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Pickleball Strategies, Tips and Tricks; Pickleball Lessons, Coaching, Clinics and Bootcamps

Pickleball Coach, Prem Carnot, The Pickleball Guru will teach you to play Smart Pickleball; Pickleball Strategies, Coaching, Bootcamps and Clinics

Say What? Pickleball Strategies for Calling Balls!

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It’s bad when that shot whizzes between you and your partner!

It’s worse when it’s one of the slow pickleballs that kind of dribbles between you and your partner! 

After either of those scenarios, it’s certainly too late to discuss who should have taken the ball.

But you can discuss what to do in the future when the same thing happens! 

Select a Caller!

Most of the time, it doesn’t work to have both players calling balls.

“Mine!” and “Mine!” or “Yours!” and “Yours!” at the same time puts you and your partner back at Square One!

That’s why I recommend only one person call the shots – there’s much less confusion between the two of you!

You and your partner just need to decide who is going to do all the ‘talking’ on the court! And certainly decide before the game starts!

KISS Those Calls! 

Yes, Keep It Super Simple when calling the balls!

I recommend “ME” or “YOU” when calling. The sounds of these words are clear and distinct!

Some players may say, “I go,” or “You go,” but sometimes the player only hears the “GO!” Especially during the heat of a long rally!

And then that ball slips between you and your partner, or the paddles smack together!

Getting Your Partner to Hold Back…

The ball is certainly going to go out and you want your partner to hold off…

Yelling “Noooooooooooo!” is certainly one option!

I personally like “Bounce it!” This communicates to your partner direction and action. 

Direction to wait for the ball to bounce, and action to get in position in the event the ball falls in the court.

A Few Final Words on Calling Balls

So you’ve agreed on who is calling the balls!

Now you’ve got to agree to listen to the call!

When your partner calls, “Me!” it’s probably a good idea to not take your partner’s shot! 

 

Ain’t No Thing But a Chicken Wing! (Body Shots, Part 2!)

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Last month, it was all about whether or not it’s rude to provide your opponent with a free pickleball tattoo.

In other words, is it okay to go for those body shots?

Like so many pickleball questions, the answer depends!

In this case, it depends on who you’re playing against!

If you’re playing against lesser skilled players who just want to have some fun, going after their bodies may be rude. But with higher skilled players, they are probably expecting shots coming to their bodies, and you are probably expecting some coming to yours!

So how do you stop the body shots? And when you want to dole them out, what part of the body do you aim for? 

I’ve Mentioned This a Time or Two…

Actually, I’ve said this thousands of times!

KEEP YOUR PADDLE UP!

Players at the higher levels notice when you lower that paddle. 

Keeping your paddle up gives you that little bit of extra time to position your paddle to block one of those body shots.

If your opponent sees that paddle down below your waist, that body shot is coming soon!

The best way to hold the paddle (e.g., out in front, or like a crossing-guard’s stop sign) is what works best for you!

But you have to keep that paddle up!

What Part of the Body to Aim for

Normally, it’s the feet! But in this case, you’re going for the torso!

But what part of the torso? You’ve got a just high enough dink, you can’t hit down at the feet, but you can blast at the body. 

Here’s what I recommend: aim for the paddle shoulder.

Grab your paddle and find a mirror. In your ready position (that paddle better be up!), if you’re right-handed, pretend that you’re trying to block a ball coming at your right shoulder.

Feel weird? Feel awkward?

Probably so!

Most other parts of the torso can be blocked a bit easier, but your wrist and elbow have to make a very awkward movement to protect that shoulder, which translates into net or out balls!

So just how do you block these types of body shots?

Ain’t No Thing but a Chicken Wing

This is pretty hard to describe! Just to make sure you get it, there’s a video below!

Lift your elbow and keep a loose grip on your paddle so that it’s kind of dangling from your hand.

The paddle face should be covering that vulnerable right shoulder.

And yes, I call it the chicken wing because that’s what it looks like!

I say “Paddles Up!” alot, but here’s what I also say – “If something works for you, keep doing it!”

You may already have a way to block those shoulder shots. If that’s the case, DON’T CHANGE!

The chicken wing is one option that works for me and may work for you!

 

 

Playing Against Your Friendly Neighborhood Bangers!

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You’ve read my article on strategies to play against slammers, but did you know there’s other strategies that you can use against bangers?

And that these strategies are on the first two shots?

And you may not even have to use the third shot drop?

Intrigued? I thought so! Read on to learn how to play against your friendly neighborhood bangers!

A Quick (and Not Very Good) Physics Lesson

I vaguely remember physics way back in high school (not my favorite subject!). But I do remember something along the lines of equal and opposite reactions!

In pickleball, if you hit the ball hard, it’s probably coming back hard – if not harder!

When playing against a banger, that may be the last thing that you want! Bangers love to hit the ball hard – they love being able to hit it even harder!

Let’s Say You’re Returning a Serve…

You’re playing against a couple of bangers – they serve hard, and you just know that third shot is going to be a drive and not a drop.

This is why I recommend a high, loopy return of serve, as near the baseline (preferably about two to three feet) as you feel comfortable with.

Bangers don’t like this!

They’re forced to hit the ball pretty much flat footed instead of moving towards the ball and the Kitchen – if they’re going to power the ball, they have to use their own power, none of yours!

And if they are hitting it flat-footed, all the power comes only from the arm, not from the entire body.

This return of serve has an added benefit! It gives you more time to join your partner at the Kitchen!

And you know I’m a huge fan of making the shot that gives you more time. That high, loopy return of serve gives you time to run, walk, or maybe even stroll to the Kitchen and get set and relaxed for the banger’s third shot!

Serving It Up!

You’re serving against a banger – can you guess what type of serve I recommend?

If you guessed “a high loopy serve like you recommend for the return,” you’re absolutely correct!

The same principle applies – you’re not giving the bangers any of your power – they’re forced to generate their own. That’s good news, right?

And there’s even better news!

If the banger hits a really hard return of serve, he’s not buying himself time. He’s losing time! Losing time to get to the Kitchen!

When you see this happen, get ready to do a third shot drop – NOT!

If your opponent is powering the ball from near the baseline, that ball is getting to you much quicker than your opponent is getting to the Kitchen. That means your opponent is back.

And what do I say at my bootcamps?

KEEP THEM BACK! DO NOT BRING THEM IN!

Whoever gets to the Kitchen first usually wins the point. It is in your best interest (and your partner’s!) to keep your opponents back. When you notice your opponent struggling to get to the Kitchen, try hitting a ball that bounces somewhere near their feet.

Doesn’t have to a hard shot or even a drive – and it’s a much easier shot from your baseline than trying to drop the ball into the Kitchen!

And because this shot doesn’t need much power behind it, you’re giving you (and your partner!) time to get to the Kitchen!

How Good a Poker Player Are You?

I’ve got a great poker face – that’s because I don’t know how to play poker! (I know a full house is good, and I think it beats a flush!)

In other words, I would have no tells if my hand was good or bad. I would be sitting there with the same expression on my face if I had a royal flush or a pair of threes!

The next time you’re playing a banger, and you make a good dink or he’s about to strike the ball fairly low (mid-calf or lower), look for the tell.

And the tell is the paddle behind the player. When you see this happen, that’s a really good indication the banger is getting ready to really power that poor little pickleball.

You know how you have to pull back on a slingshot’s rubber band to make that stone go farther? Same thing! The banger is pulling his arm back behind his body to generate more power to hit the ball harder.

Now comes the easy part!

Get out of the way!

Slide to the left, slide to the right, or duck! The ball may go into the net anyway, but if you notice that tell, be prepared to get out of the way so you can watch the ball sail out of bounds!

After all, you’re not auditioning for the role of a baseball backstop!

And Please Consider…

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Yikes! It’s the Yips!

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“Prem! I lost my serve! It just disappeared. I’m struggling to just get it in, let alone where I would I like to put the ball. Is it mental or physical?”

My answer to this question is, “Yes. It’s both!”

Losing your serve is awful. And yes, I’ve lost mine! Besides the fact you miss out on an unknown potential of points and advantages, it remains one of the top things that typically frustrates our partners the most. And, of course, the rest of your game suffers with the stress and worry of knowing it might happen again.

All you really have to do is get the pickleball ball in the serving area.  I mean you have 150 square feet and you’re sure you can get it in. You’ve done it plenty of times. When you just can’t get your serve in you’ve acquired a state called the yips. The yips affect your mechanics and motor skills, and slowly seep into your confidence, creating a great amount of stress.  Often with no apparent reason. The term originated in golf, but is now widespread by the sports media inclusive of any sport.

When it happens in pickleball, it’s twice as lethal, as we only get one serve.  So if you’ve got a case of the yips, here’s what I suggest.

Recently at the US Open, a top player approached me and asked me to help as she was suffering from the yips and could not get her serves in.

This seems to happen quite frequently in odd situations. Unfortunately, this often happens on the brink of tournament!

How to get rid of them?

One of my suggestions is to try and relax. Like I mentioned in my last newsletter, take as many deep breaths as you can before preparing to serve. The more relaxed you are the easier it is serve accurately.

Like telling you NOT to think about a purple polka-dotted elephant, this is easier said than done! Sometimes it’s just not that simple to find your ’happy place.’ Your mind is tense, which makes your body tense, which tightens our muscles, which then leads unforced errors.

So if the mental aspect of resolving the yips doesn’t work, here’s the physical solution. Put an extra finger behind your paddle.  “That sounds crazy.” But it works. And, it worked for her, even though she said, “This is soooo weird and awkward.”

I suggested she do it anyhow, as she could always revert back to her normal grip if it didn’t work.  Nothing to lose! Lo and behold it worked! Yes, sometimes I even surprise myself! She did it! I saw her paddle acting all wobbly due to her tense mood, so I called in the-old-finger-on-the-back-of-the-paddle trick. This limits the ability to wobble because it loosens the grip.  

Getting the serve in once again relaxed the tension and increased her confidence. It worked miracles on her serve and once she de-stressed, I suggested she go back to her normal serve…which started falling in place.  

Remember to try this as soon as you get frustrated – it also may be a good to idea to practice this serve just in case you come down with a case of the yips.  

Warmly,

Prem

 

Smart Pickleball: The 5 Rules for Playing Smarter (Not Harder!)

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I see sooo many players of all ages, who are working much harder than they NEED to be on the court, and aren’t getting nearly as good results as they COULD be. The key to getting great results in pickleball is not to get younger, stronger, faster but to play SMARTER. 

Today’s video blog post is a quick review of The 5 Rules of Playing Smart Pickleball, which I introduced in my book, Smart Pickleball. If you are feeling stuck at your current level of play or are constantly on the defense, then you’re probably not following the 5 rules of playing Smart Pickleball.  So if you’re looking for a way to improve your game but you suspect you won’t be getting much younger, stronger or faster this week, this topic is for you.

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