The Pickleball Doctor saves Bob

"Do you know why you are here?" asked Dr. Fixemup?

"I was told that I had to come in," said Bob, eager pickleball player.

"Yes, well sometimes it's difficult for us to realize that we need help.  Your regular partners petitioned the pickleball court to have you come in."

"Can I leave at any time?"

"Let's not worry about that now, let's see if we can make some progress.  We are here to help you."

"Well, ok, I guess.  Though I don't know that I have any problems..."

"The reports I have read seem to suggest there are some rough edges, which we call 'areas of improvement.'  Shall we get started?"

"Ok," Bob said, in a tone that suggested he was tired of the whole thing already, would much rather be playing, and also had a touch of surrender in it.  Clearly the first steps towards healing and noted by the good doctor.

"Let's start with net play, Bob.  Your partners hint that you are not comfortable with dinking.  How would you respond to that 'suggestion'?"

"Hey, I dink.  It's not as fun as banging an overhead, but I do it."

"Bob, we are not here to judge, but to understand.  How many dinks in a row would you say is a healthy number?"

"Maybe one or two?  It's not really important how many, is it?"

"Well, Bob, there is a difference of opinion on that in the literature.  How would you feel if your partner only dinked and never sped the ball up?"

"That's just wrong!  You want to hit the ball and win the point."

"Bob, we don't say right or wrong here.  We just present alternatives for life skills.  You mentioned that you don't dink a lot, how does that make your partners feel?"

"I never thought of their feelings, I was just trying to win the point.  But maybe they would be unhappy if a speed up or aggressive shot went out?"

"Why, Bob, do your partners play pickleball, do you think?"

"To win, Right?"

"Perhaps, Bob, but can you think of other reasons?"

"Some seem to be more than interested in talking, than playing.  What's that all about, Doc?"

"Again, we don't judge here, Bob.  Many reasons are valid and can be incorporated in balanced life outlook.  Social, physical, mental reasons are all valid.  Are you happy to dink say, five times in a row?"

"I guess that's ok.  Am I fine with it?  Nah, that's poor play I think.  In just a few shots, there are opportunities for aggression."

"Is aggression a good way to go through life, Bob?  Could you miss opportunities when being aggressive?"

"Hmm, well, if the ball I speed up is not quite high enough, I could end the point early and not in my favor.  It's a skill like any other...  I owe it to my partners to play the best game I can."

"What should the play be if your partner and you disagree on what play style is the better?  Have you talked to your partners about this?"

"No, we drill and play, there is not much talking."

"What kind of drills do you do?"

"Mostly dinking, I guess.  I don't really know, I kind of go along with what my partners want to do."

"If they want to do dink drills, maybe they are trying to tell you something?"

"What?  No, it's just a drill."

"Is it Bob?  Maybe it's an attempt to bring you over to a more gentle style?"

"Gosh, Doc.  I don't know.  Sure dinking is low key compared to hitting the ball.  I guess my partners like it.  Maybe.  I like my partners.  I could try dinking more.  Or maybe hitting some lobs?  I like to lob."

"Bob, our time is about up here.   I'd like you to think about your style of play and what your partners might like to see from you."

"Are we done, doctor?"

"No, Bob, I've scheduled you for weekly sessions for the rest of the season.  Your comment about liking lobs, will require some deep therapy.  We'll have to get you on the couch next time and see what we can resolve.  There is no shame in getting help.

"Now, to improve, I suggest that you try to dink at least three times in all points.  Hopefully consecutively.  Try to be soft.  Points can be won by being gentle."

"Thank you Doc.  I'll give it a try.  I didn't realize how I was stressing my partners."

The doctor noted signs of improvement is his notepad.

Bob came in for weekly sessions for the rest of the year.  He learned to like to dink and drop.  His speed ups dwindled until he became known for never hitting a hard ball.  His partners were not happy about that.  They seemed to have destroyed the vibrant side of Bob.  But that is another session in the Bob Saga.

---

Doctor's Note: This is a fictionalized case study from my best selling book, "Pickleball Therapy and the Right Minded Player," and it does not represent any individual player.  However the play and therapy techniques are quite real and can be safely applied to the general public.  Good play and mental health.  -- Dr. Fixemup.

 

Why a Drop is Better for a Third Shot

After I reached a certain level of pickleball play, I learned about third shot drops.  I had not heard of them early in my play as I started with two other friends and we taught ourselves to play.  We were starting from scratch, we had all played tennis, so it wasn't too hard to play proto-pickleball, but of the interesting details and shots, we knew nothing.  I found some videos and made my friends watch them.  What is a game without homework?  

The three of us played at the Downs for about a year.  It was pre-Covid and we never saw another player.  We played two on one for that entire time.  Finally we found a fourth.

Then Covid showed up and then a hoard of players showed up and the rest is history.  Two of the original four retired after pickleball injuries.  

Now since those early days, I like to think that my knowledge of the game has moved on a bit.  And I wanted to talk about third shot drops.  They showed up in my experience at some point, probably not early on.  My early play was pretty ignorant.  Ok, on to discussion.

My current "model" of the game is that it's like king of the hill.  The hill being the kitchen line or net area.  Dominate that and you dominate the game.

To that end, all play that allows you to move towards the net, is good stuff and ought to be encouraged.  

Drop shots are the main tool that the serving sides uses to get to the net.  There is nothing more effective than a good drop.  

Frequently a third shot drive is effective, but it less effective in allowing the team to move up.  My reasoning for that is that a drive is a harder hit shot and thus is returned faster.  If you move up when hitting a drive, you might get only one or two steps before you have to defend the fourth shot.  With a drop, more time is available and you can move forward earlier and you have more time to move.

If the service returner is not coming forward to the net, then always drive back at them and you rush the net.  

Finally, I find it easier to play when I know that partner is going to drop.  I will move up as the drop is hit and hopefully be ready to aggressively defend the fifth shot from the kitchen line.  A driven shot requires that the serving side needs to hang back a bit and see how the fourth shot is handled.  

That's my case for a third shot drop.  Yes, they are more difficult to hit than a drive, but more satisfying when they come off.  If you hit a bad third shot, you stay back and defend.  That defense is a needed skill and don't feel you failed because the third was not perfect.

Mini lesson on how to hit a drop.  The key to this shot is to lift the ball and to do this you want a swing that will end over your head.  Think of a big lazy, long swing.  The ball should be at least eight feet in the air at its apex.  Too high is not an issue, but how close it comes to the net is vital.  A high shot will be dropping vertically and is hard to hit.

But Wait, here is a bit more... Apparently a third shot lob is an actual thing.  I'm not a great fan of lobs as I think they distort the time space fabric and are awkward at the best of times.  But you can lob as a third shot.  The downside would that you hit it out or you get an overhead back, both of which you'll have to weigh against pushing the people off the net.  So maybe a frequency analysis would be a good thing before doing this a lot.

Pickleball 201

 So you've played a bit and can hit the ball forehand and backhand and your serves are in 90% of the time, what's the next step to being a better player? 

In my opinion, the next step is to be where you need to be.  Let's call this looking ahead one shot.  Let me lay out a framework of a point played at the reasonable level.  I'll sprinkle in notes about defense and offense along the way.

And like most PB discussions we need to talk of server versus receiver sides as their roles are very different at the start of all points and until both sides make it to the net.  The servers are, by design, behind in any point and are playing defense.  

OK, let's look at a typical point played at a skilled level:

1) The Serve: The best practice for a server is to get the ball in.  Deeper is better than shorter and backhand is usually better than forehand, but being in is the most important point.

2) Second Shot, service return:  A good serve will be deep on your backhand side.  So be prepared to return that shot.  However most shots will on average bounce in the middle of your service box.  If the serve is not too challenging then you have options as to where to hit the return.

A service return ought to go up the middle and towards the guy who served.  The non-server is looking for something to do, best to keep him idle.  The server is recovering from hitting the serve and he might not be fully ready to return the second shot, or may have stepped into the court due to an inferior serving style.

In any case, hit the serve back and move to the kitchen line - this is vital and there is no case where you don't do this.  The ball has to bounce, you want to be ready to defend the third shot and that means not running and at the net.

3) Third Shot (fifth, seventh, all odd points when not yet at the net):

We expect the Second shot to be up the middle and towards the server.  The best return will be deep, so we want to be behind the service line in order to hit a good third.  If we get a shorter ball, we can easily move up and hit it.  Pro tip: the sound of the second shot will give some indication of how hard it was hit and how short it might be.  

Hit the third shot to the person who returned the serve.  That person might still be moving towards the net, or moving, or, heaven forbid, is hanging back by the baseline.  That person is more likely to not be ready to return a ball.  

If the player who hits the second shot does not come to the kitchen line, always, always hit it deep to the backhand and immediately rush the net.  You now have split the opponents and you control the net.  This is a perfect situation to win the point on the fourth or sixth shot.  This is the situation most favorable to your side.

If both opponents are at the net, as they should be, then drive the third ball hard or drop it.  I prefer the drop, but either is workable.  (It's best if your partner knows what you like to do as he should/can be moving up if it's a drop shot and not moving if it's a drive.)

Driving the ball is fine, but you are still at a disadvantage if your side is not at the net.  So you have to stop driving the ball and start dropping it at some point.  The sooner the better in my view.  Players who keep driving the ball do a couple of things.  They never move up, they usually hit a lot of shots long, and it's not too difficult to defend.  Note that if they hit with a lot of top spin, they can be effective if they can get the ball to dip below the net, but anyone who hits these shots with some cut and or side spin are in trouble.  

For all shots after the second, you want to volley the ball if you can.  One of the advantages to moving aggressively into the transition area, or to the kitchen, is to volley the next shot.  Sure, some shots are harder to return from the transition area, but any volley gains a lot of time and advantage.

4) Fourth, sixth, all even shots - assumes the opps are not at the net: this shot should be deep in the middle of the court.  This is the best chance to keep the servers from the net.  If they are moving into the transition area, a ball to their feet is the best choice.  Putting it in the middle is the best chance for an unforced error.  With middle shots, it might not be clear who is to return it and there may be a coverage gap or folks not willing to sacrifice a paddle to return a shot.   If the third shot was a good drop, then better to make a good dink than a bad harder shot.  

If everyone is at the net, then we are dinking.  Speed up if you can hit a good one.  Otherwise, work on hitting a good dink.

A defensive exchange is not discussed much in the literature, but in a pro match where either third or fifth shot drops are de require, about 10% of the drops will be volleyed and a defensive battle from baseline towards the net will ensue.  This battle of drives from the net and blocks and lobb-ish things from the baseline.  The point resolves when either the baseliners make a low/soft enough shot to get to the net (i.e., a ball that can't be volleyed), or the net holders manage to get an angle and put the ball away.  

I think rec players see this kind of point as a basic mistake, but it's actually a large component of play from the servers' point of view at the pro level and probably is about 80% of points in some rec game.  That varies with skill level.  In a game where the unforced errors are minimal, it's usually very difficult to score.

5) The Rest of the Shots: The net/dink play continues until something happens.  An error, speed up, boredom, or lob come to mind.  But the main thing is to cover the middle.  In doing so, you are leaving your sideline open a bit.  This is ok.  It is harder to hit than you might think.  If a player is going to try to go down the line, they usually will telegraph it with a bigger windup or a sneaky gleam in the eyes.  So while you are covering the middle like a nice smear of mayonnaise, be ready to shift quickly to cover the line.  

---

Let's summarize a bit about the shots mentioned above.  The careful reader will note that the recommended shots are up the middle.  So as a defender of those shots, you need to defend the middle.  One or both players have to have a paddle ready to return those shots.  Defending the court where each player has his side of the court to defend is not the best.  It's better to overlap the middle and leave room on the far side to the opponents.  What I mean by the far side, is the side away from where the ball will be hit.  This changes as the ball moves around, so this coverage of middle and side must shift from side to side as the ball moves around.  

In dink contests, we still want to cover the middle well.  I've found it possible for one of the players to be very close to straddling the center line.  It looks like this opens a lot of the court, but it's difficult to hit that shot.  It's usually predictable as demeanor and paddle positions will change to hit that shot.  A watchful defender is rarely surprised.  From this middle position, quick backhand shots and poaches are possible.  If the opponents try for a middle shot, you are well positioned to defend.  Paddle up and be eager!

Speaking of middle coverage, I played a couple of games with Angel this past week, it was surprising how close we were to each other during play.  Our paddles when stretched out would more than overlap the middle.

Back to our main theme of being at the right place is to use the above structure to expect the location of the next shot.  If the ball should come up the middle, then be there.  If your side hits a good short shot, then advance and look for a popup.  

The earlier you move, the more time you have to get there and more slowly you have to move.  If you watch pro matches you'll see the service returner sprints to the kitchen line.  They hit the ball hard, so there is less time before the third shot comes back - less time, then move faster.

Can this all be summed up as, "Block the middle, face and crowd your opponents?"  Perhaps and as a summary, I wouldn't argue with that.  Of course if everyone follows that, then the variations become more important, but the basics are vital.  If you play with random partners, then these basics should be common ground.

One of the goals in any sport is to get to the level where most of the unforced errors don't happen.  At that level you enter into a bit of cat and mouse, where out maneuvering your opponent is a vital element.  Pickleball with its steep learning curve allows you to get close to this level fairly quickly.  If everyone plays the above structure well, you'll be in a dinking game a lot of the time and then you try to out dink / out think your opponent.  Physical movement, psychology, and a puzzle to solve; it's a great game!

---

Editor's note:  This has gone through a bunch of iterations.  It's getting terse and with terseness comes heavy, laden prose.  Which is fine, but you can't read it quickly.  This may be a problem with all instructional writing.  You need a flow that's not too light, not too heavy.  So best to stop here.  

I can see an instruction manual coming out of this.  All the shots are there, no instructions about how to hit the shots, but that's too much for this.  

In re hitting shots, Scott has talked about it.  I've not covered it much in other posts.  I think it's somewhat easy to pickup since the paddles are light and so is the ball.  You can get away with some bad technique, where, for example, you might not be able to do that with tennis.  So stay tuned.

Doubles Match Ben Johns, the Waters, and McGuffin

 Here is an interesting doubles match.  Ben Johns and AL Waters v. McGuffin and Momma Waters.

There are a couple of things that struck me as worthy of note.  

1) Watch Ben's shoulder action when he is serving.  This is not an arm swing, but a 90 degree shoulder rotation.  He's getting a lot of speed and top spin with it.

2) There are a lot of unforced errors in the match.  The first game seemed to have more than the other games.  But not a lot of put aways; netted balls and long shots were rife.  Errors were made on very common shots.  If you doubt your game watch this and you'll feel that you're not that bad.

3) There is a huge advantage to volleying the ball.  If you watch closely the tempo of a point changes the minute the ball can't be volleyed.  So volley when you can and try to make sure the opponents can't -- hit at the feet, a slower ball that must bounce are the usual tricks.

4) Anna Leigh is getting into the middle of court aggressively even before her side (servers) is up at the net.  She is ready to block and volley from there and it's more of that "in your face" style that she plays constantly.  Considering it's mixed doubles, is rare that the girl crowds the middle as she does.  When everyone is at the net, then she cedes most of the court to Ben, but before he's there, she's there.

5) When it's a cross court dink battle, note asymmetry of setup.  Frequently both players on one side would be squeezed into half the court.  There is no middle gap on any dink battle.  It looks doable to leave almost a full half court open on your dominate side, well, it seems workable for McGuffin, who does it a lot.  

This is a pretty entertaining match.  I don't watch too many of them anymore as they get pretty repetitive after a while.  But this one held my attention.  

Remember to keep a finger on the the right arrow button as that will advance the feed by 5 seconds (on my browser) so you can skip all the movement to get ready for the next point.

Here is the link address:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQdCnmZ4D4U

That Which Makes the World Go Around

 The club's Oldest Member was leaning on the fence and watching play.  His thermos of coffee was at hand.  His faded eyes had seen it all, but he still liked to watch the play.

The Downs had twenty courts and a few players could remember back when it was only four and no club house, or earlier still when there was no Pickleball in Livermore.

Most of the courts were busy.  The play was divided roughly by skill level.  And The Oldest Member was watching the good players, but not the best.  The good players had more fun and the points were more interesting.  Entertainment is not always about competency.

A game finished and the players came off.  Joe walked over to the Oldest Member and said hello.

Joe: Good morning.  Were you watching the play?

Oldest Member: Yes, but I didn't see all of it.  I was watching some of the match on court four, too.  

J: Ah, Jill was playing there.

OM: Yes, she was.  Her game is coming along.  Do you two play together at all?

J: Well, I'd like to.  I like her a lot.

OM: Mmm, forehand or backhand?

J: What?

OM: Do you like her for her forehand or backhand?  Maybe dinks...?

J: Oh, I get it.  Nah, she has a nice game, but if I'm honest...

OM: 'To thine own self be true'...  (His eye glazed a bit as old memories wandered through his memory.)  

J: I like her ankles.

OM: Excuse me?  (His eyes cleared, he shook his head a bit.  Maybe due to tremors, maybe just reconnection to the current world.) Ankles?

J: Ankles.

OM: Really?

J: Yes, really.   I like her ankles.

OM:  Her overheads are nice, what about those?

J: No, I love her for her ankles.

OM: Where did that come from?

J: Who knows?  Where does anything come from?  Blondes versus gingers?  I don't know.  I just know what I like.

OM: Hmmph.

J: I'd really like to date her.

OM: Have to talked to her?

J: Yes, well no, but about pickleball I mean, not love or dating.

OM:  Hmm.

J: The club championship is coming up.  I should ask her to play.

OM: Sounds like a good idea.  Gets you close to the ankles and all that.  Heh, heh.

J: <dreamily> Yes, it does...  But...

OM: A small but or a big one?

J: She is a most sought after partner.  She might be committed already.

OM: Then you should ask her promptly.

J: Well, she is still playing.

OM: She has to come off the court at some point.  Like pickleball defense, being in the right place is what the game is all about.  Your pickleball game is good, apply it to your love life.

J: <dreamily> Love life,...  Ankles...

OM: I've got to go, good luck with your quest.

J: Thanks.  I'll let you know.

The OM left the park and headed home.  He drove to avoid the outlet mall that drew crowds all day, every day.  The driving of the customers around the mall had not gotten better as the mall had grown.  The crazy driving had amused him 15 years ago.  Now it was a constant annoyance and he avoided the area as a matter of happiness.

He thought briefly about Joe and Jill.  They were both good players, sound of mind and all that.  Did they belong together?  Who knew?  But, ankles?  What was that really all about?  Joe seemed pretty normal.  Considering the sportswear found on pickleball courts, it seemed that focusing on ankles left a lot of other elements neglected.

The OM didn't return to the courts until after the club championship.  And Joe had not gotten back to him.  It mattered not and the OM had forgotten Joe's problem.

When the OM next dropped by the clubhouse and ordered a pint, a couple of weeks had gone by.

He sat at his usual table and looked forward to a nice drink with the sound of well struck pickleballs coming in the window.

Joe came into the club house, stopped by the OM's table and pulled a water bottle from his PB bag.

They nodded agreeably as each worked on their drinks.

"How are you and Jill doing?" asked the Oldest Member.

"What?  Oh, Jill, well we are not together."

"Did you summon the courage to ask her to play in the club championship?"

"Oh yes.  That was fine.  It seemed she was between partners and was willing to give me a game."

"But...?"

"Well, the story is, if you want the long version, we had a pre-game lunch, which I had hoped might lead to talk of life and children and all.  But all she wanted to talk about was pickleball."

"So, the age old dichotomy of life..."

"Yes, I wanted life, she wanted pickleball."

"Was that the end of it?"

"No, I saw how the wind was blowing and we talked PB for a long while.  The usual conversation of who, what, where, and how much.  She and I were on the same page for most of it and all was well."

"Then was the championship play a problem?" asked the OM.

"No, we won all the games in our pool and then romped undefeated through the medal games.  We won and if you look on the plaque by the door, our names are there.  So all in all the play was fine."

"Surely, a good run like that would lay the foundation for a future together?"

"You'd think so and I pressed her for dinner that night.  And she was willing."

"But it didn't go well?"

"No, the conversation was still all about pickleball.   This woman has  a problem, I think.  Every time I mentioned something else, she steered it back to wrist angles and the proper number of cross court dinks that are reasonable before trying something new."

"Yes, I can see your problem.  Err, not to be indelicate, but you didn't mention the ankles thing did you?"

"Oh, no, no.  I don't talk to many about that.  And if you are talking to a girl, you can't mention that kind of thing."

"Maybe after marriage?"

"Exactly, and not during the honeymoon either, of course."

"Of course."

"I did mention her beautiful eyes however.  And they are nice, but not as nice as her ankles.  And she steered that comment back to the color scheme on her pickleball gear bag!  And, well, there were other problems in all of this."

"Yes, go on."

"Well the day of the championship was quite cold and damp and windy.  So Jill wore these legging that went down to her shoes and then socks that went up her calves, and so you see, or not see, I guess, but the ankles were not there.  Kind of threw me off my game actually."

"How so, how much time could you be looking for ankles during play?"

"Good question, but I was thinking about it and I was a bit sad.  A sad man can't play his best I've found."

"Agreed.  The mind needs to be clear as the paddle needs to be clean."

"Yes, of course.  So there was that.  As I said we won all the games, but I had to, ah, had to, oh, I'll just come out and say it, I had to lob a couple of times as I got caught out of position and I was in an awkward spot."

"Oops.  I see.  Did Jill react to the lobs?"

"There might have been some eye rolling, I'm not sure.  My blush of annoyance and shame was burning my face and I didn't want to face anyone."

"How many lobs did you hit?"

"A lot, I think three.  Those points did not end well as one could expect."

"Yes, usually true.  Awkwardly positioned and forced to lob...  So the play was ok, as you won.  But those lapses were, ah, destructive to the future life scenario?"

"I guess.  It seemed to just collapse and the dinner ended early and we went our separate ways."

"Too bad, it looked promising for a bit."

"Yes, well..."  They both went back to their drinks and a manly silence descended over the table.  The plonk, plonk of the pickleball hits wafted in the window.  The OM worked on his Stout and Joe on his water.  Sip, gurgle, and repeat.

Joe suddenly came alert and sat up straight.  He tossed back the last of his water and starred out the window.  "I say, who is that?"

The OM swiveled around and peered through the window.  Due to the elevation of the courts and the location of the club house, most players could only be seen from the waist up.

"I'm not sure," said the OM.

"Doesn't matter, very fine ankles there.  I think I need a closer look."  With that Joe leaped up, grabbed his bag and headed for the courts.

The OM sat back, his pint nearly gone.  It was too early for another.  Perhaps he would watch a game or two before his afternoon nap.

He wandered out to the courts.  There was Joe, with someone new.  The OM watched a bit and had to admit that whoever this woman was, she had nice ankles.

Technical Validation

One of my basic fears is getting some bit of technical advice wrong.  I've not been playing that long and have avoided tournaments, so I'm hardly an expert, much less some kind of authority. 

But I was lucky to get in some practice with Angel today and as we were drilling to hit kitchen line shots back to the baseline, we were basically interlocking feet a bit, crowding one another and fighting to take the center shot.  So it looked like my positional play was spot on.  

Angel has read some of the blog in the past and I asked him if the technical side was valid.  He agreed with that and had no corrections to make.

When I approach some thought on what is reasonable, useful, and perhaps new, I apply it to my own play for a time before it gets written here.  

Now Randy, on the other hand, mentioned that he agreed with what was written "mostly..."   Perhaps he'll chime in with the bits that strike him as incorrect.

So far no real corrections!  Play on!

Thoughts on Volleys

 In order to make this game as easy as possible, it seems to me that you want to volley every ball you can.  They used to say that about tennis too.  I'm not sure of the state of that game.  But it was serve and volley when I played it.  Let's return to PB and how that might apply.

As usual we need to divide the play into the servers and the returners.  Obviously the returners want to volley the third and hopefully all the rest of the shots.  After the second shot is hit, both of the returners should be on the way to the net.  No excuses!

The servers have that pesky second ball to deal with.  And it's a problem because they have to let it bounce.  We will return to that in a moment.

But after the third is hit, the servers should strive to volley everything too.  Even if they are not at the kitchen, a volley is a better shot to make.  Reasons for that statement are: the ball can usually be hit at a comfortable height, you don't have to worry as much about spin, you'll avoid bad bounces, and a volleyed ball is returned faster to the opponents, robbing them of movement time.

(I've not mentioned dinking at all in this post.  But my current thinking on dinking is to volley all of them if you can.  Same reasons.)

In my view both sides want to volley.  Initially the servers goal is to achieve parity and that means getting to the net.  Hanging back deep in the court is not a good way to move up.  Hit a third, try to volley the fifth and keep moving up.

I've recently been moving forward a lot more and earlier than I used to.  I'm finding it more comfortable to do so.  Maybe my hands are getting faster.  This does require a reasonable shot from partner.  I'm ahead of him and if it is a soft, high ball, that can end the point.  A drop is a better choice.  If one of the opponents is out of position, id est, too far back, then just dumping the ball into the court and capturing the net is a good move.

I've also found that when forward of partner, that most shots are then hit to my partner.  Since I try to crowd the center of the court, this forces the shots to be on the side third of the court.  There are not any angles to hit as I'm blocking the crossing point.  As long as partner is up to the extra attention, it seems to work pretty well.

OK, let's look at the pain and trouble we want to cause our opponents.  If I can force the opponents to hit a bounced ball, I gain a lot of time.  The ball slows dramatically when it bounces.  That's time to be more prepared for defense.  It also keeps the opponents frozen in place as they wait for the bounce.

The rule of thumb is to keep the opponents back.  I'd agree with that, but the ball that keeps them back ought to make them move their feet a bit.  Side to side or up and back are all good.  And if I can get the ball to bounce I'm very happy with it.  Same reasons as before, they might have to half volley it, they can't volley it, more time for us, etc.

One more case that shows up more than it should and that's a service returner who does not sprint to the kitchen line after the second shot.  How to punish this?  You want to hit it to the player in the back.  He has split his team as his partner is at the net.  And if we hit a ball that is semi deep, to a backhand we can probably capture the net.  If the 4th shot is not good, it can be hit through the open lane between the opponents.

What I don't want to do is to hit it hard to the opponent in the back where he could volley and drive it back at me or out, as we are way ahead in the play and it's silly to throw that away trying to win the point outright.  I want them to have to play a shot from a low position that I can then drive downwards.

A lot of this happened on Wednesday.  A couple of time 5th shots could be volleyed and were not - partner didn't follow a good 3rd shot in when he could have.  

Also we had chances to get to the KL by playing a shorter ball to opps who were deep/didn't come up.  Dump the ball, get position and look for a put away, or a long ball -- that happened a lot.

When I was up, I crowded the middle and worked.  I don't think I got punished much for being there.

This new philosophy is kind of a high pressure, get in the face kind of thing.  Does it belong in rec play?  Is it fun for all concerned?  I'd suggest not at all levels or when playing against much weaker opponents.  It's a lot like poaching and I think that poaching has a time and place and probably should not be done in various cases.

(Of course lobbing is a wonderful shot and should be used whenever possible.  There is no situation where a lob is not a good idea.  ;-))

Get Closer to Your Partner as You Move to the Kitchen Line

 John Cincola has created another video on YouTube about basic movement.  

Basically, he says, if your side hits a shot that will bounce, your team needs to move toward the kitchen line.  It's all about blocking as wide an angle as possible to be able to return the next shot.

Conversely, if the ball won't bounce (and your opponents are at the kitchen line) then hang back to give your side more time to defend, as the return is going to be volleyed.

What John didn't mention, is that it is frequently a really good idea for both you and your partner to get close together.  And the overlap of coverage will be in the middle.  He has some nice diagrams on what the coverage is.  The video link is below.

As you rush towards the net, you rush towards the ball's position.  Don't just rush forward.  Note also that you want to be moving before the ball lands.  As soon as it looks good, get going.  If your partner is good at drops or the opponent(s) has hung back, then move before the ball is struck.  You can move ahead of your partner's hit in these cases.  If your partner likes to drive the ball, then hanging back a bit is reasonable play.

Also you don't/can't cover the whole court, think about covering about 2/3s of it.  If the opps hit the hero shot, good for them.  If you and your partner are close together, then you can't cover the entire court -- don't worry about it.

Here is the video link.  It's worth the watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R60Y17nUt8

The Man Who Couldn't Dink

 Bernie Untertopf was a newish pickleball player.  Or at least he wanted to be.  He had come from another sport, far, far away and he lacked a lot of the needed skills to move up in the PB world.

He managed to master most of them as he played regularly, but the skill that eluded him the most was dinking.  He tried and tried.  Read "An Idiot's Guide to Dinking," watched YouTube videos, "If you Don't Do This, You'll Never Dink Properly," until his eyes required glasses.  But still he couldn't do it.  He was athletic enough and young enough that the game shouldn't have been that hard.  It seemed to have become a mental issue.  He tended to tense up when playing and when it came time to hit a soft shot, he would freeze and dump the ball in the net, or slap at it and hit it out.  While he might be deadly at mosquitos, hitting the hanging drop shot was not his best.

He played at the local club and was there frequently.  He had time off in the mornings and could usually play three times a week.

He found a group of advanced beginners and did well.  At the beginning level, the need to dink was not a hindrance to social play and acceptance.  And there he stayed.  Without the dink he wasn't going anywhere.  Interestingly, he hardly noticed.  He had good days and bad and played and had a reasonably good time.

Nancy Machtbesser was a lady if a certain age.  Too young to be a cat lady, old enough to be comfortable in who she was, she owned three pickleball paddles all of different colors, for example, and didn't care who knew about it.

She cared about stuff, too much, it must be said, about all sorts of other things.  The environment, her Corvette, organic food, beef jerkey, proper recycling categories, and good plastic wrap, for example.  

A free spirit as it were and after having traded away her last flat of rescued succulents, was looking for a project.  The soup kitchen was fully staffed and fully souped.  The veterans' dining hall was fully decorated.  All her friends were healthy.  Her library books were all returned.  Her favorite authors had nothing new for her to read.  In short she was bored and ready for something new.

Nancy set her eyes on Bernie.  She liked what she saw, except for the dinking of course.  His other strokes were reasonable, he wasn't enamored with any strange shots, he didn't lob much, for example.  He looked like broken in shoes, that would be a comfortable fit and ready for a lively walk.  But not too old, nor too worn, he looked just right, with a bit of moderation. Well there was the dinking hole in the sole that needed patching...

She decided that Bernie was her next project.  She could "fix" him, she was sure, er, not like fixing a stray dog, of course, but could still help set him up for a better future.

Nancy had come from tennis and in spite of that, had developed a good pickleball short game.  The only reason she noticed Bernie is that she had friends in the beginners' group.

Nancy cut Bernie out of the heard.  No cowboy would have done it better with a rope and pony.  One day he was in one corral and the next day another.  They started to play together, then the old, "let's go for out for coffee" thingy happened.  Who can resist that siren song, hmm?  And resist he didn't.

"Bernie, we have something to talk about," Nancy said, while slurping at her Americano.

"Ok, what's on your mind?" a rich, dark roast in his cup.  This was a nice coffee shop, where coffee came in cups and was not in  permeable cardboard with ill fitting lids.

"I was thinking, Bernie, that I can help you with your problem."

"Well, my car is due for a wash, but I don't think it's anything I need help with..."

"No, I was thinking about pickleball."

"Oh.  Oh.  And what problem is it?"

"Well, Bernie, you don't dink much.  I need you to dink.  It's frankly a bit embarrassing.  You don't do it when you should and mess it up when you shouldn't."

"I know, I know, "he said wearily, " I struggle with it.  It seems against my nature.  I can hit and serve and stuff, but that dinking is tough for me," Bernie's thoughts returned to the five dinks he had netted, hit off of ordinary dinks.   Not the difficult dinks where anyone, and on occasion everyone, misses, but the biscuits and gravy type of dinks, where the pressure is minimal and even someone with very slow, large feet could get to them and get them back.

"Oh, Bernie, I sense your pain and it's a deep fester I'm sure.  Maybe a sign of a difficult childhood?" Nancy, was used to reading psychological self help books.  Perhaps the self help library could actually help someone besides the authors and publishers?

"I don't know about that, my mom and I get along well..."

"Maybe you just need to relax more.  Maybe it's stress?"  That was another book on Nancy's shelf, "Live a Stress Free Life and Live Long and Prosper."  That book had many unusual fans.

"Well, my job is pretty stressful.  No one appreciates how much accountants struggle to get every penny correct.  So many folks just say 'close enough!' but that doesn't work in my business.  When I play in the mornings, I often am thinking about work later in the day.  A lost penny here, and then one there and pretty soon you are up to a dollar," Bernie chuckled at the old accountants' joke.  It was an old one, but a good one.

"Ah, I thought so.  Work has its purpose, I suppose, but helping with dinks seems not to be it.  Tell you what, come over for dinner on Friday and I'll fix you something nice and we'll work on relaxation exercises."

"I'd like that.  I don't get a homemade meal all that often.  I'll bring some wine.  Red or white?"

"Don't be silly, of course red.  We won't be having fish or pasta!  Red meat is the answer to stress," she said it as if it were obvious, commonly known, and fundamental, like refraction and nuclear resonance.

The meal on Friday was lamb shanks in a thick rich gravy, with a bottle of wine and that was just what was in the gravy.  Bernie and Nancy drank the other two bottles.  After they had eaten and all were fed and full, Nancy stood and took Bernie's hand.

"Come with me and I'll relax you."

He did and she did.  Nancy believed in complete stress relief, she had read many books and was willing to share all of them.  The details are not important and we will draw a curtain across them.  Our story resumes some thirty six hours later...

On Sunday, they returned to the pickleball court.  A careful observer might have noticed a weakness in Bernie's knees, and a tremor in his hand, his non-paddle hand thankfully, and the hint of smile and some lassitude in his demeanor.  Yes, Bernie had been truly relaxed.  He had never been this relaxed.

His stress vanquished,  his fear of a missing penny or two gone, and his play was a revelation.  His baseline shots were deep and throbbed with cut spin, except for the ones with top spin.  His angles were acute when his opponents were obtuse and vise versa when required.  

His drops were the drops of the Gods.  And as he drew close to the kitchen line, lo, his hands remained steady, his eyes keen and shoulders ready to gently lift the ball and place it just so.  Bernie became a dinker.  He embraced it, he succeeded, he fell in love with the soft and short game.  Where he used to slap the ball, he now caressed, instead of an infinite variety of netted balls, he now could drip one after the other over the net, like dropping donut dough into a fryer, and hitting his corners were as nonchalant as 5.0 at a 3.0 picnic game.

The fear of the net vanished and the yippy slap shots were gone forever.  Bernie was a changed player.

Nancy and Bernie romped, if that is the word, through their normal opponents.  Mistakes were so seldom that it seemed a practice session.  Nancy observed this with a satisfied feeling that it was a project gone well, but wistful in that Bernie was done in one, like the inside out shot down the line to a center leaning poacher wannabe.  Bernie was on his way and he didn't need her anymore.  

The only task left, was to gently send Bernie on his way.  

Between games she had gotten a text.  The animal welfare group she worked with, "Felines for Friends," had an entire litter of kittens that needed someone to raise them.  Feedings every four hours for a month.  Yes, Nancy was on call and ready to take them on.

They finished playing that morning. Bernie glowed with victory and new skills.  His hands were the calm of a large rock well placed in a sluggish stream, his knees had recovered from their earlier weakness.  He was ready to climb the pickleball ladder.  Who knew how high it went?

"Nancy, that was great play today," he said.  His eyes sparkling and his confidence on the top shelf where one finds all the best bottles.

"Bernie, I'm so proud.  You dinked like a fiend and played like a young devil!"

"Shall we celebrate our play this evening?  I've got some more wine," he waggled his eyebrows in a suggestive fashion, with the confidence of a man who knows more than his share about, say, a high backhand roll shot, or extended means of stress relief.

"Oh, Bernie, I'm sorry, but our time is up.  We've worked wonders with your game and you are now ready to move on.  Go find the 4.0 game and impress them.  I'll never forget this weekend, but we can't do it again.  You are cured and I've got kittens to raise.  I'll be up all night and not fit for company for a long while."

Bernie pondered this.  It was not what he had expected to hear.  The weekend and now the play this morning seemed a dream.  And now, the dream was over, it seemed.  But it was one of those dreams that you remember and cherish, he supposed, not the ones you barely remember and you lose yourself trying to recall them.

His world was upended again it seems.  He found ultimate relaxation and a short game all in one weekend.  Now part of that was going away.

"I understand, Nancy.  I'll not stand between you and the kittens.  Send me a picture, please."

"I will Bernie," she said wistfully.

They took their leave.  They never played again.  Nancy was not on the courts for a couple of months.  Bernie moved up to the 4.0 group and then a bit beyond.  He played in other cities and was much in demand as a partner.  He truly had been fixed.  He played, improved and moved on.

Nancy raised her kittens and found them homes.  The smallest kitten, whom needed the most help, grew strong, became a little tiger, and was the last adopted, she named Bernie.

Playing with a New Partner

 A bit of autobiography here in a PB sense...

It seems to me that the better you get, the more balls you can and want to hit.  Following a volley with two more volleys and moving into your partner's side of the court is part of that.  Your partner should move out of the way and let you have the room to finish the point.

Of course your partner is thinking the same way and while a two or three shot sequence is not difficult to stay out of, what is a problem is who gets the first shot.  It's usually in the middle somewhere, as shots to the side are obviously someone's.  

So we have a middle shot that is the problem.  The crisscross model is a good one (take the ball that is heading towards you, even if you are encroaching on partner's side of the court).  But there is still a spot where the ball is up for grabs.

The better the players, the more quickly they are going to do something about that ball.  The worst case is in the transition area and it's more dangerous when the ball is head height or so.  I've been hit by paddles a couple of times and it's left marks and some damage.

If it's rec play and you've not played much together there are going to be problems.  The best solution is to call the ball.   When I was starting out, I never saw the value of this and was, perhaps, a bit self conscious to do it.  But it's very useful and safer to call the shots.  It's better if one of the partners calls all shots, but even if you call the shots you are going to take it's better than not.

The issue with both calling is that if no one speaks up, you may both take a stab at the ball.  Paddles collide, etc.  I'd suggest that going back to the crisscross model for those, but they tend to be shots that are directly up the middle and it's often not clear who should take them.  

You could use a "forehand takes middle" for sure, but that almost needs to be explicitly stated and repeated as the players change sides.

That's my take and if anyone has a better solution I'd like to hear it.

The Story of Jim and Lucinda

Chapter 1 

(Editor's note, there is only one chapter and it's not too long.)

It was a normal Tuesday at the courts, kind of slow, not too many players.  But suddenly it wasn't normal.  There was a strange player on court three.

Jim watched her play and decided that he was interested.  Besides her grace, there was a tasty backhand to admire.  The stranger was playing with three other women and they soon finished their game and surrendered the court.

There was only one gate on the courts and Jim hung near by.  Jim was a regular and one of the better players.  He knew almost all of the other regulars.

The ladies exited the gate and went to look for water and phones.  Jim sidled over to Janet.  "Who's your friend, Janet?"

"Hi Jim, and good morning to you.  Her name is Lucinda and she's new to the area."

"Really.  She has a nice overhead and seems to be able to dink."

"Yah, she's pretty good.  I've only played with her one game, but she didn't do much wrong.  So Jim, can we get a game?"  Janet wasn't interested in talking about Lucinda, but was ready to go back on the courts.

"Sure, and see if Lucinda wants to join us." Nudge, nudge.

"Ah, you are interested...  Naughty boy!  Okay, let me get something setup."

And she did and introduced Jim and Lucinda.  The play went well and Jim was, in a word, smitten.

She had the grace thing already mentioned, and played around the court as if she were dancing.  Never a foot wrong and a strong serve to boot.  

She glided about as if on roller skates.  Not the ones that were in line, but the real ones with four wheels and a toes stop, those skates, where corners could always be taken at high speed.  She could slap a ball like an angry child after a fly.  Or gently lift a dink over the net as if neatly placing a scoop of ice cream into a crumbly cone.   In fact, she seemed to have all the needed parts for excellent pickleball and then some.

Jim was in love and vowed to follow her from podium to podium, as he could see tournament play with Lucinda, or Lu as she preferred to be called.  They played all morning only stopping for water breaks.

"Lu, we must play tomorrow!  Can you add me to your play card?  Maybe play the day away and then all the others to follow?  Please tell me yes?" asked Jim.

"Why, Jim, that's quite the invitation.  I'm available tomorrow.  As for all the days thereafter, well, we'll just have to see."  Lu smiled and Jim's heart throbbed a bit more.  His smart watch beeped a warning that his pulse was a bit high.  But he cared not.

My God even her eyes matched her paddle and her paddle matched her top and that the skirt, and so on down her legs to cute socks and dainty court shoes.  

Yes, Lu was the full package and Jim, too long alone, had shifted his tired sports car of a life into a new gear and vowed to drive this road until it ended or he crashed.

They played the next day and the day after.  They met for coffee before, and lunch afterwards.  Soon they were an item.

They began to drill and then to play local tournaments.  They won and played again.  They played so well together that they soon moved from 3.5 to 4.0.  They had oodles of plastic medals and splinters from climbing on so many podia.

All summer long they played and won.  Skills rose and happiness rose with it.

"Jim," said Lu one day.

"Yes, my dear," terms of endearment trickled from Jim's lips all summer.  He was, as we have already noted, very smitten and a smitten partner is apt to say endearment type things.  

"I, I'm, I..." said Lu.

"Is there a problem, Lu dearest?" Jim was suddenly alert and stressed.  His smart watch beeped a bit as his heart rate climbed.

"I, er, we can't play anymore," Lu said in a small whisper.

"My, dear, what is wrong?  Are you ill?"

"I'm well, thank you.  But we can't play.  It's difficult and these months have been wonderful, but we must part.  I'm sorry but I can't say more.  It's intensely personal and private."

"Lu, it must be my fault!  I've erred in some manner, please let me make it up to you.  Our bond on the court and off, is too important to let die.  Please, tell me my dear."

"Oh Jim, it's horrible, but, but, if you must know.  You've become a lobber.  There, I've said it, a lobber and I can't go on like this."

"I don't think I'm an over lobber?  Sure I hit a couple every game, but I..."

"Jim, a lobber is the last to know.  You were a fine player once, great with drops, and you could dink softly like stroking a small kitten.  My heart melted to see your deep knee bends and soft sure strokes.  Oh, I remember those days so well.  The sun glistening off your forearm as you produced slice after slice.  But now, you rush a couple of dinks, not treating them like fine china, but more like a plastic cup to be tossed in the sink for a bit of a scrub.  Two dinks and then you lob.  I tear inside to see it."

Jim died inside.  Yes he lobbed, but not too much, one would think.  All players lobbed, it was really part of the game and well, sure he liked it, but he could give it up any time.

"I'll never lob again!" he cried.  "I love you too much and if that means no more lobs than I shall go and lob no more."

"Oh, Jim, I couldn't ask that of you.  It would tear your soul apart.  It would be impossible to stop and I can't make you change yourself.  We must part.  I will miss you every day and with every game, but go I must."

Lu was in tears and Jim pretty close.  He was a guy after all and sobbing on the courts was frowned upon, though there were often squeegees about.

They parted.  They were sundered.  They were split like an accident from a bad diamond cutter.  

Lu as mentioned was from out of town and she went home for the rest of the summer.

Jim struggled from then on.  Before he was often invited to the most skilled games at the club.  But soon the invitations dried up.

He was playing 4.0, then 3.5, and then 3.0.  His skill had fled like a tide on a super moon.  

He tried to return to tournament play, but partners were soon impossible to find.  The tournament hosts quietly lowered his DUPR score to allow him to try to be competitive again.

He played the Southeast Open.  He was tempted to toss out his paddles and do something frowned upon by pickleball players, namely golf.  He could see striding the fairways along, beaten and taking out his sorrow on a small white ball.  But he would play this last tournament and then decide.

It was bad.  Very bad.  He lost all his matches and by the end of his play, he was going to be happy to take up golf or shuffleboard or something else.

As he walked off the court after his last match, a hand came out and touched his arm.

"Jim," said Lu.

"Lu," said Jim, with a startled expression on his face.

"I watched all your matches," said Lu.

"I'm sorry, we hardly scored seven points a game."

"Jim, you didn't score four points."

"How could you stand it?"

"Your game has changed," she reached out for his paddle.  He allowed her to take it,

Lu ran her hand over the edge guard.  She noted the scrapes and scars.  The entire face was weathered and worn.  In the old days the face of Jim's paddle had a small worn area right in the sweet spot.  The edge guard would be pristine as a good player will never scrape the court.  

Lu raised her eyes and looked into Jim's.  "I could not stay away."

"I've, I've, been having troubles," Jim said.

"I want us back," said Lu.

"Why?  I'm no longer the player I was.  I'm about to take up golf."

"No, anything but golf!"

"Well, I was thinking of shuffleboard too."

"NO, NO, Jim, we can rebuild our partnership!  You've been cured!"

"Cured?"

"Jim in all of your games, you never lobbed.  I thought it couldn't be done that a man would change so much.  You've re-won my heart.  Jim, I am yours if you will have me."

"Lu, I want nothing more."  They embraced and held each other.  The pain of separation evaporated like a sunny court after a modest court, where towels and squeegees were industrially applied."

"But, Lu, I played so badly, I've won nothing for months."

"Yes, but you didn't lob.  It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game!  I love my non-lobber!"

They returned to their former happiness.  Jim's play improved and soon they returned to the podia of tournaments.

They married and had two children, just enough to fill a court.  Jim taught the kids to play and honed their games, but he never taught them to lob, for he had learned his lesson.

--------------------

Well, I hope this was entertaining and also a bit instructional too.  No resemblance to anyone living or dead.  I've wanted to write something in the style of P. G. Wodehouse, who wrote a bunch of stories with golf as the back drop.  This was a nice exercise for me.  Little additional details have been running through my head for a couple of days.  Not all of them made it into the story.  Perhaps there will be more.  Rich

Shot Selection at the Kitchen

 This is new topic for me to think about.  Up till now, my at net shot selection has been very reactionary and instinctual.  Let's see if we can bring some understanding as to what we do, what we like to do, and what we ought to do.

There are two cases here.  First is that my team is at the net and the opponents are not.  The second is that we are all up. Let's look at the first case.

So we are up and they are not.  The rule of thumb is that we should hit shots that will keep the opponents at the baseline.  But the goal is really to win a point, so just keeping them back is just a suggestion.  What we'd like to hit is a shot that won't come back.  We might drive the ball through an opponent or the middle, hit a sharp angle, or hit a drop shot.  Those shots we expect to be winners.  If not an outright winner then we would hope for an advantage so large that we could dominate the rest of the point or force an error by hitting a ball that won't come back.

The danger here is to hit an out ball.  Too much angle or too deep and we've been very generous to our opponents whom we had at a disadvantage.  So safety is maybe the first consideration.

I agree with deep shots.  But I'd suggest that they don't need to be hit very hard.  Topspin is your friend as are the feet of your enemy.  Try to hit the balls about 3/4 of the way into the court. Vary placement and which opponent you hit to.  Beware of hitting out, either too deep or wide.   

What frequently happens is that there are a number of shots being hit and fielded.  I like those points and I'm happy to feed balls back to the baseline and keep hitting, sometimes to the same spot.  If you are impatient, changing the pace of a shot can be quite effective.  So the rally is at 15 MPH and suddenly you hit a shot at 8, an opponent may have an awkward time adjusting his timing and will err.  (BTW do you say "AIR" or "UR" for the word err?  Correct answer at the end of the post.)

Secondly, if the opps are very deep and behind the baseline, then I like the drop shot.  You can't hit this off a hard ball.  But something with middle pace is a good candidate.  Use a soft grip and swing a bit, but not hard.  The big error is hitting it into the net.  A smaller error is hitting it too deeply and letting the opps return it.  If they do get to it and do a good job, then it's probably a dink and you've brought them into the net -- which was their highest priority -- and you've swapped an advantage for an equality.  It's a effective shot, but does require a bit of skill.  If you want to look like your winding up to hit a hard one, that's not out of line.  If you look like you are dinking, the opps might be running forward earlier than you would expect.

----

BTW, let's talk about reading the next shot from the opponents.  A lot of players who drive the ball have to wind up.  Watch for this and if you see it, prepare to duck.  Lots of those shots go long.  If they don't wind up, then look for a softer shot.  Finally, watch their paddle face for directional information.

----

We have to talk about what the shot coming from the opps.  With the above shots, we are playing a ball that we can volley.  If the ball is not very high, then hitting a topspin shot deep is best.  If the ball is quite high, then look for an angle as you can hit the ball down into the court.  If the ball is low, or you can't volley it, then 1) if the opps don't follow their shot in, then you can still hit a soft shot deep into the court, but 2) if they are heading to the kitchen line (KL), then a dink off at an angle is your best bet.  You've lost an advantage and now it's time to get into a dink battle and look for an advantage later.

A usual point might be a fair number of shots.  Either the opponents will hit one good enough to advance, or you'll find one you can angle off or hit through them.  My only caveat would be to make sure you keep the ball in play.

Is that it?  I think so...  Don't be in a hurry to win the point.  You are ahead and to try to keep hitting good (not great) shots will work just fine.  Imagine if you were defending, you're under a lot of pressure and have a lot of court to cover.  Even a routine ball may well be too difficult.

-----

And for the AIR, URR answer.  One might think that it's air as in error, and you would be correct.  However urr is also correct.  The Latin root is common to this verb as well as error, erroneous, etc.  It can also mean to stray out of normal bounds, for example, when he lobbed the ball he erred.  :-)

The Master Runs Around

Fall had come to the province and the play had moved to the interior courts.  The stone walls were cold to the touch and if the wind was wrong, would be covered with dew in the morning.  The outdoor courts would see rain and frost and the colored leaves from the stately trees that surrounded the courts.  The apple crop was good this year and the monks and masters enjoyed them, the pies, the sauces, and looked forward to some cider later in the season.

The Master was taking a morning walk.  He was working on a small, four volume book of instruction about the bend of the right knee while hitting the inside out backhand.  He had some additional research that he was planning.

His stroll took him past the upper level courts where the students were sparring.  After a casual glance...

"Stop!" cried the Master.  And all of the students, in their seventh year of training, stopped and remained motionless on the court.  After years of instruction, holding position to allow a Master to instruct was automatic.  The ball rattled through the court to fetch up against the back wall.

"Po, by the scales of the Fire Serpant, what are you doing?" asked the Master.

"I've just returned a serve and I am heading to the kitchen line," answered Po, a bright student, but with still a few rough edges.  Oh, he could hold his own against the other students, but was not able to perform near a master's level.

"Then why have you not reached the kitchen line?  Are you slow of foot today, would you like to run some laps around the monastery?" asked the Master.

"I was heading there, but you called for us to stop."

"Had you made a good service return, you would already be at the kitchen line.  Where was your error Po?"

"Hmm, I thought I hit a good ball and then moved up.  I don't see the error Master."

"You were a step late and half a step left, Po.  And why was that?  Because you returned the serve with your forehand!"

"Yes, I did, but..."

"No, but!" interrupted the Master, "By running around to hit the forehand, you surrendered a full step to your opponents!  You also distorted your position on the court, so that the path to the kitchen line was longer than had you hit the proper backhand shot.  Is that not clear Po?"

"I see that now, Master.  While it seems harmless to run around the shot, it warps the play."

"Yes and your partner should move to cover the gap you've created by being in the run around position and also not being at the kitchen line in time.  He must move a quarter step over to correct for this.  That creates an alley for the opponents to attack.  You can get away with this sloppy play, Po, with sloppy opponents, but against good players you've given up several percent points of advantage.  As a lesson, Po, got to the library and report to us tomorrow on Master Yan's book, The Lack of a Backhand Shot and the Inevitable Fall of Civilization.  Look at volume six, chapters 34, 35, and 40, for the pertinent information."

"Yes Master, I look forward to enlightenment."  Po returned to his game and Master was off for an afternoon tea.  The students again admired the knowledge of the Master and hoped to one day share it.  Alas the library, devoted to pickleball theory, housed thousands of volumes.  Not all students would have the opportunity to read them.  Each year students were released from the monastery to play on tour.  These were the students who lacked the vital essence that created a Master.  While they had was enough to play professional pickleball, but not enough to extend the world's understanding of the game.  The truly great players stayed at the monastery, studied, thought, played, and wrote.

(With only kind thoughts to those who like the run around, Editor of the Monastery.)

Leading Elbow Part 2

 As we wander between holidays and wonder what happened to our fighting weight after feast after feast, I wanted to return to the elbow leading the shot post that went up late last month.

The general idea is that the elbow leads the forearm and you want to keep the hand and paddle behind the elbow until a bit after contact with the ball.  This is true of golf in re the trailing arm and backhand disc golf throws too.  

I've been paying attention to it and trying to make sure I do it when I serve.  This is an unhurried stroke and I have time to make sure I lead with the elbow and follow with hand and paddle.  Not a lot of speed is required for a serve, so it's a perfect time to try some of these things.

When I do it correctly I get a more solid strike with less vibration.  If, on the other hand, I manipulate the paddle with some wristy action, then the elbow will pivot away from the ball as the hand goes forward of the elbow at impact.  This seems to stress the elbow.  I think the idea is that the paddle swings into the ball and you don't want to try to hit it, just rotate your shoulders and let the arm and then the elbow and finally the hand and paddle follow the rotation.

Let me diverge about elbow pain a moment.  I've had bouts with tennis and golf elbow -- tennis elbow is when the pain is on the outside of the joint, golf the side closer to your body.  I've been pain free for a while.  I don't know what causes it to show up and retreat.  It's done that a few times across a large number of decades.  I suspect a tiny difference in the golf or PB swing will start the cycle of irritation.  The cause seems to be very subtle.

When I swing the paddle with a lead elbow I sense no strain on the elbow joint, the joint and the shot feel very solid.  I can sense the power and ultimate ability to crush opponents with this technique.  I yearn for the day when I do it on all strokes.

But getting back to reality, if you are having elbow issues, this may be something to consider.

A swing with a leading elbow seems to be a more powerful action.  It requires more of a body motion than a hand action.  I have hit some really interesting serves that have heavy topspin, are fast, and don't seem to bounce very high.  They land about the center of the service area and then skid a bit.  All useful characteristics.

As for ground strokes, I suspect that this is the proper stroke too.  I don't trust it enough yet to incorporate it.  I do it while warming up and it works quite well.  

Trust?  No Trust?  Yes, well, let me explain.  When you swing this way you are making very little effort in positioning the paddle to the intended ball trajectory.   The paddle should be pointing towards your baseline as you start the stroke.  As you turn and bring your elbow at the shot, the paddle will rotate to the proper position.  The face will rotate 90 degrees to be perpendicular to the net.

The paddle's "squaring" is inherent in the swing.  If you try to make sure this happens or "help" it, you will stall the swing, flip your wrist, and not be able to hit it as hard.  You have to do it enough to figure this out and and calm an overly active mind that's thinking about how to hit the ball.  Athletes don't think much about what they do, they just do it.  I suspect that they figure this stuff out through trial and error early in their career and don't analyze why it works or what they are really doing.  Certainly more true of the very high level athletes, where conscious thought will only slow them down.  They act and react and just play.  Analysis comes later if at all.  We can learn a lot from that, but it's hard to do and your mind may not be wired for that kind of flow.

If you watch some pro level PB you will see a constant movement of the players and by that I mean all the players.  If you watch a single player and not just who is hitting the ball, you will see constant adjustment of feet, paddle, and location as the ball moves around the court.  Highly entertaining if you are interested in the minutia of it all.  But no one is having the internal conversation, "The ball is left, so I want to step one medium step left."  Nope, the pattern of play is recognized and the step left is automatic.

There are not a lot of patterns to pickleball, so this automatic movement is easily learned and after a bit it's just reaction to what's happening or going to happen.  

I think that's about it for this.  Try the elbow attitude, I think it's the proper way to swing for power and less pain.  And then keep moving your feet!

Update:  I know that no one has actually read this yet, but there are some modifications that need to be made.  That's the problem with research, it might change your theory!  So there is a John Cincola video up on YouTube about the forehand drive.  He shows that the whole arm is handled as one unit.  That's fine.  But note that his stroke is more of a service stroke that something that comes from the side.  He doesn't lead with his elbow, but the paddle lags everything.  So I don't think I'm much wrong with the above topic.  It might be an exaggeration and that is the "feel" that I need to do it differently.  If you try it out, I'd be interested in your experience.

Simplified Strategy and Some Notes about Kitchen Line Position

Simplified Strategy...

In the normal point, we all crawl to the net.  From there it is usually a small test of patience, with a speed up, or lob, or net ball, or pop up to end it all.

Let's think about this net play shot selection.  It's too easy to try to win the point.  You see/know the hero shot and try to make it and it rarely works as a single shot winner.  The speed of the ball and width of the kitchen makes it difficult to pass someone.  So the hero shot frequently comes back.  And if you didn't make a great hero shot, you may have traded a small advantage for a large disadvantage.

What should our aim be?  Jordan Briones, in one of his YouTube videos simplifies it as "try to make your opponent hit a low shot."  I agree with this for a couple of reasons.  You should not trying to win the point immediately, but are setting your side up for a popup.  If the ball has to be hit from a low position, the opponents have to return it higher to get it over the net.  Unless they do a great job with that shot, your side should have a ball that is quite easy to attack.

Note that the attacking shot need not be hard or fast, it just needs to awkwardly placed near the opponents' feet.  And the resultant attacking shot need not be hit hard, just placed well and the point is probably over.

Shot Velocities...

When are hitting any shot to the opponents, the better shot is low.  The speed of the shot is less important.  A soft shot is rarely hit out.  You can curve a soft shot more easily.  

But wait, there is more... A shot that is a change of pace, be it faster or slower is quite effective.  Think of it as an unexpected shot.  We are all familiar with the dink when both opponents are at the baseline.  It works, might be a bit unsporting (like a lob), but one cannot claim that it won't work.  If we wander down this shady path, this trip towards the dark side, let's consider the shot that is just slower than the preceding shots in the point.  Suddenly the ball is half the speed of the last shot.  It's difficult to change pace if you are trying to return this ball.  It's hard to create the soft shot too, but it's worth the effort to learn it.  

Paddles are interesting things and holding them loosely or not hitting the ball very hard will change the shot's velocity a lot/a bunch/mucho.  The very pace of any point makes a soft shot difficult, and that is another reason that the soft shot is effective.    The next time you are at the kitchen and the opponents are back and they are doing a good job returning your deep shots, try hitting a soft shot for a change and see how that works.

Kitchen Play...

A kind reader asked about some information about venturing into the kitchen.  There is not a lot nuance here.  You can stand anywhere you want.  It doesn't have to be in or out of the kitchen or on the court.  However if you volley a ball before establishing both feet out of the kitchen, you lose the point.  

For that reason it's usually a good idea to maintain your position outside of the kitchen as the need to volley can arrive quickly.  

There are a couple of cases where you want to boldly move into the kitchen in preparation to hit a shot.  (Obviously you are expecting the ball you return to be bouncing.)  One such scenario is you've hit a ball that caught the net cord, and the ball drops down very close the net.  If your opponent gets to it, their best response is to hit a ball very close to your net -- basically mimicking the net cord hit.  You need to be in the kitchen a step or so to reach this ball.  You will hit and then move back out of the kitchen.  If you do not, the mean old opponent may try to hit you.

Another shot to be careful about is the one that looks like it will not clear the net.  There are three cases here, the best one is that the ball doesn't clear the net.  In that case it doesn't matter what you do.  Case two: the ball hits the net cord and drops very short.  If you are expecting this, you can get into the kitchen, drop your paddle, and do something smart with it.  Case three: the ball hits the net and bounces up.  Suddenly you want your paddle up.  Cases two and three require different actions.  Note that case three is more time critical than the ball that drops short.  So I would recommend that your best paddle position would be higher for shots that look like net balls.  Sadly you still need to expect either a shot ball or a jumper - so stay in a good position to move forward.

The next shot that you want to setup for in the kitchen is a mishit by opponents that is very lob like and will bounce near or in the kitchen.  You want to get very close to this ball as a lot of them will have a metric ton of spin on them and they can bounce at some strange angles.  So get close and be ready for that.  Extra points if you look for the spin on the ball as it comes down.  Give it a modest whack and then get out of the kitchen.

One last comment on this, don't be afraid to get into the kitchen in a dink rally.  You should be moving for every shot and short dinks need to be fielded from the kitchen.  There is a lot of in and out at play here.  Note that you would prefer to volley the dinks coming your way, but if one is short you must be ready to move in to get it.  And to be complete, if a dink is too long to be easily volleyed, you want to move back, let it bounce, return it and then get back to the line (don't stay back and admire your shot).

That's all I have to say about this.  More stuff to try and to look out for as you play.  Now if only the rain would stop, the courts would dry, and the sun would warm my old bones.