Why you're getting slammed - get the right answer from a pickleball professional

[@robertfromm2513]

Long video to say move up when it’s right and the third shot is the important factor.

[@BestPickleballCoach]

See above reply re same.

[@IL4aerc]

Another awesome video Big T!

[@BestPickleballCoach]

Ty T squared

[@jamesf1525]

In the first segment shown with the womens' doubles, the near team, left side player was in the "no man's land" zone but the ball was hit to the other player. She had no way to know who was going to receive the ball. She lucked out and was not targeted. I have lots to work on to be better at this. I tend to rush to the NVZ, but that's where the control of the game is. Maybe I'm more skilled at assessing or just lucky. Will be more aware in future games.

[@BestPickleballCoach]

A good player will generally target the closer player with any putaway shot. Keep working on your recognition. Appreciate the comment.

[@gerrydertinger7447]

Tony, it seems a lot of this is based on the assumption the 3rd shot is a long drop. In our rec group, that shot is attacked often, so the alternative 3rd is a hard drive down the middle. Hanging back is problematic as a dead energy block into the kitchen can not be gotten to if one hangs back ( seniors here). Advice?

[@jeffdarcy6786]

I'm not even half a Tony, but if you don't mind I'd like to mention two things that have helped me. First is that even if I'm staying back, I generally don't stay *all* the way back. I'll take a step or two in, not even half way, which is enough to get up to all but the very nastiest dinks if I need to. Yes, I'm sacrificing a bit of my ability to handle a deep drive on the fourth ball, but those seem a lot less common than dinks if I'm literally all the way back on the baseline. It's all about playing the odds, which is BTW why it's also important to think about who the opponent is and what their capabilities or tendencies are. The second thing I like to do is think about the drop not so much in terms of quality (very subjective) but in terms of where I'll be when the ball is hit. Also where my opponent will be, etc. A third shot drop going across the court will be a bit slower than one going straight ahead. A slightly higher ball will also be slower, though more likely to be attackable. Some players don't like to attack a net-height ball with a backhand, so a drop there is lower risk even if it's "bad" in other ways. In a lot of these situations I'll have a bit more time and it's worth the risk to come up, as opposed to letting yourself get pinned back. In my case it probably helps that I win more than I lose when hitting in transition (reflecting opponent's power back at them plus the momentum from my own forward motion) and even more if I can get my feet set at the kitchen line. Your mileage may vary. In fact it *will* vary, so you have to find the balance that works for you. In any case, it's a lot easier to make the right decision if you get used to visualizing what the situation will be. Do I still get slammed? Sure I do. Maybe playing this aggressively will fail me if/when I start playing tournaments and encounter players at the next level or two, but even at the top of the recreational scene here in eastern Massachusetts it seems to be working pretty well. I'll cross that bridge when I get there. The most common problem I see among 3.75-4.0 players around here is staying back *too* much, coming up only on an absolutely perfect drop, rather than coming up too much. It's like they've learned that you shouldn't move up automatically 100% of the time and they're still in the overcompensation phase.

[@BestPickleballCoach]

Hello Gerry. There is no 1 size fits all to movement. That is why it is the most complicated part of our sport to solve for. If your partner is driving and you expect a block softly back, then moving in would make sense. That is part of the "recognition" tool. It is something that you get good at and then you can figure out what to do given the current circumstances.

[@gregflakus66]

Good video. . Foss approach

[@BestPickleballCoach]

Ty Greg

[@The_pickleball_fennec]

are we gonna talk abt that horrible high reset that got the player to get slammed? yes u do have to be wary of where u stand but the partner popping up the ball has his share of responsibility as well

[@BestPickleballCoach]

Appreciate your perspective on this but suggest that even the pros hit attackable shots. Difference is that most often they don’t run in behind it. That’s the lesson here. Agree that the shot could have been better (not horrible though - these things happen)

[@cwarner5909]

Many times yours or your partners pop ups are unintentional, digging out a low shot or trying to reset a hard drive it's up to you to judge the quality of the return and act accordingly.

[@EG80]

Yes good advice BUT my ego says, put yourself in the least optimal position so that you can get good at being uncomfortable and therefore perform better in the worst case scenarios given time and practice, AND, if you're lucky you might find a way to innovate the way the game is played

[@BestPickleballCoach]

Appreciate the perspective

[@dalevoigt8612]

What would have happened if you sent one of your reset shots high while working your way up to the non-volley zone? More than likely a ball would have been slammed at your partner who was already forward. What was the concept of watch your partners shot before coming forward? There was a lot of trust in your ability to make the right shot in that video.

[@BestPickleballCoach]

Not following this at all DV.

[@dalevoigt8612]

@@BestPickleballCoach You were critiquing one up and one back, say to move forward only after it is established that the drop is good. Yet at time stamp 19 you are 3/4 of the way back and your partner is all the way forward at the kitchen line. Nice drop yet if it was high, it gets slammed at your partner.

[@andreascott9577]

I think you have confused some people here, myself included. I can't tell you how many times I hit a decent third but can't get up to the kitchen line as fast as my partner due to my follow through. The ball gets dumped in front of me when he could have gotten to it.

[@BestPickleballCoach]

Hello Andrea. Appreciate the scenario. I would suggest that recognizing the conditions includes when moving forward is warranted. Pickleball presents a wide range of variables. The specific one I was focusing on in this video was the premature slam from taking an incorrect court position. There are certainly other conditions that would call for different movement and court positions.

[@allenronaldson4381]

Great stuff! Now let’s get rid of standard scoring at the rec level. RALLY SCORING LIVES!

[@BestPickleballCoach]

:)

[@sj-ih7us]

Talk talk talk

[@BestPickleballCoach]

👍

[@stevec6919]

Useless video. 'asses the condition' . no real tips or tool.

[@jeffdarcy6786]

Kind of had the same feeling; the video seemed to end quite prematurely. FWIW, I filled in a bit more detail in another comment (to @gerrydertinger7447). Maybe I'm right and maybe I'm wrong, but it is at least a bit more actionable advice than just "recognize".

[@BestPickleballCoach]

EDITED thanks to Jeff. Allow me to reframe the concept a bit. A player watching this video would be watching it because they are getting slammed while moving through the transition zone. In that case, it is likely that a cause of the slams is a need to better recognize conditions (including quality of third). While at first blush recognition may seem like an obvious and not particularly helpful tip to share, in fact, it is likely the No. 1 most valuable tool that such a player can work on. More important than "moving with partner" or even the third shot itself. Even pro players use this concept - recognition - to navigate the court. I hope this clarifies the purpose of the concept shared in this video. Be well.

[@jeffdarcy6786]

@@BestPickleballCoach That does seem a bit harsh. Even if someone feels they're doing something well, it's totally valid to "check" in and see if it's consistent with what an expert says, or if they can suggest some further refinement. The "useless video" comment might have been out of line, but "why are you watching" seems like an odd take. I once learned that good teaching/feedback is: timely, actionable, consistent, and respectfully given. I'm sure you've learned a similar rubric ... and yet, the advice here wasn't very actionable and the later response definitely wasn't respectful. Surely we can do better than 50% here.

[@BestPickleballCoach]

@@jeffdarcy6786 fair point. Agree on checking in if in doubt. Also understand that these concepts are often foreign to players. I will amend my reply accordingly. Appreciate the feedback.

[@unholywarrior9007]

Its your partners fault he has no clue on position. He is clumsy and making you a target . Imagine your playing basketball and your partner is trying to shoot full court basketball shots over and over and he is trying to do this backing up and on his backhand with bad footwork

[@BestPickleballCoach]

??

[@philipyoung3843]

Get to the point

[@BestPickleballCoach]

What point?