How to Move Like a Master

"Master, with the hot weather my heart rate is climbing!" exclaimed Po, the acolyte.

"Hrumph," grunted the Master who was working on his next book with a working title of "Details of the Inside Out Backhand when a Tailwind is Blowing, Volume 3."  He was well into the 43rd chapter and did not like the interruption.

'What are you saying, Po?  You are out of breath?"

"Yes, Master, I seem to be working too hard or my condition is lacking."

Another grunt from the Master as he puts down his pen, straightens up and regards Po with a tiny bit of interest.

"Whom were you playing, Po, that brought you to the edge of exhaustion?"

"I was in a game with Do and Jo.  As you know Do is a heavy hitter and I struggle with his game."

"Ah, yes, Do has the sad story of a childhood growing up in a tennis family.  Even worse they played on clay and spent all their time at the baseline, hitting long shots, and sliding too and fro, like chickens scratching for a nice pebble to swallow.  Well, the monastery's feelings on tennis are well known, but lack universal adoption.  And we are all worse for it.  Perhaps in another hundred years or so..."  the Master leaned back and his face took a serene set as he imagined the future that might come to be.  He shook himself and returned to the imperfect present.

"So you struggled with Do?  In what way?  We must understand what you were doing before we can find a solution."

"I was moving well, I thought, but I kept getting caught trying to hit Do's shots.  He was hitting up my sideline or short to my cross court and I was lunging and running to try to catch up."

"Yes, Po, a classic problem.  Fortunately there is a classic solution.  You must run less."

"Less, Master?  I can't get to the ball now.  How will less running get me anywhere?" asked Po, as sweat seeped out on his brow.

"Po, you are still just learning and now it is time to learn more about court movement.  Shall we start with a question or two?"

Po nodded and reached for his personal scroll and pen, ready to scribe the knowledge of the Master.

"As you know Po, there is a five volume set of books describing all the current theory on court movement.  You as a student have not been tasked with learning them yet.  Let us look into one facet of this topic for a moment.

"If you were at the baseline warming up with Do, would you get all of the balls back?"

"I think I would rarely miss, Master."

"And if you were drilling from the transition area, would you get all of the cross court shots hit to you?"

"Yes, almost all, though not as well as from the baseline."

"That is correct, Po.  You have more time when practicing.  Is it obvious now why that is true?"

A light went on in Po's face.  "I understand Master, when I'm practicing, I'm at rest when the ball is hit to me!"

"Exactly Po.  You are ready, in a good setup position, paddle properly placed and looking for all the possible shots.  Sadly in a point, those fundamentals are tossed aside like last nights melon skins.  

"The non-master is likely to be running, or trying to stop when the ball is hit to him.  All motion creates momentum.  And a momentum burden needs to be shed for the next shot.  Oh, yes, of course if your momentum carries you to the right and that's where the next ball comes, then you look like you know what you are doing.  But if the ball goes to the other side, it frequently cannot be returned.  It's very sad to watch a returnable ball vanish past a player.

"Po, we do not want to the game to one of guessing.  The elegance of pickleball is to pressure your opponent to eventually give you the scoring opportunity you want.  To do that you must also return his shots.  Do favors two shots due to his tennis background.  Which will he hit?  If Do is playing well, we will not know until we see him hit it.  And while he hits the ball, we need to be ready for either shot, or even a rare shot up the middle.

"To maximize the ability to reach all shots, we need to run less than you are used to.  You must stop and compose yourself earlier.  Place the paddle where it needs to be and empty your mind.  Relaxation will let you move your fastest and let you move in any direction.  Let your calmness flow around you like the circles of a pond which has accepted a pebble tossed into it.  

"Here is your homework Po.  In the next few games you play, make sure your are fully stopped before the ball gets to your opponent.  Be conscious of this.  You cannot be unconscious until you've done it deliberately.  So start with deliberate action and let it modify your game.  Take no more than two steps before stopping and waiting for the next shot.

"Learn this Po and take one more step towards the Master's podium."

"Yes, Master, I will. Thank you for sharing you knowledge."

"It is I who thank you, Po.  This conversation reminds me of when I was like you, young, and needing of direction.  How many years was that?  More than leaves on a tree.  Now, be off with you, I have more writing to do."  The Master redipped his pen and bent back over his papers.