When Your Put-Away Shot ...Comes Back

You hit a smash to win the point, but your opponent sends it back and says...

As you progress in the sport of pickleball and you have opportunities to play against more skilled players, there will undoubtedly be rallies where you hit a shot that stresses your opponent. After a few dinks, they hit a ball you can attack. You fire off a put-away smash, but they put a paddle on it and it comes back. Maybe you fire off another and it comes back again! High level players can even reset the ball sometimes and reengage at the net with dinks. The way you handle these situations is critical. It can be frustrating when the shots you rely on and which you expect will end the point for your team failed to penetrate your opponents' defense. You might be overwhelmed when you see an opponent capable of handling your best smash. This is an instance where the mental side of the game really matters. Here are some tips for dealing with these situations.

Don't

1. Do not turn a rally where you have the upper hand into a win for your opponents.

2. Don't be intimidated. No matter who you are playing against, they are humans and they will make mistakes. You put them on their heels once, you can do it again if you can keep your head in the game.

3. Don't mentally disengage from the point after you hit a smash. Assume every ball you send to your opponents are going to come back until the ball actually gets passed your opponents ...both of your opponents. If you expect it to come back, you won't be surprised when it does come back, and if it your shot is a clean winner, you have plenty of time to celebrate when the rally has finished.

4. Don't allow frustration to cause unforced errors. If the first smash comes back and you get a chance to smash a second ball, your opponents are likely still stressed and scrambling, by all means, hit another hard fast ball at their feet or angle away from your opponents, but don't be angry. Anger and frustration will increase your tendency to try to reach beyond controlled shots and will lead to unforced errors, hitting balls into the net or out of bounds. 

5. Do not sacrifice control for power. If you can't control the shot, it is not the right shot to hit.

Do

6. Maintain an athletic stance (knees bent, paddle up, slight forward posture).

7. Track the ball with your eyes and body. Follow the ball laterally on the court by shuffling left or right depending on which side of the court where the ball went.

8. Remain calm, but focused. Be zen about it. Take a breath. Know that you are in the driver's seat in the point. Also remember that you were able to set up this scenario in which you put your opponents on their heels. If they manage to get themselves out of trouble by resetting the point, you can do it again. 

9. Stay on your toes and move to receive the ball as it comes back. You want to receive every ball so you are making good contact in front of your body in your strike zone, and not where you are reaching or stretching. This is the way to maintain control of your strokes. The better their shot is, the more you will have to make careful decisions about whether to volley the ball (hit it out of the air) or to hit a ground stroke (hitting off a bounce).

10. Communicate with your partner for balls that come to the middle. Even when you have a general plan with your partner of who will take balls in the middle, these things can break down when you smell blood in the water. Be aware of your partner's position. If they are positioning themselves to take it, give them room. If you think you have the best shot, call out your intention; "got it!"

11. Appreciate your opponent's skill. It's no small thing to be able to put a paddle on a smash and send back a ball that the attacker has to deal with. The more times that happens, the more impressive it is. And if your opponents reset the point and get themselves back to the net and dinking again, "Well done!" Just don't celebrate their skill to the point that you disengage!

12. If your opponents reset the point and get back to dinking, then be patient. Your advantage has been neutralized. Recognize that fact. You are starting over and you must bide your time, and try to reconstruct an offense by playing smart. Another attackable ball will present itself if you are patient.  Dink for as long as you have to in order to get another opportunity to attack. You did it once already. Know you can do it again. Stay on your toes and get back in the grind.

I hope you find this helpful. See you on the courts.

No Fun David