Pickleball

Third Shot Drop Shot – Worth the Effort?!

Jeff

As more advanced players know, the third shot drop shot can be a powerful weapon. On the downside, it is a high risk-high reward shot for many casual players.

What to do in the following scenario:

Your team serves the ball high and deep. The other team now returns a nice deep shot and both the players are near the kitchen (NVZ). The opponents both have good volley skills and are waiting for your next shot…

A – You can try to over power them by hitting the ball hard to one of the weaker spots, i.e. backhand which is not that easy since the margin of error is narrow.

B – You can lob the ball to try to move at least one player off of the kitchen line, but this too takes a bit of touch; too short and it gets whacked, too long and it is out.

C – Third shot drop shot. Get the ball over the net into the middle of the NVZ and move the game to the net where it would then become a “touch” game. Once again, high risk-high reward. Too long and the ball is smashed back at you; too short and it goes into the net.

When playing against skilled pickleballers, the choices may all seem difficult. Why not work on that third shot which may be the best opportunity in the above scenario?

To make it even more of a problem, the Third Shot technique is a bit different from various places on the court. It is a “touch” shot and the paddle position, pace, etc. needs to be altered as the ball is hit either longer or shorter onto your side of the court.

Deb Harrison demonstrates how to practice the Third Shot Drop from various positions on the court. I know this is one area I need to practice quite a bit. I am decent near the NVZ, but pretty bad when it comes to executing the desired third shot from the baseline.

From the YouTube synopsis:

Published on Oct 1, 2016

“This video emphasizes the need for players to develop the ability to execute a 3rd shot drop from various types of balls into the NVZ (No Volley Zone) from all areas on the court. Drills to practice dropping short hop and long hop balls are shown. The key is, depending on the type of hop, opening the paddle to the right angle UNDER the ball and using the pace to determine how much forward motion is needed. Remember that the net is your first opponent and MOST importantly, your drop HAS to go over the net. There is a lot of “feel or touch” to the execution of these skills, so more practice = more success!”

 

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Pickleball Strategy – Where to Aim the Serve

Jeff

Adapted from 100 Pickleball Strategies by Jeff Shank*

For those of you who may not know Jeff Shank, let me tell you just a bit. Jeff is one of the country’s best pickleball players and he has done very well in national tournaments.

Jeff has been very generous in sharing his tips and techniques with others in the pickleball community. I first heard Jeff when he was interviewed on the Pickleball Show by Chris Allen. He is a non-assuming, sincere guy.

Jeff has created a video with 100 Pickleball Strategies. It is an hour long and most players probably do not want to sit and watch an hour of strategy and techniques so what I have done (with permission) is to re-purpose the video by breaking it down into discrete segments.

(Just as a side note here – strategy is only one part of the game. It is the knowing what to do or at least what you hope to do. The other part of the game, and perhaps a bit more important, is being able to do what the strategy indicates.)

What I plan for each segment I post based on Jeff’s video, is to include a summary of the key points being highlighted. Naturally, the video speaks for itself, but sometimes an “executive summary” helps.

For those who are interested, here (first video below) is the introduction to the series from the video:



So…without further ado, I present the first tip offered by Jeff Shank – Where to Serve the Ball.

Where to Serve the Ball (Location):

Aiming for your opponent’s weakest skill shot


NOTES from Pickleball Strategy – Where to Aim the Serve:

  • Serve Deep and to the Backhand – Generally speaking, serve to your opponent’s weakest return shot. For most average players, this would be their backhand. Remember also to serve the ball deep.
  • If a player tries to protect their backhand, try to serve to the opposite corner of the service area.
  • For left-handed players, reverse the target areas (placement) as Jeff demonstrates.
  • If a player has an aggressive return of serve and hits the ball hard and low, try to serve them short where they need to run up for the ball. This will reduce their chances of hitting a powerful (aggressive) return shot.
  • If a player wants to take the serve with their backhand, serve to their forehand. Watch your opponent to see where they stand. They will probably “protect” their weak spot and help you strategize.

*This adaptation has been done with permission form Jeff Shank! Many thanks to Jeff and others for allowing this to be presented to the pickleball community via this blog.

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Pickleball Myth? – Never Miss A Serve

Jeff

PB Myth # 18: You Should Never Miss Your Serve

**NOTE** – This is an article from Third Shot Sports that is reprinted with appropriate attribution and permissions.

The conventional wisdom is that you should always make sure your serve lands in. We don’t want you to hit out either but here is something to consider: if you are always playing it safe for fear of missing, are you losing out on a great opportunity?

Yes. You are.

Think about it — the serve is the one time in a pickleball game that you have complete control. The ball is in perfect position, you are totally on balance and you don’t have to hit it until you are completely ready. There is no other moment when the conditions are so much in your favour. Yet most people squander this opportunity by merely putting the ball in play. Here are some alternatives:

1) Aim for a weakness. If you have identified that your opponent has a preferred side (usually their forehand) this is a great time to challenge them to play the shot they don’t want. Use this opportunity to aim near a sideline and force them to hit a tougher return.

2) Pin them back. In most cases, the returner will want to come to the net after playing the ball. Make this more difficult by serving deep in the court and pushing them back behind the baseline.

3) Take away their time. A slow, high-arcing ball gives your opponents lots of time to prepare for the return. Why not hit the serve with some speed and challenge them to catch up?

4) Hit with spin. Add some difficulty by using sidespin or topspin on the serve. Doing so will make the ball bounce differently than the usual spin-free shot.

With each of these suggestions I’m encouraging you to “go for more” when hitting your serve. And yes, there is some risk in doing so. Hitting near the sideline increases the chance that the ball will go wide. Aiming for the back of the court or trying to hit the serve fast may mean your ball occasionally sails long. Hitting with spin will likely reduce your control and cause you to miss.

But with these risks comes the possibility of real reward.

A more challenging serve makes it more likely that your opponent will fail to hit the return the way they want. They are more likely to struggle with their first shot which is good news for you. They are more likely to hit the return short. They are less likely to have pinpoint accuracy. They are more likely to hit out of bounds.

Of course, if you are hitting many of your serves out of play, you are probably being too aggressive. And one ought to be selective about when they choose to go for more (serving at 9-10-2 might not be the ideal time to attempt an un-returnable serve). But I don’t see anything inherently wrong with the occasional missed serve so long as it is the result of looking to gain an advantage with the first shot.

There is an old saying that “if you aren’t falling, you aren’t trying hard enough”. Perhaps we could adapt this to “if you never miss your serve, you aren’t going for enough”.


Mark Renneson is a pickleball coach and 5.0/PRO level competitor. He is the founder of Third Shot Sports. He can be reached by email mark@thirdshotsports.com.

 
In Summary, I think these are the take-aways from the article:

  • Conventional wisdom is often “safe,” but may not be the best for a given play.
  • Serving is the only time a player has total control of the situation.
  • Serve to an opponent’s weakness. (You have to find it first)
  • Still serve the ball deep.
  • Change the style of serve using spin, pace, etc.
  • Weigh the risk-rewards ratio for your style of play and decide if you should “go for it” at certain times. (As the article points out, in a close game I tend to play it conservatively most of the time and just get the ball in the service box.)

Click the link to register to receive the Third Shot Sports Pickleball Newsletter

Click the link to see Third Shot Pickleball Past Newsletters.

Click the link to visit the Third Shot Sports Pickleball website.

Thanks to Mark and Third Shot Sports for allowing this to be presented on JBRish.com

Link to the Original Article- http://www.thirdshotsports.com/articles/2016/9/9/pb-myth-18-you-should-never-miss-your-serve
 The comments at the bottom of the article are interesting with people sharing their personal philosophies and ideas.

Pickleball – Square the Body to the Ball

Jeff

pickleball with arrows in all directions

In a previous post (see it here), I related how Sarah Ansboury suggests we can focus on keeping our eye on the ball and that is a good thing. Having our eye on the ball is not the only thing we need to do. What comes next? We need to be ready to return a ball that is headed toward us. In the video below, Mark Renneson of Third Shot Sports brings us to the next step in hitting a successful return.

Mark explains how it helps to keep our body square to the ball, i.e. face the direction of the ball that is on the other side of the net. If it comes our way, we will be better prepared for a backhand or a forehand.

Watch the video for a clear demonstration…

 

 

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Pickleball – Up the Creek Without…

Jeff

When I first began my pickleball play, there were very few paddles available in brick-and-mortar stores. As a matter of fact, one way I gauged the popularity of pickleball was to take note when sporting good stores began to carry paddles and pickleballs. Now they can be found at many outlets including some Walmart stores.

When asked which paddle I should buy, nobody could give me a solid answer and there were no obvious choices. Do I select wood, composite or graphite? How is one to know which paddle to get? Well…I think I can safely say that the paddle is not my problem no matter which paddle I am using.

I decided to watch those players I considered to be good or very good and I saw that many of them used the Z5 Wide Body Paddle. I thought that if they could play that well with the paddle, it must be good (little did I know that the paddle had no magic!).

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A problem that occurs under the above circumstances is that quite a number of players end up using the same paddle. I know at least four players in my PB circuit that use this same paddle in the same color. This may become a problem when paddles are put down; one looks like the other.

To avoid any problems, I took a couple of steps:

[ NOTE – I am not recommending these. I am just putting them out there to generate ideas. One could just as easily change the grip to a specific color, etc.]

I cut my name from an address label and placed it on the right-hand side edge of the handle:

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I also took red tape and placed it on the bottom of the paddle with my name on itt

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I also wanted a way to locate my paddle no matter what edge was facing me so I put pieces of white tape or pieces of an address label along the edge so I could identify it.

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One could write a name on the white tape pictured below prior to placing it on the paddle.

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I also have another paddle that I allow other players to use and I put a complete address label on the front of the paddle bottom near the handle.

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NOTE – Address is intentionally blurred and is legible on the paddle.

Taking all the above precautions now allows me to easily identify my paddle and if, for some reason, it gets misplaced, the chances of it finding its way back to me are greatly improved.

NOTE – There are rules and regulations issued by the USAPA regarding what is and what is not allowed on paddle surfaces. For your information, I am printing them below so that you can make sure any modifications you make will comply with official USAPA rules and regulations.

From the INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PICKLEBALL (IFP) OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT RULEBOOK

2.E.2. Surface. The paddle hitting surface shall not contain holes, indentations, rough texturing, tape, or any objects or features that allow a player to impart additional spin on the ball. Paddle roughness is determined using a Starrett SR 100 or its replacement testers such as the Starrett SR160 Surface Roughness Tester. The allowable limits for roughness shall be no greater than 30 micrometers (μm) on the Rz reading (average maximum height, peak to valley), and no greater than 40 micrometers on the Rt reading (maximum height, peak to valley). All readings will be taken in 4 different directions. The paddle hitting surface shall not be adversely reflective, such that it has the potential to obscure the vision of opposing player(s). (revised Apr. 15, 2016)

 

2.E.5. Alterations. The only alterations that can be made to a commercial paddle are changes to the grip, adding an edge guard, and adding name decals and/or other identification markings on the paddle face. These decals/markings can extend no farther than 1″ (25.4 mm) above the top of the handle nor more than 1/2″ (12.7 mm) from the outer edge of a paddle, or paddle edge guard if in place. Altered paddles must meet all specifications. Homemade paddles are not permitted. (Effective January 1, 2014)

 

2.E.6. Prohibited Surface Features and Mechanical Features.
2.E.6.a. Anti-skid paint or any paint textured with sand, rubber particles, or any material that causes additional spin.
Section 2: Court and Equipment 2.E.6.b. Rubber and synthetic
rubber.
2.E.6.c. Sandpaper.
2.E.6.d. Moving parts that can increase head momentum.
2.E.6.e. Springs or spring-like material.
2.E.6.f. Flexible membranes or any compressible material that creates a trampoline effect.
2.E.6.g. Electrical, electronic, or mechanical assistance of any sort.

If you have ways to distinguish your paddle that are not mentioned above, leave them in the comments section.

Pickleball Video – Paddle Up and in Front of You

Jeff

Watch a few games of pickleball and you will notice that a significant number of players do not keep their paddle in the up and front position. Each and every top player/coach I have watched encourages players to keep the paddle up and in front of them. Prem Carnot (The Pickleball Guru), Coach Mo, Deb Harrison and Sarah Ansboury are all proponents of this fundamental stance.

Sarah Ansboury is one of the best pickleball players in the world, winning many medals in the tournaments she has entered. In the video below she describes an interesting technique for trying to assure that you keep your paddle up and in front of you for the best chance to return the ball with a good stroke.

Watch the video below and see if this works for you!

In Summary:

  • Keep your paddle out in front of you
  • Point the paddle toward each and every ball while it is in the up position
  • This technique will keep a player alert and engaged

 

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Pickleball (Video): Base – Line / Serve and Stay

Jeff

Avoid service creep!

 

While this may seem like a rather simple video, it delivers an important message. While I see this problem more with beginning players, it also happens from time-to-time with more advanced players. Some pickleballers develop this behavior as a habit and then it is hard to break.

One of the keys to winning pickleball is to hit the ball low at your opponents feet. This type of shot is more difficult to return effectively. Nobody wants to be in “no man’s land” because that exposes the player to having the ball land precisely in this hard to return area.

After serving, don’t meander toward the net until after the return of serve is played otherwise the opposing team has a chance for a hard return at your feet. The video is very persuasive as Mark Renneson of Third Shot Pickleball, shows how the best players remain behind or very near the baseline until after they have returned serve.

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Pickleball (Video) – Create Indecision for Your Opponent

Jeff

After playing pickleball for a while, one generally learns to control the ball by being able to place it in a certain area of the opponent’s court. As time progresses some players develop more precision with their placement, but knowing generally how to get the ball within a certain area is a big step in advancing your game.

In this episode, Deb Harrison adds variation to placement by demonstrating how to redirect a shot and sometimes surprising the players on the opposite side of the net. There might be times when the shot so surprises them, that it delays their reaction and helps to win the point.

Pay particular attention to the angle spins demonstrated in the video. They can be devastating to your pickleball opponent.

 

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Pickleball – How Do They Do That? – 3rd Shot Drop

Jeff

According to some of the best players in the game, the third shot drop shot is one of the most difficult strokes to execute properly. Too high, and it comes flying back at you. Too low and it lands on your side of the court or too far on your opponent’s side of the playing area.

As the video below explains, there are two key things to remember about this third shot…

  1. A Third Shot Drop shot is not a soft forehand. It is a separate and different stroke altogether!
  2. The appropriate technique is to have the ball arc on your side of the net.

Watch Wes Gabrielsen explain it all in the video below. Oh, one other thing. This is one shot everyone, even the very best players, need to practice.

 

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