How To Block & Counter In Pickleball | Shut Down Hard-Hitter Attacks (& Fast Hands Tutorial)

There’s no way around it. You are going to get attacked on the pickleball court.
You may have caused it with a bad shot or your opponents may just be really good at being offensive.
Either way...it’s going to happen.
Some of the best players in the world are the best because their defense is exceptional.
It's SO hard to close out a point against them no matter how big of an advantage you have. They seem to be able to wiggle their way out of it way more often than they should.
It's a daunting task to go up against someone that has incredible defense. You know that you will have to work so hard to earn each and every point.
They will give away NOTHING.
You will have to bring your A game. And even when you do, they may still be able to sneak out the win from right under your nose due to their exceptional defensive skills.
The frustration that strong defensive players are able to create in the minds of their opponents is a skill in itself.
That's their hidden secret weapon.
They're not only stealing points with their incredible defense, they're chipping away at your confidence as well.
And once doubt starts to creep in. They've got you right where they want you.
If it's working for them at the highest level of play, imagine what it could do for you where you play.
And it's not just about having fast hands and getting the ball back over. That will only get you so far.
It's also about knowing what shot to send back once you get your paddle on the ball.
In this video, we'll not only teach how to develop those lightening fast hands, we'll also teach you the 5 shot options available to you when you are attacked, the technique behind how to hit each one, and how to know when to hit which one.
If you want to know how to shut down hard-hit attacks for good then this is a must watch video:
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[@mddale]

It seems that "fast hands" is really "fast brain" (anticipating what is most likely to come back at you) and paddle being back to the best response position. I find that I hit a good response then relax to admire what I just did! You need to always expect the ball to come back.

[@primetimepickleball]

Right, no time for admiration...just assess and respond.

[@relaxingmusic5583]

Thank you for sharing the techniques. They are really useful and helpful!

[@primetimepickleball]

You are so welcome!

[@martiwise7933]

Thank you so much for sharing these tips. Your visuals are top notch using split screens, notes (just like powerpoint) to demonstrate each skill. I've learned a lot from you!!!

[@primetimepickleball]

😊 my pleasure

[@josec4790]

Nicole, as always this is an excellent video. The side by side helps visualize the concept. I have been using the Slingball machine since I watched your video with the different settings. Wondering if you have any recommendations on how to set it up to be able to practice these NVZ shots. Thank you again.

[@mddale]

Thanks. Have needed some ideas on this subject. Hands-battles happening with me more often now.

[@primetimepickleball]

my pleasure.

[@a_wild_capybara]

Great stuff Nicole! I always appreciate your content.

[@primetimepickleball]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@kbotelho27]

As usual great job Nicole! The side by side clips are a big help. This is how you can train to win more points when the ball is sped up. Thanks again for all the super helpful content 😀

[@primetimepickleball]

Thank you! Appreciate the positive feedback.

[@cwarner5909]

Much of fast hands is focus, anticipation and reflex and is improved by repetition, if you don't have a partner a wall is a great tool and works on your schedule.

[@galaxy_mosaic3587]

this is really useful content. appreciate the breakdowns in the video on the different counter attacks. this is an area that I always felt was on the back of mind as need to improve, but I didn't have the vocabulary to think about all the options and use cases and how exactly to improve. thank you

[@primetimepickleball]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ginnysher6541]

Great video, Nicole. I have a couple of questions. 1) I noticed in the opening demos of types of attacks, Kady is off the NVZ about 2 feet. Is this what you recommend if you're under attack? 2) at apx 10:50 in the video, Kady is hitting a short swing counter. She strikes the ball on the bottom corner of her paddle. Is this the optimal area in this example? Asking so I know how to drill it.

[@arieschick1]

xLNt Love your work

[@primetimepickleball]

Thx! 🙏🏻

[@SDPBALLCOACH]

You were/are a great player and these are good tips... Toooooo looooooong!!😢

[@primetimepickleball]

Thank you for the compliment and for the feedback

[@cathykaufman392]

What happens with the grip? Should we be more eastern grip when countering?

[@primetimepickleball]

In hands battles I’d suggest continental if you’re going to use one hand on both FH and BH. If you’re going to hit two handed BHs then you can use Eastern.

[@mccgunter]

Better when watched on 1.75 speed.

[@primetimepickleball]

lol ok