I’m All For Tricks
But some tricks are for kids!
In today’s Bite Size Pickleball newsletter:
Got Tricks?
Simple 2nd Shot Strategy
Kid Video of the Week
Cartoon of the Week
Got Tricks?
I had a friend tell me once how my tricks on the court resembled Jack Sock: the Pickleball Player (formerly the tennis player). I sent my friend an article I wrote for Pickleball Magazine over 3 years ago, long before Jack Sock came on the pickleball scene, titled, “The Art of the Pump Fake.” I am a huge advocate for breaking out of the box and finding some tricks to add to your tool chest.
My theory is that everyone in basketball (where I come from) has at the, minimum, a pump fake, and there is no equivalent in pickleball. It’s no mystery I think there should be, and I think YOU should be trying stuff like that BECAUSE it keeps your opponents on edge, and throws them off balance, just like a pump fake in hoops does. BUT sometimes the tricks go a little too far.
Case in point, I recently played against a duo who basically did the football i-Formation on their serves. YES! One stood behind the server while they served. First off, for the player in the back of the formation, you’re placing yourself way too many steps behind the baseline. Maybe if you were Speedy Gonzalez it might work. But you’re giving whomever is hitting the 2nd shot a ton of room to work with once they see which way you’re going, and they will see which way you are going if you are that far off the NVZ.
Long story short, we beat them 11-1 because they didn’t give themselves too many chances on their serves because of the i-Formation. Not saying this could never work, and I give the guys a solid A+ for showing me something I have never seen before. Would I try that? Naw. No need to get that tricky.
How about you? Is it something you’d try? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Simple 2nd Shot Strategy
I covered the 2nd shot in detail in this week’s podcast, but today I want to break down just ONE aspect to focus on when hitting your 2nd shots. And that is to keep your 2nd shot return of serves deep to the far right hand corner (looking across from you.) In the majority of instances, that player is going to be a righty, and this will force them into hitting a backhand, or they will run around the shot and create ample space for you on your 4th shot to finish them down the middle.
If my opponent returns one backhand, I like to just keep going to that corner and forcing their hand. Especially on the 4th and 6th shots, you don’t have to hit your balls too hard, you just need to be keep your shots deep, and your opponent pinned at the baseline. Usually, by their 3rd attempt, that ball is not going to clear the net.
Once you start to get comfortable hitting your 2nd shots to this area on the court, start to increase the pace on your balls. Bonus points if you can throw in backspin so the ball tails off the court. Again, the backspin will make it even harder for your opponent to hit their backhand, and especially harder to run around it.
But when you’re just starting to zero-in on this area, simply try to get it deep. That’s it. Training wheels. Once the wheels are ready to come off, let that 2nd shot rip. But remember, on the 4th/6th/etc., just keep your shots deep. YOU GOT THIS! (Is this one helluva oversaturated term or what?) Anyhoo, you do got this :)
And if your opponents happen to be stacking, with the stronger opponent on that side of the court, YES, carry on with the attack, it will keep the stronger player away from the NVZ for longer and limit their poaching ability. The other interesting thing is, if you target the stronger player, someone who is not used to being the target, they have a tendency to get a little tight sometimes….Far righthand corner. Try it out!
If you want to listen to the podcast on the 2nd shot in detail, you can listen here on any Apple device, or here on the Bite Size Pickleball website.
KID VIDEO OF THE WEEK
So, my niece’s kid wanted to play pickleball but the courts were too crowded. Instead, we decided to make a video. He threw on a hat of mine, that was in the car, and said, “I look like a bounty hunter!” We ran with the idea. There was just one challenge: How could we connect his bounty hunter to pickleball? The proof is in the pudding, er, video. P.S. I taught him the term “re-shoot,” and we nabbed the last part on another day.
CARTOON OF THE WEEK
This toon ripped on the Bite Size Pickleball Facebook group this past week. The text attached it was about how important communication between partners is, and how I don’t see enough of it on the beginner and intermediate levels—and that’s when those pesky balls drop right between you and your partner and no one manages to get to it.
It is much better to over-communicate than under-communicate. Constant communication really tethers you to your partner, and leads to the ultimate synergy between the two of you. Lastly, just like a comedian, with your communication, timing is everything!
