Pickleball

Jeff Shank’s Pickleball Strategy – Opponent Weaknesses, Soft Game Necessities & More

Jeff

One of the topics in this segment of Jeff Shank’s tips is how to find the weaknesses in your opponent’s pickleball game and what to do once you have that information.

NOTE – When playing in a non-competitive environment, if I find that our team is much better than the other team or only one person on the other team, I work with my partner to alter our strategy:

1 – Don’t try to overwhelm a weaker player with the serve. Give them a chance to return the ball otherwise nobody is going to have any fun.

2 – Don’t hit every shot to the weaker player. Include the stronger opponent as well. I often go out of my way to hit to a stronger player especially when I know they are better than me. I feel really good if I can score a point off of a very strong player. Keep pickleball a fun game by hitting to both opposing players. One way to do that is to always hit to the person on the other team serving the ball.

3 – When I hit a ball to a weaker player, I will often hit a shot I think they can handle, i.e. less pace, etc. This gives me practice in learning to control my shot and it provides practice for the receiving player in returning the ball.

CAUTION: I have found myself in the following situation, but I don’t worry about it:

I have been on a team and we discovered that we are potentially much stronger than the opposing team. We may find ourselves ahead by five or six points so we begin to lighten up. At times, the opposing team is then able to muster enough good shots to make it a close game or even win. To me that’s OK. If it is a clubhouse game for fun, it doesn’t really matter.

NOTE: This is my personal philosophy and I am not suggesting it has to be yours.

4 – I sometimes use a game with less skilled players to practice shots I need to work on such as the third shot drop shot.

What does Jeff Shank say about the soft game? I know many players who will try very hard to avoid dinking and playing the soft game. Why does Jeff suggest the soft game is so important to learn?

What does he suggest when you mishit a ball?

What does Jeff say is “more important than just about anything else?”

Other topics include the importance of drills, how to anticipate your opponent’s shot so you can be ready and what to do when a high ball is headed to the non-volley zone on your side of the net.

NOTE – To find out about this series of posts, i.e. 100 Pickleball Strategies by Jeff Shank, read the first post HERE

 

To See additional Pickleball Videos Covering Many Aspects of the Game Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

Check out Additional Pickleball Info and Videos! (for all players including average to more experienced players)

Pickleball: Forehand Refresher

Jeff

I consider myself a casual pickleball player and as such I find that I have developed certain habits and style. This may be good or bad.

Vince Lombardi (former Football coach of the Green Bay Packers) is credited with having said:

“Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.”

But maybe you don’t have time to practice or you don’t want to practice because it isn’t as much fun. The great thing about pickleball is that you can make it whatever you want. If playing and doing the best you can under your individual circumstances satisfies you, then let it be. When I play, I am out to get exercise and have a good time.

Having said that, it doesn’t mean I don’t want to get better. I would like to improve my game if I can. Just to make sure I am doing things the way I should, I like to review how I am delivering certain shots. The video below is a review of how to hit a forehand and I find that I don’t always accurately do two things demonstrated and suggested in the video:

  • Follow through strong above the shoulder
  • When the intent is to “drive” the ball, swing through it

Watch the video below to review or find out how to hit a successful forehand.

This is the synopsis from the YouTube Video Page:

“How do the PROS hit winning forehands? Check out this helpful video with top pickleball champion Scott Moore who is known for his strong forehand shot. Watch his form in super slow motion with additional tips that pop up to give you more focused instruction on how to improve your forehand. The forehand is one of those strokes that you use again and again in pickleball. Make yours a forehand you can count on!”

Jeff Shank’s Pickleball Strategy – Time Out, Dinking, Ego

Jeff

We are continuing our series based on Jeff Shank’s YouTube video about pickleball strategy. In this segment Jeff explains why, when playing in a tournament, it is important to take time outs at certain points, the importance of dinking and how to handle your ego.

Dinking – A love-hate relationship

There are those who do whatever they can to avoid the dinking game. Sometimes this leads to unforced errors because although a return dink may be the best option, a player may lack confidence or run out of patience and try to hit a hard line drive return.

The good news and bad news about dinking:

Bad news first…It is a big part of the game when your skill set gets you into the 3.5 and above playing levels. Skilled players dink to win.

The good news…It isn’t that hard to gain proficiency in dinking.

Jeff offers a number of tips:

  • What type of foot movement does he suggest?
  • What stance should the player have when waiting for a return dink?
  • What is the problem with cross-stepping?
  • What is the best dink option that provides the largest margin for error?
  • What are the advantages to taking a dink as a volley if possible?

No room for ego

After the dinking lesson, Jeff explains why pickleballers (as well as other team sport members) need to play with no ego. What that means is, recognize when other players (i.e. your partner) are better and let them take certain shots. Also…listen to information that other players might have about your opponents.

NOTE – When I play doubles, I will usually discuss our opponents with my partner. I try to tell them who has a spin serve, who is good at lobbing, etc. I also like to explain that if I run to their side of the court to cover a lob, they should move over to my vacated side. I will often yell “switch.”

Weak partner, strong partner relationship

If you play in tournaments or at very competitive venues, listen to what Jeff has to say about the weaker-stronger partner relationship.

 

 

For a refresher video about how to perfect the dink shot, click HERE

NOTE – To find out about this series of posts, i.e. 100 Pickleball Strategies by Jeff Shank, read the first post HERE

 

To See additional Pickleball Videos Covering Many Aspects of the Game Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

Check out Additional Pickleball Info and Videos! (for all players including average to more experienced players)

Pickleball at The Victorium – Scottsdale, AZ

Jeff



The Victorium
9219 E Hidden Spur Trail
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
(480) 577-0678

check out the Pickleball Schedule at the Victorium HERE. NOTE – You might have to scroll down a bit.

 
You might recall that in a recent email I talked about the Victorium, a new state-of-the-art gymnasium, that would be opening soon in Scottsdale and would offer pickleball play. The good news is that the Victorium opened last week and they have had quite a few pickleball players attending. As a matter of fact, as I am writing this, the next Round Robin Session has been “sold out” (more about this below).

I thought you might enjoy a tour of the Victorium which is not complete at this point, but parts of the facility, including the pickleball courts, are open to the public for use.

Here is an artist rendering of the outside of the building which is quite unique:

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

This is how the building looked on the afternoon of January 26th.

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

As I indicated, it is still under construction. There is a temporary entrance on the southeast corner of the facility until the rest of the facility is open in two weeks.

This view of the gym was taken from the catwalk..

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

Below is a view of the gymnasium from the opposite side of the facility. The arrow indicates where the Physical Therapy office entrance will be located!

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

The main focus of the Victorium is volleyball, but it is well designed to provide venues for a number of sports.

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

Getting down to the pickleball nitty-gritty, the photo below shows the lines on the floor. The pickleball lines are a “teal” indicated by the white arrows. Calling some shots may be a bit tricky because of the similar colors, but the courts appear to be player friendly. (Full disclosure – I have not yet played at the Victorium)

NOTE – In my opinion the glare was not as bad as it shows in the pictures, but I wasn’t playing pickleball. I think the angle form which I was photographing might have increased the glare effect.

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

Here is another area of the gym floor with lines (teal is pickleball).

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

Pickleball nets are a sturdy, roll-about type which should help maintain the middle vertical bar since they are not taken down and set up over and over again.

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

Instead of traditional, pull out, aluminum bleachers, there are rows of plastic seats.

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

Giant television screens are mounted on the walls which will serve as scoreboards, etc.

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

The gymnasium is aesthetically pleasing which unfortunately isn’t going to add any points to my game! : )

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

The comfort areas are well appointed with similar gender-specific facilities.

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

Another nice touch is a water bottle refill station as part of the drinking fountain.

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

The arrows in the picture below point to garage doors (right) which can be opened when the weather is nice. The topmost arrows point to basketball nets which can be lowered to accommodate hoopsters. The lone arrow on the left points to the office area at the Victorium.

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

During construction parking may be a bit of a challenge, but there does appear to be a good number of parking spaces around three sides of the building.

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

The Victorium is easily reached off of Pima Rd (see map below), but once inside the residential area, some GPS systems may be “confused.” The Victorium is located on Hidden Spur Trail. If you get a bit lost, you can look for either Verde Grove View or Hidden Spur Trail.

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

This is a view of the building from the corner of Verde Grove View or Hidden Spur Trail.

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

I hope you enjoyed the brief tour. If you want to play pickleball at the Victorium, I am putting links to their January and February offerings below. Please read the pages carefully. There are a variety of events including open play.

The Victorium has room for six pickleball courts. On days/times when round robin play and other events are in progress, open play may be limited or not available. I suggest you call first. Dee Davison’s, contact information is on the flyer, and she may be the best contact.

$5 Daily Drop-In Play 7 am – 1 pm (scheduled events below reduce drop-in play hours)

NOTE – Some events require sign up in advance.

To see the Victorium’s Schedules, CLICK HERE!

 


***** Additional Information *****

  • The large garage doors will have “netting” in place and can be opened when weather is nice.
  • Except for tournaments, open play will be available from 7AM – 1PM for those who like early morning exercise. Check the attached schedules. Courts will be set up and ready at 7AM.
  • There is a monthly pickleball membership fee of $40. Drop in play is $5. There is a potential that the Victorium will become a membership only facility.
  • Pickleballs and paddles will be available for use at the Victorium. The paddles are sponsored by Selkirk.
  • Until the snack bar and restaurant are open, it is OK for players to bring lunch and snacks.

The Victorum Pickleball Facility, Scottsdale,AZ

Pickleball – The Art & Skill of the Volley

Jeff

We have highlighted videos by Mark Renneson of Third Shot Sports on this blog a number of times. Mark offers very good tips to help all levels of players improve their skills. In this video he reminds us that not all volleys are the same or at least they shouldn’t be the same.

Mark demonstrates for viewers what he believes is the most difficult volley of them all…the soft touch volley. What makes this video valuable is that Mark offers a drill to help us improve our ability to improve our “soft volley.”

About Third Shot Sports

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

 

More Pickleball Videos

To See additional Pickleball Videos Covering Many Aspects of the Game Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

Check out Additional Pickleball Info and Videos! (for all players including average to more experienced players)

Jeff Shank’s Pickleball Strategy – Net Dribbles, Lobs and More

Jeff

In this video segment, watch for these points:

Net Dribbles

  • How to handle balls that dribble over the net to give yourself time to get out of your non-volley zone (NVZ).

    • NOTE: Other top players advise that if you can angle the ball cross court while you retreat from the NVZ, it will give you more time to recover since to hit the ball back to you will take the opposing team member a fraction longer. Presumably your partner is already at the NVZ in anticipation of a possible return to them and they are not on the move.

  • What shot should you hit if the opposing player goes after a ball that dribbles over the net on their side and the ball is returned to you a bit high?

    • CLARIFICATION: The only reason the above technique works is because the ball is returned too high. If the return was a good dink into the half of the NVZ closest to the net, only a dink return would be advised.

    NOTE: At the 27:05 mark the sound gets very low so you might want to raise it!

    The Lob

  • Under what circumstances should the lob be used?
  • What is the best shot to use to recover from a bad (too short) lob and you suspect that it is coming right back at you?
  • Why does Jeff Shank suggest you should say to your partner: “Come up! Come up!“?

    •  

    Keeping the Ball Deep

  • Why should you serve the ball deep?
  • Why is it even more important to get the serve return deep?

    • Lefty-Righty Potential Advantage

  • What advantage would a team have (in many instances) if they are playing against a team with a right-handed player and a left-handed player?

    •  

    NOTE: Jeff points out that his suggestions are not the ONLY way to play the game, but he feels these are appropriate strategies for most players. Many pickleballers will develop some of their own personal strategies and as long as they work for you, stick with them.


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    NOTE – To find out about this series of posts, i.e. 100 Pickleball Strategies by Jeff Shank, read the first post HERE

     

    To See additional Pickleball Videos Covering Many Aspects of the Game Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

    Check out Additional Pickleball Info and Videos! (for all players including average to more experienced players)

    Pickleball – The Voice of Experience – Hammer and Lucore

    Jeff

    Alex Hammer and Jennifer Lucore write the column Around the Post for Pickleball Magazine. In the December, 2016 issue, they wrote an article:

    What Did the Gold Medalists Learn at Nationals VIII?

    The article provides bits of wisdom garnered from the tournament participants. Here are two examples:

    “Never stop being a student of the game: As the game and players continue to evolve so must your game; what worked last year probably won’t be enough this year. There is an endless amount of video at your fingertips; study individuals to see what mechanics and shot selections worked and which did not in each situation.”

    Matt Staub – Gold: Doubles 19+; Bronze: Open Doubles & Mixed Doubles 19+

    “I think the best lesson I learned was about recovering from a close loss. After you get all the way to the semi-finals or winners bracket final and you have a close loss, it’s hard to get motivated and reset for that next match. It’s never over in pickleball though so you’ve got to let that first loss go and keep fighting. In that same vein, you’re never out of a game. I came back twice from being down 10-7 (match point) in this tournament and a few other times from being 6 or 7 points behind. Just focus on playing each point well, and good things can happen.”

    Daniel Moore – Gold: Doubles 19+ & Singles 19+; Bronze: Open Doubles & Open Singles

    Due to space limitations, there were hints and ideas that could not make it into the magazine. Jennifer Lucore has published the more detailed article (including the two tidbits presented above) on her website and you can read it here:

    What Did the Gold Medalists Learn at Nationals VIII?


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    To See additional Pickleball Videos Covering Many Aspects of the Game Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

    Check out Additional Pickleball Info and Videos! (for all players including average to more experienced players)

    Pickleball Video – Importance of Communication at All Levels

    Jeff

    In the next installment of Jeff Shank’s 100 Pickleball Strategies, Jeff points out the importance of at least a minimal amount of communication between each team’s players even at the club or recreational level. If you have a tournament partner, I am sure you have crossed this bridge before reading this post. At least I hope you have!

    Well then, what should you discuss?

    • Are any players on the opposing team left handed? If so, someone should keep track of when both opponents’ backhands are in the middle of the court and announce it to each other during play. The backhand is usually the weakest shot for most players and if each player does have a weak backhand and they are in the middle, this might be an advantage when returning a ball.
    • Which way is the wind blowing (if play is outside)?
    • Have you seen these players play? Anything unusual about their style (do they spin every ball?)
    • Do you know which player is the weakest?
    • Does one player have an especially good lob?

    What words will be used to indicate that a ball is in, out, potentially going out, etc. Who will cover lobs and under what circumstances?

    Watch the video as Jeff explains how to play “smart” pickleball even during recreational play. What additional hints does he offer besides those highlighted above?

    ************************

    • Did you hear what Jeff said about calling lobs “in” or “out”?
    • Why is it important to communicate when a shot is returned down the middle of the court to your team?

    These are all fundamental key strategies and they can add a couple of points to your score in many games. If you didn’t pick up all of the hints and tips Jeff Shank offered in this segment of his 100 tips, it would be worth it to watch the video again!

    NOTE – To find out about this series of posts, i.e. 100 Pickleball Strategies by Jeff Shank, read the first post HERE

     

    To See additional Pickleball Videos Covering Many Aspects of the Game Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

    Check out Additional Pickleball Info and Videos! (for all players including average to more experienced players)

    Pickleball at Thompson Peak Park, Scottsdale

    Jeff

    I finally made it to Thompson Peak Park in Scottsdale to look at the new pickleball courts and I am posting an introduction of sorts for those who want to know more about the facility.

    Thompson Peak Park
    20199 N. 78th Pl.
    Scottsdale, AZ 85255

    Here is a link to a Map showing the park location.

    This is the link for the Thompson Peak Park Meetup group which enables players to see who intends to be at the park at certain dates, times, etc. and which also provides news and updates about the park.

    This is the link for the Calendar explaining which groups (beginner, intermediate, advanced, etc.) meet on which days and at what times.

    https://www.meetup.com/Scottsdale-Thompson-Peak-Pickleball/events/

    There are two gates available when walking from the parking area to the basketball court and pickleball court areas. When I arrived, the gate leading directly to the pickleball courts was locked, but the basketball court gate was open and a secondary internal gate then allowed entrance to the pickleball playing area.

    As you can see below, the courts are two-toned which I think makes it a bit easier to define the kitchen area during certain aspects of play. The paint patterns seem a bit more exaggerated in the photos than I remember, but I thought the courts were quite playable and the paint should not be a distraction.

    Here is another view.

    Note that the perimeter fence is not as high as most other venues and there may be some ball chasing necessary for players like me who, once in a while, tend to miss their overhead smash! I can sometimes get them over the highest fences anyway!!

    A shorter fence separated the pickleball courts from the basketball area which has lines for three additional pickleball courts for those who have their own nets.

    The black lines are for the pickleball court. I have drawn a red line on the picture to indicate approximately where the net would be.

    Below is a picture of the middle pickleball court marked on the basketball area.

    I returned to the park one evening to assess the lighting. The courts were well lit except the northernmost dedicated pickleball court which had a light out and was dark. The other two courts were fine. The basketball area, lined for three courts, was very well lit (see picture below).

    I also wanted to check out the bathroom situation. There are bathrooms and they were open at 6:45PM so my assumption is they are open all day. It is a bit of a walk as they are located between the baseball fields to the south.

    There are water fountains nearby…

    and benches inside the pickleball court fence.

    The courts are oriented east-to-west which may prove problematic when the sun is at certain angles. All-in-all though, I think Thompson Peak Park would be a very good place to play.

    Pickleball Video – What Are Your Third Shot Options?

    Jeff

    Helle Sparre explains third shot options. I think many pickleballers will find this interesting. It isn’t a video of pickleball players on a court, but rather about strategy. She uses a magnetic board with “checkers” as players to explain the strategy. This won’t be one of those exciting videos (for most people), but it offers some THIRD SHOT strategy tips for players at different skill levels.

    The gold standard, so to speak, of pickleball third shots is the third shot drop shot. My third shot drop shot from deep in the court isn’t very reliable and most of the people I play against would probably say something similar of their own third shot. So…what are the other alternatives for a third shot? Do you just throw your paddle in the air and give up? Of course not!

    Helle explains what the three basic options are and offers ideas about what you should try to do. If you are honest with yourself, and you believe that Helle Sparre has the right idea, it will point you to areas in which you need to gain proficiency.

    I think you will find this of interest if you are looking to improve your game.

    IMPORTANT– Helle talks about when you should NOT RUN TO THE NON-VOLLEY ZONE based on the shot just hit! A very good point or two!

     

    To See additonal Pickleball Videos Covering Many Aspects of the Game Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

    Check out Additional Pickleball Info and Videos! (for all players including average to more experienced players)