doubles

Pickleball – What I Noticed by Watching Others Play

Jeff

A number of players…

#1 – have questionable serves.

The Serve

  • The serve must be made underhand.
  • Paddle contact with the ball must be below the server’s waist (navel level).
  • The serve is initiated with at least one foot behind the baseline; neither foot may contact the baseline or court until after the ball is struck.
  • The serve is made diagonally crosscourt and must land within the confines of the opposite diagonal court.
  • Only one serve attempt is allowed, except in the event of a let (the ball touches the net on the serve and lands on the proper service court; let serves are replayed).

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    USAPA Rules Summary – The Serve

NOTE – The server’s swing must be in an upward arc as shown in the drawing below (p. 18 – USAPA & IFP Official Tournament Rulebook)


Upward air serve

 
Pickleball 101: The Basics of a Pickleball Serve

Additional information:

The Ultimate Guide To Serving In Pickleball

 
#2 – take step forward after serving and sometimes they are caught moving backwards trying to hit the return of serve. It is more difficult to hit the ball forward while you are moving backward. Taking a step backward while hitting the ball will result only in an arm shot which is difficult to hit precisely and usually will not have much power. Stay back waiting for the return of serve, but be ready to move forward if the return is short!

 
#3– are facing the net, i.e. parallel when hitting a groundstroke even if they have time to set up. This is known as an open stance; not generally good for a ground stroke. A groundstroke, either forehand or backhand, has more power when you can set up with your shoulder perpendicular to the net.

 
#4– when not receiving the serve, partners are waiting near the kitchen line and they do not watch the ball as it is served to the receiver. I have noticed some facing completely forward without ever turning around, but just waiting to see the ball hit the opponent’s side of the court. The non-receiving partner should watch the ball as it is served to the receiver.

a – The ball may be out and the receiver may not have called it. You then call it.

b – If the receiver hits a bad shot, you have time to react if you are watching the ball. If it is a pop-up and it will be coming back hard, take a few steps back to gain more time to respond.

c- Watching the receiver hit the ball may enable the non-receiving partner to determine where the ball is headed and prepare for the return by facing in that direction with the paddle up.

 
I hope beginning pickleballers and perhaps others find some of these observations and associated links helpful.

Have fun on the courts!

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More Pickleball Videos and Information

To See additional Pickleball Videos & Information Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

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


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All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2018 – JBRish.com



Video: Faster Way to Sharpen Your Pickleball Skills

Jeff

A number of my pickleball blog posts have made a statement such as: “You can’t greatly improve your game just by playing. Focused practice is necessary.” I didn’t make this up. I have read this or heard this from many of the top pickleball coaches. It sounds logical and I believe it is true.

Now let me ask you. If you had a chance to hit twice as many balls as you normally would, do you think that would give you more practice? Do you think it might help you improve your game? I think it would.

Did you ever play a game with a weaker player and most of the balls are hit to them while you stand by wondering when the next ball will come your way?

Here is a unique idea. Play Sick Trx Singles (I have no idea how they came up with this name). It is playing singles almost like a doubles game. This way each player gets to hit all the balls on their side of the net; no partner. Don’t worry, you still cover just half of the court.

This will force players to learn to “guide” the ball in various directions and to be more precise!.

What makes this a different variation is that the service and return of serve is similar to that of doubles.

Watch the video below to see if this is something you can use to improve your pickleball skills.

 

More Pickleball Videos and Information

To See additional Pickleball Videos & Information Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

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


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All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross – 2018 – JBRish.com



Pickleball: Video – Getting Out of Trouble

Jeff

If you play doubles pickleball on a regular basis, sooner or later you will find that you and your partner are in a defensive posture stuck near the baseline. If this happens, one of the best strategies is to “reset the point.” After all, it is hard to hit a winner when you are pinned near your baseline.

So what is “reseting the point?” Mark Renneson, pickleball coach and owner of Third Shot Sports, explains via the video below:

Remember, the drop shot isn’t an offensive shot. It doesn’t have to be a “winner,” it just needs to give your team time to move forward.

Do you want to Win a Trip for 2 to the 2018 USAPA National Championships in Indian Wells California? If so, CLICK HERE!

 

More Pickleball Videos and Information

To See additional Pickleball Videos & Information Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

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


**********

 

All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross – 2018 – JBRish.com



Pickleball Doubles Strategy 101 & 102 from Joe Baker

Jeff

In October of last year, I blogged about Joe Baker’s video – Doubles Pickleball Strategy 101-How to Play Smart Pickleball, Ten Tips

If you haven’t watched it and you are interested in raising the level of your doubles play, I suggest you read the post and review the video. It is an excellent video and Joe Baker teaches the strategies in a very understandable and deliberate manner. Diagrams and game footage are interspersed to make the concepts clear.

You can find this blog post, including Pickleball Strategy 101, at the link below – [Video is at the Bottom of the Page]:

Pickleball Strategy – 10 Tips to Help Win the Point

For those who have already watched the 101 series of tips, here is the follow up:

Joe Baker’s Tips for Doubles Strategy in Pickleball – 102 (Below)

Joe starts out by emphasizing that smart play that often leads to winning points and not necessarily strokes or shots.

As Joe points out, most pickleball points are lost and not won. The improper use of force causes many balls to go errant. That is to say, players often hit the ball hard when they should hit it soft and hit it soft when they should hit it hard and thus lose the point.

As Joe Baker points out, power and control are opposites:

  • Hitting the ball harder reduces control – increases errors
  • Hitting the ball softer increases control – reduces errors

Two Rules of Thumb:

  • When you must hit up on the ball, hit softly
  • When you hit down on the ball, hit harder

Watch the video for complete explanations of the above ideas! I hope you learn some great points as I did!

Pickleball: Improve Your Doubles Game

Jeff

If you read a number of hints from the Pickleball coaches and advanced players, they will often provide similar ideas about how to play a better doubles game.

  • One highlight is to “move together” so that there are no “gaps” in your offensive or defensive positions.

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  • Another often stated principal is to focus on placement and not so much on power. Hitting the ball where your opponents ARE NOT is a better strategy because it tends to cut down on unforced errors such as hitting the ball out of bounds, etc.

Below is a brief video from Pickleball 411 if you want to see these concepts in action:



Pickleball 411: Three Tips to a Better Doubles Team