3 Strategies That Work Against Everyone

Welcome to The Pickleball Clinic Coaching Newsletter!

Pickleball is much easier when you don’t have to think on the fly.

That’s why it’s important to have a sound strategy that you can stick to while you play!

Today, we’re going to break down a few strategies that you can use against any opponent to give yourself an advantage.

Let’s dive in 👇

Strategy is everything in pickleball. In fact, a lesser skilled team can beat a more skilled team if they have a better strategy. It happens all the time!

Without a clear strategy, you'll find yourself reacting instead of controlling the flow of the match. It''s crucial not only to start every match with a game plan but also to actively observe, adapt, and refine your approach based on what's working (or what's not) during play.

Here are a few of my favorite strategies that will work against most players. You can use these to craft your initial strategy, and adjust as you go!

Locate and Target Your Opponents’ Backhands

The vast majority of pickleball players, especially at the recreational level, cannot create offense off their backhands. That means that if you can get your opponent to hit their backhand, they will not hurt you. This is particularly true on dinks, third shots, and returns of serve.

However, this strategy can be easier said than done. You need to make a conscious effort in the beginning of a game to figure out where your opponents’ backhands are. Remember, this will change depending on whether you are playing a two righties, a lefty and a righty, or two lefties.

I always hear players saying things like “I didn’t realize he was a lefty until the end of the game!”

If you don’t pick up on your opponents’ handedness, you will be playing at a huge disadvantage.

Hit Hard From Above the Net and Soft From Below the Net

So much of pickleball is deciding when you should attack versus when you should defend. Attacking prematurely will get you in loads of trouble, especially if you are trying to speed up dinks from below the net.

Making the wrong choices on attacking versus defending is one of the fastest ways to lose a game!

As a general rule of thumb, you should attack when the ball is below the net, and defend (or hit the ball into the kitchen) when the ball is below the net. This black and white strategy will keep you consistent and give you clear criteria to decide whether or not you should speed up.

Find and Exploit Your Opponents’ Weaknesses

Every pickleball player has their strengths and weaknesses, no matter how good they are. In order to get a leg up on your opponents, you should determine their weaknesses as soon as possible.

You can do this by giving your opponents a little of everything in the beginning of a game and taking note on what they do well and what they don’t do well. Watch them hit dinks, volleys, counter-attacks, drops, drives, and resets. Which do they miss? Which do they win points on?

Once you determine what they are not so good at, try to make them hit that shot as much as possible.

For example, if you determine that one of your opponents struggles hitting backhand dinks, make them hit their backhand dink as much as possible.

Once you find something that your opponent struggles with, keep targeting it until they make an adjustment. As the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”!

See you on the courts!

- Matt Slowinski (Co-Founder, Pro Player & Coach)

When the near team attacks in the below video, pay attention to where their shots are going. It will reveal one of the most effective strategies in the game.

They are attacking the backhand! Just like we mentioned earlier, it is much more difficult to create offense off the backhand side. We can see that coming into play here, with some relentless attacks to the backhand!

Footwork Is Key

A big problem that some players have is they don’t move their feet when they’re up at the kitchen line. It’s almost as if their feet have been put in cement so the only way they can hit their dinks is by leaning over with their backs. You’ve probably noticed this in others or in yourself! 😁

Either way, it’s not a good thing. Instead, you want to feel like you're up on your toes. You want to be able to bounce around and move from side to side. Well, VKTRY Insoles give you that extra spring in your step. How? Because while you play, the VKTRY insoles flex under your feet, returning energy with every step — while offering unmatched support and stabilization. Plus, they reduce the risk of foot injuries by 41% at the same time.

Get some VKTRY Insoles for yourself today, and save 20%.

Insights from Pickleball Pro, Coach, and Creator Tanner Tomassi

A general strategy that any recreational player can benefit from is:

Set an intention while you’re playing and try to stick to it. If you want to practice your third shot drops, if the ball comes to you and you get nervous, and decide to drive it, you won’t improve. Practice what your weak at, so when it comes time for a tournament you’re prepared.

See you all for my next bulletin!

For more from Tanner, follow @tanner.pickleball on Instagram & YouTube!

Check out this video from Coach Matt that breaks down three key strategies that you can use against any opponent that you encounter. If you’re more of a visual learner, this video will show you these strategies in action.

Well, that’s a wrap… so let’s recap the three strategies that you can employ in your game today to win more games.

• Target your opponents’ backhands

• Attack when the ball is above the net, and reset when it is below the net

• Try to find your opponents’ weaknesses early in the game, and exploit them

Thanks for reading! We hope you can put these tips to good use the next time you’re out on the courts!

Reply to this email with anything you want to see in our future newsletters 😄 

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic