Last week we reviewed how to use pickleball patterns to create attackable opportunities or force our opponent to make an error. But some days, our favorite patterns just don’t work. What then? Flexibility is the key.
Square Peg round Hole
There are several reasons that your tried and true plays just aren’t working that day. It could be your opponent. It could be you just can’t make that shot that day. It could be that you have chosen the wrong strategy. While we may be more comfortable trying to execute our favorite pattern(s), if they aren’t helping us win, we need to be flexible.
Too often I see players refusing to recognize that it just isn’t working. I call it the square peg round hole syndrome. The player continues to try to force something to work in a match even though it is losing more points than it is winning.
Ernie wasn’t working
I was watching a match recently where the player was desperate to hit an Ernie. He continued to jump over the non-volley zone, leaving his partner to cover the entire court. The other team seeing this tendency kept the ball away from him most of the time. In fact, during the match, they lost 8 points and only won one point while attempting this move. It seemed that that one point was reward enough for the player. But does that make sense?
flexibility is the key
We all need to remember that not everything is black and white. I often see questions posted about stacking or the best way 
to approach the net. The problem is that well-meaning folks recommend solutions that work for them, but may not be the right answer for that player.
to approach the net. The problem is that well-meaning folks recommend solutions that work for them, but may not be the right answer for that player.What makes pickleball so exciting to me is that every new team, each new situation, is like a puzzle to be solved. Our strategies entering a match are not always the same, and we must be willing to analyze our results in real-time. Flexibility is the key! We must be open to changing our approach when things aren’t working. Just look at the number of times a team loses the first game of a match and comes back to win the next two. Did they play better? Perhaps….but more likely they adopted a new strategy or strategies after the first game.
Just consider the number of times you have seen Open players change the way they stack during a game. It could be the team, the time of day, how they are executing their shots that day, or how they want to be positioned relative to a particular player.
Most Recent Nationals
I recently played a match at Nationals where my partner was struggling. I normally start on the left or odd court because I like to be aggressive with my forehand. But that day I asked her, “Where on the court would you feel more comfortable?” She said, “Left”….so that day I played on the right or even court.
Even if you typically play with the same partner in tournaments, there are going to be times when you need to change your typical game. I realize we all want simple answers for everything…but we need to be flexible. There is no black and white….there is not a strategy that works 100% of the time. The best players will always be open to change and will recognize when and how they should adjust their play or the strategies they are using that match. Be bold and remember flexibility is the key.
