ready position

Pickleball – Lose Time, Lose the Point!

Jeff

Sarah Ansboury has won many pickleball championships. She is a coach and player who shares her hard-earned knowledge of pickleball via her blog. You can read more about her HERE.

Sarah recently wrote an article, The Most Common and Most Deadly Pickleball Mistake , in which she explains how in our fast sport of pickleball seconds and fractions of seconds can make a difference.

As she explains, one way we lose time is by not returning to the ready position. This is often seen during a dinking sequence. Most players, and I am one of them, tend to keep their paddle down when dinking begins. What happens if the ball is returned as a forehand or an intended lob and our paddles are down? We now have to move the paddle farther to attempt a return.

You can read the entire article at the link above to see how Sarah Ansboury recommends you improve your game by eliminating this bad habit.

A companion article which continues the theme is Returning a Lob Serve…Take Time Away from Your Opponent.

 

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)

More Pickleball Strategy & Tips from Jeff Shank – Video

Jeff

Things to watch for in this video

  • Why would Jeff want to “fake” poach a ball?
  • What is a good ready position? Where should the paddle be?
  • What paddle adjustment needs to be made when a ball is hit at your feet?
  • What adjustment to your stroke do you need to make if you are back-peddling?
  • Listen to Jeff’s explanation regarding how to defend a shot going around the post. (see the note below)

    • NOTE – Some players may not realize that a ball does not have to go over the net to be a valid shot in pickleball. If your team hits a ball wide so that it pulls the player to the side of the court and your opponent is able to hit the ball around the post (i.e. without it going over the net) and it lands on your team’s side of the court in bounds, it is a legitimate shot.

  • What does Jeff suggest is a key to getting a shot to go deeper, especially the serve?
  • Watch and listen to how Jeff suggests a player can avoid hitting the ball into the net on an easy, high ball when you are moving forward to the net.

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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)