Advanced Pickleball Strategies to Dominate the Court

Beyond the basics of the game, various pickleball strategies are helpful to focus on, such as those below.

Court Awareness

Pickleball strategies start with court awareness. This starts with observing your opponent's position and anticipating the ball's path. This lets you move to the best position to cover the court and hit the ball back. 

As you continue learning advanced pickleball strategies, it's essential to focus on positioning. For example, it is helpful to position yourself to cut off space between you and your opponent when hitting the ball. The closer you are to your opponent, the more you reduce options for their return. 

Reading Your Opponents

Another way to gain an advantage when playing pickleball is to analyze your opponents' weaknesses and playing styles. This may take a little while, especially if you are playing someone for the first time. 

However, note what type of shots your opponent is taking and avoiding. Notice their footwork and what movements appear awkward for them. For example, many people have weak backhand volleys. Aiming your shot toward your opponent's backhand may lead to errors on their part.

Shot Selection

Consider your shot selection based on your opponent's weaknesses, your strengths, and the situation on the court. Mixing up your shots and developing a variety to keep your opponent guessing is advantageous. 

Pace and Tempo

Change the pace and tempo of the game to your advantage. For example, alternate between deep shots, which push the opposing team back, and shots closer to the net.

Volleying also helps you control the game's pace and decide whether to slow down or speed up a rally.

Determine which type of shots your opponent appears to struggle with. For instance, do they have difficulty with slower shots, or do you force errors when you speed up the pace of the game? 

When you are trying to determine how to win at pickleball, mastering offensive strategies is essential. Consider some of the following techniques:

The Third Shot Drop

A well-placed third drop shot helps you move into the kitchen quickly and puts pressure on the opposing team. The goal is to hit the shot with a low trajectory just over the net, which makes it hard for your opponent to volley.

The goal of a third job shot is to land in your opponent's non-valley area. However, there are variations to the third shot drop, including:

• Flat drop, also known as a basic soft drop
• Cross-court drop targeting the opposite side of the kitchen
• Drop-the-line, which targets the angle on the same side of the court
• Top spin drop, which creates a more aggressive bounce

Mix up the type of third shot drops to keep your opponent on their toes.

Attacking the Kitchen

One crucial pickleball tactic involves attacking the kitchen. Attacking the kitchen helps you land your dink shots. This method forces your opponent to react fast and makes it more difficult to hit the ball aggressively.

Playing in this zone also helps reduce the angles your opponent has to hit their shots. It also makes it easier for you to hit the ball down. Consider approaching the kitchen after different types of shots, such as a third drop shot or a lob.

Dinking Strategies

Dinking is also a critical pickleball strategy. It helps force your opponent out of their position and may create forced errors.

Helpful dinking tips include:

• Contacting the ball out front from your body
• Stepping with your opposite leg from your paddle side
• Swinging from your shoulder, not your elbow or wrist

You can also use different dinking patterns. The cross-court dink is one of the most popular methods as it gives you the most margin of error. However, one cannot exclude other viable options.

For example, using a straight-ahead dink may be easier if you are off balance. In fact, it's helpful to change up the dinking pattern so that your game does not become predictable.

Setting up a dinking pattern is a great offensive pickleball strategy. It may help you move your opponent to a specific spot, like out wide. This can create chances to attack.

Volleying Strategies

Volleying strategies in pickleball play may include those listed below. 

Aggressive Volleying Techniques

Your swing is crucial when creating an aggressive volley. For instance, you'll need a short compact swing to have control and direct the ball where you want it to go. Also, avoid using too much wrist action for power, which will cause you to lose control of the ball. Contact the ball closer to your body to increase power. 

Poaching Effectively

When playing doubles, poaching helps you strategically cross the center line to hit a ball that would typically be your partner's. The goal is to disrupt the opposing team's rhythm so you can create a winning shot. 

Good communication is vital if you attempt to poach during doubles. Avoid poaching if your opponent is clearly close to the net and can make the shot easily. You also want to avoid it if you overextended yourself, and it would be difficult to get to the ball.

Blocking and Redirecting Hard-Driven Volleys

Your foot and paddle positioning is key when blocking and redirecting a volley. For instance, use a split-step stance, raising your paddle face slightly and close to your body. Contacting the ball in this position allows you to absorb the ball's power. It also allows you to redirect it into the opposing team's court with more control.

The Lob

A lob involves hitting the ball softly but deep into the court above your opponent's head. The goal is for it to land near the baseline and force the other team back. This leaves their kitchen open, making them vulnerable to an attack at the net.

To lob effectively, consider the following tips: 

• Use your lab strategically when your opponent is aggressive at the net.
• Aim to land the ball at the back shoulder of your opponent.
• Consider a cross-court lob, which may catch opponents off guard.
• Don't overly use the lob.
• Try to vary your lob placement and height to continually force your opponent off balance.

The Overhead Smash

The overhead smash lets you hit the ball down with power and accuracy. This makes it hard for your opponent to return it. 

Some suggestions for setting up and executing an overhead smash include: 

• Turn your palm downwards as you grip the paddle to increase power.
• Try to hit the ball at its highest point and slightly in front of your body.
• Turn your body sideways to get under it instead of stepping backward.
• Quickly snap your wrist when you contact the ball to add force.
• Target the corners of the court to make it difficult for your opponent to return it.
  

Mixing Up Your Shots

Mixing up your shot involves alternating between various shots, such as cross-court shots, lobs, and drives. This helps keep your opponent guessing about your next move, may force errors, and provide scoring opportunities. For instance, vary the depth shot, pace, and angle of your shots.

Consider combining different types of shots to create winning combinations. This can include a lob and a drop shot mix or a powerful drive followed up by a dink.

Pickleball strategies and techniques also include how to prevent your opponent from scoring. Defensive strategies include: 

Court Positioning in Defense

Your court positioning during defense involves moving further away from the hitting opponent. Creating distance allows you more reaction time. If you are playing doubles, the ideal defensive position is usually near the non-volley zone. This position enables you to react quickly to the opposing team's shots.

Blocking and Redirecting

When blocking shots, remember you're not pushing or following through with your swing. Your paddle angle should be open. If your paddle angle is closed, the ball is more likely to go into the net. Also, contact the ball closer to your body, which allows for better accuracy and control.

Returning the Serve Effectively

It can be difficult to anticipate the serve and position yourself accordingly. However, if you read your opponent correctly, this will become easier. Avoid using the same return strategy each time. Instead, alternate the type of returns you do, switching from short, angled, and deep returns.

Playing doubles pickleball also involves additional finesse and working together as a team. Important aspects of doubles pickleball include: 

Communication

Clear and consistent communication is essential between pickleball doubles partners. Communication might include reading your partner's body language to determine their potential moves. 

Good communication may include verbal communication, such as calling out cues such as "mine," "yours," "in," or "out." 

Using hand gestures may also be beneficial. For example, holding up an open hand to switch sides of the court. 

Movement and Positioning

Positioning yourself and moving as a team is also important. This means covering for each other's weaknesses and developing trust with your teammate. 

During a pickleball game, you'll constantly adjust your positions based on the flow of the game and your opponent's shots. For instance, when receiving the serve, it's a common doubles technique for one person to stand at the baseline to return the serve. The other player stands closer to the kitchen. 

Maintain open and constant communication to determine the positioning strategy you'll implement. Ensure you're clear on your role and responsibility as the game continues.

Poaching and Switching

Poaching, as stated above, involves covering a ball that should normally go to your teammate. This can be an effective strategy to keep the opposing team off balance. It may also be beneficial to switch positions with your partner on occasion. This strategy allows you to minimize your partner's weaknesses while leveraging their strengths for a dynamic playing style.

Stacking

The stacking strategy is often an effective technique when playing doubles pickleball. This involves one player standing behind the other to cover the court more efficiently. It may be advantageous during certain types of fast-paced rallies.

Pickleball does not only involve physical game, but there's a mental aspect to it as well, such as: 

Focus and Concentration

It's important to stay focused on the game and do your best to minimize distractions. This may include playing in quieter places or at times when the sun is not too bright or hot.

Mental Toughness

Like many sports, pickleball requires mental toughness and resilience. Not every shot will land perfectly. If you start to get frustrated, it's important to take a deep breath, keep perspective, and continue to play.

Game Awareness

As you understand the flow and pace of the game, it's important to adapt your strategy accordingly. Sometimes, you may have to pivot and try new techniques as needed.

Learning from Your Mistakes

One way to improve is to analyze and learn from your mistakes. This can be done during gameplay and also after you finish.

The old saying that practice makes perfect is definitely true regarding pickleball. Certain drills and practice can be done with a teammate or even against a wall if you practice alone.

Drills for Offensive Skills

Shadow drills: Shadow drills involve mimicking a shot before actually performing it. This allows you to understand correct body mechanics and develop muscle memory for a particular type of shot. You can do this with any type of pickleball shot. 

• Drop practices: Practice hitting your drop shots from all directions, such as wide shots or straight-ahead drop shots.
• Lob Drill: Have your partner hit high lobs so you can return. Focus on hitting the ball with a fluid and clear swing at its highest point.
• Angle Drills: Toss a ball up and practice hitting it overhead to different areas of the court to perfect your shot placement. 

Drills for Defensive Skills

• Blocking drills: Line up across from your partner and start dinking back and forth. Only allow your partner to speed up the ball. Every time your partner speeds up their hit, you try to block it.
• Serve return drill: Have either a partner or a ball machine continually serve balls at different speeds while you try to return them.

Conclusion

Remember, it often takes time to master advanced pickleball strategies. It takes dedication and practice to become proficient at various pickleball techniques.

Be patient and consistent with your efforts, and you'll likely see improvement over time. Try not to get discouraged or give up. Progress is not always linear, and it takes time to master some techniques. 

Pickleball can be a fun and social way to enjoy some healthy competition. The better you are at the game, the more you may find your enjoyment for it grows.