Why Getting to the NVZ Matters

If you have been playing pickleball for any amount of time, you have likely been told that it is important to get to the net. Sometimes, people aren't clear about the reasons why getting to the net is so important. This article will lay out the reasons.

Reason 1: More opportunities to hit down

When you are at the kitchen line, you have more opportunities to hit down and attack balls than when you are not at the kitchen line. Here are three diagrams that show different ball trajectories. Compare where the path of the ball crosses the player at the kitchen line vs where the ball is when it gets to the player at the baseline.

The balls in these graphics would be traveling from left to right.

Trajectory of a ball hit from the opponents' transition zone

Trajectory of a ball that was popped up from opponents' kitchen

Trajectory of ball with topspin hit from opponents' baseline

In each of these scenarios, the person at the net can hit the ball either as a volley close to net height, or as an overhead. The player near the baseline would have to hit the same ball up from below the net in order to clear the net.

The ability to hit down into your opponents' court and at their feet is an advantage because it means you can hit the ball harder and faster which takes time away from them and makes it more difficult to react to and to hit back with control.

Every ball your opponents send your way has to clear the net or you win. The closer you are to the net, the more likely

• You can hit a volley
• You can hit down
• You can hit with power

All three of these take time away from your opponents which makes their life more difficult.

Reason 2: Better Angles

When you are at the kitchen line, you have more margin for error because more of your opponents' court opens up to you than when you are at the baseline. This also means you have the ability to hit balls at angles that send your opponents off the court  to retrieve them.

Compare the angles available to a player near the baseline and a player at the kitchen line.

∼40° of range from the baseline

∼85° of range from the kitchen line

As you can see from these diagrams, the range of viable angels you can hit the ball more than doubles when you are at the kitchen line.

Reason 3: Multiplier effect

Being able to use the combination of opportunities to hit down instead of hitting up because you are closer to the net and being able to hit balls on a variety of angles to move your opponents around confers a huge advantage to players at the net.

If your opponents are set at the net and you are not, they have a strategic advantage. You can neutralize that advantage by getting yourself to the net.

If you can get to the net before your opponents, you now have that advantage. In future articles, we will discuss how to get yourself to the net.

Thanks for stopping by,

David