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Cracking the Pickleball Code: Foolproof Strategies to Ace Every Game #part4

The Reset, The Serve, and Groundstrokes

Pro player hitting a pickleball
(Image credit: Kerry Pittenger) Pro Player Tyson McGuffin

The Reset

When you’re back in the court and a ball is hit hard at your feet, your chances of hitting the ball hard and keeping it in play are minimal. You’re much better off holding your position, getting as low as possible, softening your grip, and blocking or short-hopping the ball with an open paddle face. The open face takes the pace off the ball and allows it to arc into the kitchen. When a hard-hit ball handcuffs you on a volley at the net, softly blocking the ball into the kitchen may be your best bet. 

In either case, you are basically resetting the point by putting the ball back soft and low over the net and landing it in the kitchen if possible. This short-circuits your opponents’ attempts to overpower you because you are forcing them to hit up on the ball from low and close to the net. Admittedly, this is the most difficult “push” shot to execute. At this point, you’re simply trying to make the best of a bad situation. So, don’t be too 

hard on yourself when you can’t pull this shot off… at least you’re giving yourself a chance to get back in the point. 

When resetting a ball hit hard at your body, you must again open the paddle face, but only slightly—you want to feel like you’re catching the ball and taking the pace off it so that it drops softly over the net. This is a great shot to practice in drills. Once you hit enough of them, your touch will improve and you will feel the satisfaction of digging yourself out of a bad situation and saving points from the dead. It can really turn the momentum of a match. 

If you played tennis, racquetball, or table tennis, you must adjust your mentality and develop the skills necessary to master the finesse aspect of pickleball. The good news is, that racket sports experience gives you a head start on mastering the “hit” shots. These are the many shots that were not mentioned above, such as serves, groundstrokes, volleys, and overheads. Let’s explore some features of these shots now. 

The Serve

Serving can be a weapon in pickleball, but except for some talented players, it is mainly a way to get the point started. The main requirement is to get the ball in play. There’s nothing more frustrating in pickleball than hitting your serve out. Accuracy should be your primary goal, followed by depth and location. Whether you bounce the ball or drop it directly to your paddle, follow through to your target with a square paddle face through impact. Accelerate through the ball and use a shorter backswing to promote consistent contact. A senior player who might be lacking strength can benefit from stepping into the shot, extending your follow-through on a low to high path, and cocking your wrist to add power. 

Groundstrokes

The forehand is usually the weapon of choice to overpower your opponents. Some folks have a potent backhand as well, but most of us use our forehand to either apply pressure from deep in the court or hit winners from up close. Whether you approach the ball from the side with shoulders turned or face the ball and use more of a “wristy” stroke from in front of the hip, the idea is to keep the ball low. High shots will fly out or set up for easy volleys from the other team. 

The backhand groundstroke is usually not a powerful weapon for most players unless they have brought a wicked two-handed stroke with them from tennis. You 

can make up for a less powerful backhand by focusing on keeping it low over the net. Making solid contact with the backhand, whether you hit a topspin, flat, or slice stroke, requires that you turn your lead shoulder and hit through the ball with a long follow-through. Failure to turn your body results in a weak, slapping motion with a bent arm at contact. 

The best way to keep the ball low on your groundstrokes is to start your backswing with the paddle low (around knee level) and swing up and through the ball to a high finish around the shoulder. Make sure to make contact in front of you. When combined with a flat to slightly closed paddle face through contact, topspin is created, powering the ball forward and downward as it clears the net. (If this seems confusing for you novice players, watch the link to the video in this section to get a clearer picture.) 

Another key element is early preparation. As soon as you see the ball heading toward you, turn and present the paddle into the contact position as you move to the anticipated contact point. This is much more effective than running to the ball with your paddle at your side, then taking a rushed backswing and stroke once you arrive. Take long strides to reach this contact point as soon as possible, then take a series of short steps to put yourself in the perfect position. This early preparation enables you to hit from the same position every time without having to rush and flail at the ball. You will be in balance, make a consistent, relaxed swing, and reduce errors. 

It’s important not to fall in love with your forehand from deep in the court when your opponents are at the kitchen line. Skilled players at the kitchen line can easily dismantle most baseliners in pickleball. When you hit any groundstroke, don’t assume you’ve hit a winner—be ready to move forward and take advantage of a solid shot. Again, the kitchen line is usually where you win the game. 

There is too much to say about the possible variations on the groundstrokes here. Suffice to say that footwork and early preparation put you in the optimal position and proper body mechanics such as turning and using a short-to-long, low-to-high stroke will go a long way toward making your shots consistent and effective. One other essential factor is staying low and level throughout the stroke. Many players miss when they rise up or open their “non-hitting” shoulder (on the forehand) as they make contact. This is often the result of over-hitting. Trust your stroke by staying down and compact through contact. This will keep the ball low and reduce errors. 

In the next segment of this series, we will explore the “hit” shots we can employ when we are up at the kitchen line. This is where you win at pickleball with powerful, controlled putaways. 

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