Do you have difficulty identifying an attackable ball? Many players do. Though we will all make a mistake from time to time, we need to have criteria for identifying the right ball to attack.
Should I Attack Or Block The Ball?
I get asked a lot when the best time to attack and when to block. I created this video Mini-Lesson to show you just that…
I have three criteria for identifying an attackable ball. The first two relate to the ball itself…they are height and pace. The third criterium relates to my body…it is forward momentum.
Height Of The Ball To Attack
When we pop up a ball too high we know we are in trouble. Likewise, when we find a ball up above the net we know we may have the ability to hit it down towards the ground on our opponents’ side of the court. The key, however, is to take the ball early enough that is is not dropping down…the key here is paddle position and preparation prior to the ball crossing the net. If you allow the tip of your paddle to drop down below your chest you will have to hurry to raise the paddle and may mis-hit the ball. Keeping your paddle above the net, tip-up will enable you to attack attackable balls more easily.
Pace Of The Ball
In Pickleball, as in life, there is karma.
- If you hit a ball softly…it is typically returned softly because it is difficult to add pace.
- If you hit it hard…it will most likely come back hard because it takes more skill to take pace off the ball.
- If you hit a dink cross-court…it will typically be returned cross-court because it is more difficult to change the direction of the ball.
Advanced players typically will dink low and slow cross-court because it gives our opponents fewer options. It is difficult to generate pace off of such a shot, just as it is more difficult to change its direction. So when during a dinking rally we find the pace begins to speed up we know we may have an opportunity to attack. The key here is to use your body to generate power. Too often players try to generate power using only their elbows or wrists. This often leads to errors and not a lot of pace.
Forward Momentum
One of the biggest keys to adding pace to a ball and hitting an attackable ball cleanly is our body position. We need to ask ourselves, is our body in position to hit this ball and then the next ball if it is returned? Of course, balance is key. However, to generate pace and a downward trajectory we need to get our weight behind the ball with our paddle ready to respond to our opponent’s counter-attack. We always want to expect the ball will come back to us. If the ball and the paddle are in front of you…you are in good shape.
Always
As you look for attackable balls keep these things in mind:
- Always be ready
- Always be moving forward
- Always have your paddle in front of you
