7 Tips to Beat a Pickleball BANGER - How to Defend the Drive

If you constantly play against pickleball bangers - players who are constantly driving the ball back to you, making it harder to hit - here are some tips to counter that drive. We will teach you how to recognize an upcoming pickleball drive; how to counter with short, compact swings (somewhere in between a punch volley and block volley); and how to let your opponent make the mistakes during every rally.
Predict the pickleball banger before they have a chance to surprise you, and counter their drive with a shot that takes away their control.
Enter the Selkirk giveaway here: Selkirk.com/PPB-1
0:00 - How to Beat a Banger in Pickleball
0:56 - Tip #1: Stay Calm
1:23 - Tip #2: Move Your Feet
1:56 - Tip #3: Short & Compact Counter Swings
2:40 - Tip #4: Keep Your Opponent Deep
3:40 - Tip #5: 3 Tips to Let "Out" Balls Go Out
6:05 - Tip #6: Target Your Opponent's Backhand
7:13 - Tip #7: The "Seesaw Effect"
8:15 - PlayPickleball.com
#pickleball #pickleballdrive #pickleballbanger #playpickleball #learntoplaypickleball

[@robertkribs9513]

What is advertised as how to beat bangers is actually some good general defensive advice for all games. Nice work here.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thank you for watching, Robert! See you on the next one 👊🏼

[@btreese7]

When I play bangers. I serve short, slice returns short, etc. I do anything I can to make them hit the ball from 10-12’ inside the court. Almost everything goes long.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Good tip! Thanks for watching.

[@FrankRollberg]

Thank you. Very good advice

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thank you for your feedback, Frank! See you on the next one!

[@raybowman9380]

Great advice and demonstrating!

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thank you for watching!

[@joannejanas7768]

Great tips for playing against bangers! Especially the see saw.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Yes!!! Love that tip. Thanks for watching!

[@MatthewKPickleball]

Thanks for the tips!

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

You’re very welcome! More videos to come!

[@ianhannahreyes]

Great video!!!

[@Aaron-mn2ro]

great advice as always :)

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thank you, Aaron! Appreciate your positive feedback.

[@alexmackay4016]

Thank you !❤

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@kathywolfe9020]

This was great advice. Perhaps, next time actually hit the ball against a banger.

[@dougmarthaler3335]

Great video

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thank you for watching, Doug!

[@helenenault3063]

Merci beaucoup

[@ericbooya]

Awesome video to defend against Bangerz!!

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

THANK YOU! See you on the next one!

[@ericbooya]

@@PlayPickleballCOM looking forward to it!

[@okayest_amateur]

This is good advice for Bangers too! I can play soft but I prefer to play fast with heavy topspin. Many of my friends are now expert defenders because I love to drive so much. But because I love to drive I also need to defend and counter as well since the ball comes back to me faster. I think the best advice to beat bangers is to play a lot of them. Defending becomes easier when you realize less is more when it comes to paddle movement.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Always great to know AND play to your strengths!!!

[@richpickleball9730]

Good point. I agreed with you. The more you practice on been a good Banger the better you get. Just like the more you practice at dinking the better you get at dinking. But if the dinkers don't practice more on their banging / power game they will get left behind. The game is evolving to more Power with new paddle technology.

[@okayest_amateur]

@@richpickleball9730 the best defense is a good offense.

[@gg80108]

@@richpickleball9730 your Rolling the ball with power is not banging.

[@CWK090]

@@gg80108 Professional pickleball players drive the ball hard, generally with topspin, when appropriate. If the ball is popped up they will generally slam it back at your feet, preferably on your non-dominant side. Sometimes their third shot is a drive and sometimes it's a drop. They don't want to be predictable. A pro is very good at the fast game and very good at the slow game. A true banger is a one trick pony.

[@davidbasinski2634]

Drummed into us from the beginning, "Hit down at their feet.' Wondering why so many of my counterpunched balls landed in the net when the top edge of my paddle was angled forward. You demo the top of your paddle toward you. Hard to get the feeling of avoiding pop-ups. ty.

[@richpickleball9730]

@davidbasinski2634 Don't worried. Everyone has the same problem. If a really good banger driving the ball at you super fast and dipping below the new level it gonna be extremely difficult to react and defend and get your paddle angle perfect every time. They always say block it down to their feet... Easier said then done! Your reflexes is only so fast... Even the top Pros can't block it and defend 100% successfully. So keep practicing... You'll get better at it.

[@surfinghollywood]

new word, "comfortabiliy" nice

[@user-lu3dj4xv1s]

I am new to pickleball even though everyone try’s to say I have been playing for years. I just love it best thing I started two months ago but I love tip #3 and I use it often.

[@chrisrobbins2632]

"Tries". It's called English. Look into it.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thank you for the watching!

[@yasim9435]

Define banger. Look at the game of young players , finals of singles tournaments, are they all bangers to you? Better have tip of shot selection when both hard drive and soft drop or offensive topspin drop are feasible. Also make video on how to beat and bang players that use tips you provided here

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Yes as the game evolves it becomes important to define a banger.

[@HowieB-isMe3885]

Is all good tips for when the bangers are back like when they’re serving and we’re at the net. I’ve been doing this pretty successfully, but the hardest situation is when we’re serving and we hit a third shot drop and they just pounding everything anyway whether I should block it or go back at them with more power if it’s it even with the net HowieB

[@gg80108]

Learn to lob. The key is to hit the ball as high as you can do not just aim for just over ones head, those will be too short. You won't be popular but will be a winner.

[@GLAMGENX]

I’m a banger, I love watching these types of vids so I can adjust and be aware of the type of advice folks like y’all give to neutralize players like me. I’m a tennis player forever and footwork, bending knees, tracking the ball, driving and volleying are all skills I bring with me to PB. This advice is great, but beware if you are playing a vet tennis players b/c we are always moving our feet and anticipating ;) btw- my backhand is my best shot.. especially my down the line backhand. At the end of the day, no matter banger or not- the best tip is placement- keep eye on ball and put it where your opponent is not!

[@gg80108]

And when you are playing real pickleball players they are squeezing the court we will let you have that low percentage shot Everytime. It's a game of percents not running for every ball. But it would be fun to watch you run.

[@GLAMGENX]

My nickname has always been wheels :)

[@gg80108]

@@GLAMGENX I know a guy rocket Bob, then he learned play.

[@GLAMGENX]

If u give me a floater, I’m going to put it where you aren’t!

[@gg80108]

@@GLAMGENX all my lobs land about a foot from the baseline. Good luck hitting it by us. You probably talking singles. Also sometimes I stay back and play defense just hit you another lob. I'm 4-4.5. I hit my lobs sky high so you gonna have a lot of time to think about it. Wow put floaters away, everyone does that strategy.

[@MsAFFA81]

Well if a banger is hitting low & hard from the transition zone…it’s a no brainer ..just let fly!!!

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Absolutely!!!

[@richpickleball9730]

You say never lose again to a Banger.... That's a very bold statement. Bangers doesn't have to be a bad word. Just because they hit the ball super hard doesn't mean they can't play the soft game too. They just decide to add more Power and variety to their overall game. Instead of the predictable 95% 3rd shot drop... Pickleball is evolving with all the new powerful paddle technology that allows you to generate tons of power and topspin. Doesn't matter how good you are even at Pro levels... your reflexes is only so fast. You can't 100% successful defend a super hard drive... you see more super hard drives 3rd shot then ever before. More Shake n Bake from the top Pros then ever. It's a winning strategy. You don't have to do it all the time but it should be a big part of your balance game plan. If a good banger / hard drives with good tennis background rips the ball at you full power in the transition area and you're at the kitchen line you're gonna be like a sitting duck. How fast can a human reflexes be to consistently and successful react to a bullet flying at you. In a split second you have to guess is it going to your right or to your left? And even if you guess right you're still on defend trying to survive that attack. You're not gonna have time to counter that attack. And these good bangers can barely clear the net with the ball dipping fast and keeps the ball in 90% of the time. They're good at it because that's what they practice doing most. If everyone practice been a good Banger / hard drives as much as they practice been a good dinker then their overall game will improve too. How to beat Bangers... Easier said than done. Bangers doesn't have to be a bad word. Banging is another tool in your tool box to go to. So instead of... how to beat Bangers... become a good banger yourself. Add that to your tool box. If that strategy works and wins you points then that is an effective strategy on top of your dinking strategy. Most traditional pickleball strategy is to 98% 3rd shot drop... how predictable is that. I love your channel and contents. I definitely learn a lot from it. It would be great if you can make a video on how to become a good Banger / Hard Drives. Keep up the good work!

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Never lose to a banger again IF you can master these seven things. Easier said than done for sure!

[@richpickleball9730]

@@PlayPickleballCOM Even IF you mastered these seven things you are still not guaranteed to beat a banger. Even the top Pros with World Class reflexes still can't defend or successful handle a super hard drive 100% of the time. They still get beat by super hard drives. The human reflex is only so fast before you get beat by a speeding bullet. You know what I'm talking about... I'm sure you've seen many speeding bullets coming at you and you can't successful defend or handle it. Everyone has... Been able to bang is not a bad thing :)

[@hawker358]

My definition of a "banger" is not someone who hits hard, but someone who hits more hard shots than they should. They can have success even at 3.5 level but will have trouble with 4.0 players who have a more rounded game.

[@barrettbass]

🎉🎉🎉

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thanks for watching!

[@AnnMitt]

Bangers make pickleball miserable. Pickleball isn't tennis.

[@samsmith3432]

Bangers aren't bullies 😢 we are people, people with feelings😢

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Haha got to love a self proclaimed banger! There are definitely some nice bangers out there 😄

[@daviddille8887]

Then why head hunt? I’m older and of course, slower than the 20 through 40 crowd. Many bangers that I’ve played come from tennis and don’t have a lot of control. Just like a bully, many just resort to trying to injure their weaker opponents because they can’t out win any other way. It’s just a game. Banger bully’s should play other banger gulleys, not try to hurt the other player who is there just to have fun.

[@richpickleball9730]

@@daviddille8887 I absolutely agreed. Just because someone can bang hard doesn't mean they should bully or head hunt. That's a no no... With great Power comes great responsible. Not all bangers head hunt or want to hurt you on purpose. It's just a game and you don't want to hurt anyone at the end of the day.

[@tz7332]

Learn to be a banger yourself, it's a skill 😊

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Maybe we should do a future video on how to BE a banger :)

[@durdicamac9662]

It is funny how everyone is trying to give advice against players who are doing it "wrong". If it is wrong it should be a loosing strategy with no need for the advice against it. What I see in the last few years at the PRO and higher level rec play is BANG as soon as you get the chance. We should have variety of shots and strategies and we should use whatever is producing better results. And to be fair one advice to the bangers...closer the net "bullies" are, less time they have to react. And one if you are playing against bangers....make sure banger feels guilty when they smack you, that works sometimes.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

A little confused by what you mean! Banging can definitely be effective against lower lever players. The video is not meant to advise against banging, but to teach how to defend against someone who is banging.

[@durdicamac9662]

@@PlayPickleballCOM I am talking about same level players. I am 4.0 player and if I have good players on the kitchen line that are ~15-20 ft. away from me I will most likely unload hard ball at them, assuming that ball that I am hitting is not difficult (low, fast, spin, ...) I never waste hittable ball to play fancy shots. Same with the put away shots, if ball is above the net and high you must hit it hard. Bangers are easy to beat if they don't differentiate the ball difficulty, but those that do are tough players. Also some players can benefit from shorter points. Drop game is not easy on the body and if you are not that mobile, but you can put some heat on the ball why not. Perfect example of smart banger is Jack Sock. He is beating some top players with his power.

[@multiibrahim4636]

Jack Sock is an example of a banger you can’t beat 😅

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Haha maybe some of them are just too good

[@richpickleball9730]

Jack Sock is just a start... New talents are coming with more Power and new shots. Just a year ago you wouldn't image holding a paddle with a Western grip... Now it's different. If you don't become a better banger yourself then you're missing out on a more well balanced game.

[@gg80108]

Jacks not ranked #1 in singles overall.

[@CoreenJenkins]

How should you protect yourself if someone hits right at your face? It normally doesn't happen but sometimes it does often by accident.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Ideally you should try to get out of the way because the ball is likely going out. But easier said than done sometimes!

[@afterthesmash]

@@PlayPickleballCOM A week ago, facing a ball gunning for my high chest, I spun sideways and that wasn't enough to let the ball pass, so I also limbo danced, and the ball flew over my chest, barely. At this point I'm staring straight up at the sky with my feet fairly close together and I scuff the bottom of one shoe trying to regain balance. So now I'm disoriented and falling over backwards. I manage to keep both feet moving with small steps long enough to pirouette back over top of my legs, but by this time I've shuffled sideways off the court, almost to the fence. No problem, it's fairly forgiving chain link. No, on second thought, scratch that, I'm heading for a direct collision with the 4" diameter steel support post behind the chain link. I cancel pushing up hard with my legs, which might have further accelerated my head into the looming post, and opt to turtle sideways into the fence in a low crouch. What an impact. My teeth rattle, my head snaps, and my glasses land in the next time zone. Didn't hurt my shoulder much, but I did end up with a hairline fracture of the middle finger on my left hand (not my paddle hand). No idea how that happened after I hit the fence with my right shoulder. My neck was out for days, but it wasn't a new thing and I knew how to eventually get it properly lined up again. Of course, what you really want to know is whether the ball flew long. It did, and we won the rally.

[@gg80108]

Always where eye protection. Lots of injuries come from a mis hit off the edge of your partners paddle.

[@CWK090]

The most likely time to get hit in the face, from your opponent's ball, is when you don't have time to react. You need time to get a paddle on the ball or time to just get out of the way and let it go out. When you're at the NVZ and your opponent's hard drive clips the top of the net, deflecting it toward your face, you don't have time to react. That exact scenario happened to me yesterday. My paddle was up and ready to defend against the incoming hard drive. I wasn't anticipating the ball clipping the net and deflecting up at my face. If I wasn't wearing safety glasses, I would have been seriously injured. If you wear eyeglasses, there are safety glasses that fit over the eyeglasses. I been wearing Nocry safety glasses for a long time and love them. I purchased a pair for a friend of mine yesterday. They were less than $30 with a case. They have UV Protection and are impact certified under ANSI Z87.1. They are also scratch resistant.

[@gg80108]

@@CWK090 glasses a must.

[@martinfield7610]

I’m getting Shrek vibes.

[@ThanhTran-oz4qk]

When someone bangs at you... you don't have enough time to guide the ball back at their feet.

[@richpickleball9730]

They always say block it back to their feet... Easier said then done. Your reflexes is only so fast. Even the higher level players can't block and defend a super hard drives 100% successfully. I hope they come out with a video on How to become a better Banger.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Great idea!

[@okayest_amateur]

@@PlayPickleballCOM That would need to be atleast a 3 part series haha

[@CWK090]

Buy 100 balls and have your partner drive them at you. Returning a hard hit drive back to your opponent's feet takes a lot of practice. To defend against bangers who stay back at the baseline, practice taking the pace off their drive with a loose paddle grip and dropping the ball just across the net. Bangers are only successful against opponents who keep feeding them attackable balls.

[@davidpossien3061]

Pro tip: make sure your editor knows how to color correct and understands what the skin tone line is on the vector scope. This will keep you from looking like green like an alien. Sony cameras are well known for green skin tones, and it doesn’t help when you’re on a green pickleball court. Hope this helps.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

We will pass this on to our editor.

[@agsjnsks4538]

Why does she look green?

[@tanomacrame]

Too much 420 ?? 🤣🤣🤣

[@hectorperez5851]

Wow she does

[@trevormason2733]

Thought the same thing 😂

[@naten2462]

It’s their color grading when they’re editing

[@davidstricklin3267]

Tip #1: Don’t move your feet! Tip #2: Be sure to move your feet! The emphasis in Tip #1 really should have highlighted that unnecessary movement including moving your feet causes unsteady eyes and therefore reduces visual acuity and ability to judge the ball. “Always quick, never in a hurry” (John Wooden) emphasizes being quick to recognize and if necessary adjust. This allows hitting calmly and steady eyes.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

The point of the first tip was to STAY calm. The second tip not get caught flatfooted. Thank you for watching.

[@albertcamus5970]

The premise of all these videos is that bangers can bang but have some other kind of weakness that you can compensate by attacking. Unfortunately this is not really true - bangers are just better pickleball players for the most part. So no strategy can beat them - you just have to get better.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Interesting take!!

[@ttb1513]

Premise is simple: Whether or not they have some other weakness, you need to defend against banging.

[@gg80108]

I can roll the ball from any place on the court, including the kitchen. Am I a banger?

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

No you’re just aggressive!

[@chrisrobbins2632]

Worst pickup line ever: Did I mention that I'm a pickleball pro?

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Haha greatness

[@CWK090]

@chrisrobbins2632...Google how much true pickleball pros make in a year, especially with endorsements.

[@keshavr9617]

I dont agree with the point where the opponent is running to the net. Somtimes they are doing it to create confusion and not really hit it out of the park

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Thanks for your opinion!

[@HoGate]

Anna Leigh is a banger. How come it doesn’t work on her.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Anna Leigh is well rounded.

[@CWK090]

ALW hits hard when appropriate but has a soft game as well. She is definitely not a one-trick pony, aka "banger".

[@auntybaba10]

You say you going to keep sending the ball down to the banger's feet when you're at the kitchen line, but you don't describe how to make the ball do that. Instructions please. Lots of newbies out here.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Great idea. We will try to include this on a future video!

[@afterthesmash]

It helps to have a control paddle rather than a power paddle. It helps to have a loose grip. It helps to have your paddle closer to your body rather than your arm extended forward. The closer position is usually more relaxed and absorbs more of the energy. Arm extended to the side will also make this more difficult. It helps to have an eye position just above the net cord (relative to your sight line to ball strike), so that you can read spin sooner and more accurately. You usually won't want much of a back swing, if any. It will mostly depend upon having a soft paddle and the right paddle face angle. This requires judgment and practice. If you are having trouble guiding the ball into your paddle's sweet spot, it can help to add lead tape to wide locations just above the handle (which improves rotational stability when the ball is hit off center, without increasing your swing weight too much for a hands battle). Mostly it comes from playing for three to six months with a determination to softly reset as many fast balls as possible. All those other things help, but help only goes so far.

[@lindajohnson1984]

My rec players do not like the soft game. It's only banging and lobbing. No fun for me... now what??

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

We hear this a lot! Try to apply what you learned from this video. Or I guess you could try giving them a taste of their own medicine 💊:)

[@richpickleball9730]

Evolve... get better. If you always play with your dinking friends then you'll never get better with the power game. Or just find 4 people who love to just dink and play against them for your pleasure.

[@loritaylor6115]

Is it me or is she green?

[@CWK090]

She is a very attractive young woman. I honestly didn't notice the camera altering her skin tone.

[@lynetteringel6890]

Your third tip is a very important tip….but you didn’t actually tell us how to do it…just that it was important! I can’t even tell you how many lessons I’ve (paid for) & taken and have asked “how do I slow down play? And like your tip …you say what you should do but don’t actually show/explain how to go about doing it! Frustrated..needless to say….

[@chubun6631]

Totally agree. You have to beat a banger with the skills you currently possess. It's obvious that If you move well, can handle pace, and have good placement (basically what these tips are) you will beat a banger or any style for that matter. I am really tempted to make a video call "How to bang your opponent to death". Tip 1: hit the open court so your opponent has to reach for the ball. Tip 2: use top spin and make sure the apex of the flight path is on your side of the court. Tip 3: come in after your shot and clean up your opponent popup as a result of tip 1 and 2.

[@PlayPickleballCOM]

Okay thank you for the feedback we will keep that in mind for future videos!!!