TweenerKing
What’s up, guys, this is Christian Alshon. Pickleball is all about learning, and my match at the Atlanta Open taught me a lot. Breaking it down after the fact helps me see what I did well, what I need to work on, and how I can get better. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from this one.
Serve and Return – The Two Most Important Shots
If you play singles, you know the serve and return basically control everything. A good serve puts pressure on your opponent, and a solid return can put you in charge of the point right away. I missed a return in this match, and that’s the worst thing you can do—it’s just giving away a free point. For me, it’s all about making a solid serve, following up with a good third shot, and keeping control.
Make Them Play
One of the biggest things I remind myself of is to just make my opponent play. A lot of points are lost because of unforced errors, not crazy winners. In this match, I won points by just keeping the ball in play and making Ben hit one more shot. Simple, but super effective. If you force your opponent to hit another ball, they’re going to make mistakes.
Using Timeouts to Stop Momentum
Momentum is a real thing, and when you feel your opponent heating up, sometimes a timeout can break that up. I took a timeout at one point to stop Ben’s run, but then I missed my return right after, which completely defeated the purpose. So yeah, timeouts are great, but only if you actually execute after them. Something to keep in mind for next time.
Adapting to the Wind
The wind was a huge factor in this match. Against the wind, my drops were sitting in the kitchen perfectly, but when I was with the wind, they were floating too much. I had to adjust, but it took me a little too long to figure that out. Lesson learned: pay attention to the conditions and adjust faster.
Fixing My Shot Mid-Match – Brush vs. Flick
This was actually a really cool moment for me. Mid-match, I realized I was using a flick motion instead of brushing my cross-court shots. I saw Ben hitting that shot differently and was like, ‘Wait, why am I not doing that?’ So I made the change right there, and it started working. Since this match, I’ve been working on that shot a lot more, and it’s crazy how much of a difference it makes.
Trusting My Shots
When I don’t trust a shot, I tighten up and miss. It happened a few times in this match where I had the shot but didn’t fully commit. That’s just a confidence thing. The more I train, the more I can trust my shots and not hesitate. The key is just going for it and not overthinking.
Watching and Learning from the Best
One of the best ways to get better is by watching top players and seeing what they do differently. I picked up a few things from Ben in this match, especially how he handles certain shots. Watching and comparing my game to other top players helps me see where I need to improve.
Consistency Wins Matches
A lot of games aren’t won with crazy winners—they’re lost because of missed serves and returns. In this match, I saw how important it is to just play high-percentage pickleball. Instead of trying to do too much, just make your serve, make your return, and hit a solid third shot. That alone will win a ton of points.
Final Thoughts
Looking back at this match, I can see the little things that made a difference. Some things worked, some things didn’t, but it’s all part of learning and getting better. If you’re trying to improve your game, I’d definitely recommend breaking down your own matches, figuring out what’s working, and making adjustments. Pickleball isn’t just about talent—it’s about constantly learning, adapting, and improving.
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