, on anything, including the need to pummel you into submission, the very important question is…
How Low Can You Go?
You need to keep your balls as low as possible over the net so it causes them to force their drives. Typically, when you’re playing bangers, they will try to bang almost everything, no matter how low. That’s why they are so prone to unforced errors, because YOU’RE keeping your shots low over the net.
That means, you’re employing a short game. You’re especially dropping it on your third shot, so you’re not giving them an easy opportunity to bang it on their second shot. And then you’re getting up to the NVZ and you’re being patient. Low, and patience, and…
Applying Equal and Opposite Force?
When I was in the second or third grade I took a Judo class. I only remember ONE thing about that class. And that was you don’t need to use equal and opposite force to take down an opponent. In fact, the only move I remember learning was to step aside when my opponent threw a punch and, as I stepped aside, I grabbed the opponent’s wrist and pulled him to the canvas. I was clearly taught to use their force against them.
It’s the same thing in pickleball! Put another way: Placement over power. And having the wherewithal to be patient. By being patient, you’ll be able to extend the points. Once the points start to get extended, and your opponents are having to use more and more force, this will frustrate them. Because, basically, they’re trying to beat you as quickly as possible. The use of patience starts to get in their head and they get flustered. Because it shows them you are not going anywhere, you are standing your ground and not backing down.
“I won’t back down. No, I won’t back down.” - Tom Petty
Note: Pretty cool video if you click the link above featuring Ringo, George, and Jeff Lynne of ELO.
Rooting Yourself to the Ground
When you’re up against heavy hitters, you really want to remember to root yourself into the ground with a really firm stance, knees a little bent. This is going to be your foundation. It’s like you’re getting ready to block a 400-pound offensive lineman rushing your quarterback. You gotta protect that pretty boy at all costs! Dig in!
You already know they’re banging, because they’re predictable, so you’re ready in your stance before they even hit it. And, this is key, don’t move your paddle a lot to defend their drives. There will be plenty of force on their drives already. Don’t feel like you have to swing back with….equal and opposite force. Use their force against them. Step aside and pull them to the canvas, Judo-style. “Hy-yah!”
In terms of your paddle, and body, movement, you want to be thinking “economy of movement” and “less is more.” Just focus on deflecting their drives. And MUY IMPORTANTE: DO NOT FLINCH OR FLAIL your body. This will give up your precious balance.
Again, sometimes just a little tilt of the paddle and you can send their drive right off the side of the court, or at their feet. When they, again, go for the bang, they’ll be much more likely to pop it up and that will give you a chance to demonstrate your ability to…
Fire Away
The fun part is when you begin with these strategies and then, when the opportunity presents itself, you’re turning it around and you’re firing on them. And if you’re an advanced player (beginners and intermediates probably shouldn’t try this) it’s completely fine if you fire it right at them. This will really make them question their reason for living, er, playing pickleball the bullish way. Obviously you do not want to aim anywhere near the head (thusly the beginner and intermediate caution), but mid-body is perfectly fine. In fact, the best place to aim is the armpit of whatever arm they hit with. This is referred to as “chicken winging” your opponent. Oh! Oh! Oh! Why did the chicken cross the road?
Our opponents, in this case, were totally going right at our bodies. I had no problem doing the same WHEN the opportunity arose for me. It should be noted, I won’t ever go at someone’s body if they’re not advanced and capable of defending themselves. In that case, I love going down the middle. I see bangers who can care less about someone’s level being lower than theirs, they still try to pummel them into submission. It’s a crap way to play, especially during rec ball, if you ask me. The other important thing to keep in mind, when facing particularly aggressive players, is…
Shoulder High Let it Fly
Okay, the signs say, “Duck.” A lot of times, a banger is playing out of control, and if you can just manage getting out of the way of the ball, it’s going to sail out of bounds.
To recap:
REMAIN CALM ALL IS WELL!
LIMBO LOW WITH YOUR HITS
USE YOUR OPPONENTS FORCE AGAINST THEM
STRONG STANCE
FIRE AWAY!
I played the couple three times, with two different partners, and won all three games. By the third game, they were pretty demoralized and weren’t sure how to play me. After my partner and I turned the tables on their power, they both did try changing their tactics and going a little more to a short game. But they weren’t too good at it. Too much banging practice. Remain calm, all is well.
Note on Kevin Bacon: I was at Kenny Loggins “final” show ever and, during the encore, Kevin Bacon skipped in to join the band on Footloose. Pretty classic moment in terms of pop culture history. In fact, I am going to include here for you now!
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