Better too high than too low

Everyone who has ever played pickleball has figured out relatively quickly that if you hit a high ball to opponents at the net, it can mean trouble. For that reason, it is tempting to try to hit very low balls.

It is important to control the height of the balls you send, but...

Better too high than too low.

Every ball you hit into the net is a favor for your opponents. You have done their job for them. You have ended the rally and they either won a point or you lost a serve. It doesn't matter how hard or how soft you hit the net. The net doesn't care and your opponents are grateful for your help in their effort to win.

Send your balls over the net. Even if your opponents get an opportunity to attack the ball you sent them, that is also an opportunity for them to make an error.

Here are a couple of things that can help you hit your shots high enough to clear the net, but not so high that you have to pick fragments of the ball out of your shoe laces.

Here are a few ways you can work to improve your success and consistency.

Learn the arc

A drop shot should have a gentle arc so it is descending when it crosses the net. If a ball is descending when it crosses the net, that means the apex of the arc is not over the top of the net. The apex of a good drop shot is on your side of the court. If you watch pro pickleball players, their drop shots peak near the kitchen line on their side of the court and they may even be shoulder high or higher at that point, but by the time they cross the net, they are descending into the kitchen on their opponent's side. As you get closer to the kitchen, your shot can be a bit lower, but giving your shot plenty of loft gives it clearance over the net, it gives you more time to move up the court through the transition zone, and then time to split step to be ready for the next ball.

A great way to practice this is by putting your paddle down and tossing the ball with your hand. Flex your knees, swing from your shoulder, and move your body with your swing. Do this from one position on the court until you can send the ball so it is descending into the kitchen on the other side of the net. When you have successfully tossed the ball into the kitchen from one place on the court, then move to another location on the court and repeat the exercise. You want to be able to execute drop shots from any place on the court. A toss with the palm up simulates a forehand. A toss with palm down simulates a backhand (especially if you cross your body when using that motion).

Pay attention to the arc of the ball when practicing these tosses. That is exactly what you are trying to do with your drop shots.

The next step is to pick up your paddle and try to replicate that same arc with your paddle. Let the ball bounce in front of you and lift it in a similar motion that you used for your toss.

Recognize high balls will happen

If you are prioritizing getting the ball over the net, you're going to hit some bad drops. When that happens, your opponents are likely going to attack it. Keep in mind

1. They are going to make mistakes sometimes and hit into the net or out. Drop shots that are higher than you intended are not the end of the world, nor are they necessarily the end of the rally for you (but balls hit into the net are the end of the rally).
2. Even if a ball comes fast and hard, you can work to reset the next one ...or the next one after that. Send slow balls and work your way to the net, but make your opponents beat you. Don't let the net do the job for them if you can help it.

Watching the top pickleball players, you will see that the serving team frequently takes more than one shot to get themselves to the net and engaged in the point.

Practice resets

If you are making sure you hit the ball over the net, and you know you will sometimes hit balls that your opponents can attack, getting good at resetting the ball and slowing things down makes sense.

Get yourself a practice partner. Put your partner at the kitchen line on the opposite side of the net from you. Hit a ball to your partner that is too high from somewhere around the baseline. Your partner should attack every ball you send them that is attackable. It is your job to take pace off the ball and drop it into the kitchen and move up the court toward your kitchen until you can engage in a dinking exchange.

Take turns with the two different roles with your partner. Do it on one side, then the other side. Then cross court. Then cross court in the other direction.

Here are a few keys to these resets.

• Keep your knees bent
• This will help you move and change direction when the ball is coming your way
• It will also help you lift the ball so it clears the net and descends into the kitchen
• Keep your stroke compact
• The faster the ball is coming at you, the less you need to swing
• Block the ball and angle the paddle so the ball rises when it comes off
• Move forward as the ball is traveling to your opponent/drill partner
• Sending slower balls with a gentle arc will give you more time
• Move quickly until the ball gets to your opponent
• Stop (split step) when your opponent is setting up to swing again

Wrist motion is the enemy. There are a number of reasons people might struggle with consistency, but wrist motion is one of the most common causes. Lock your wrist and swing from your shoulder.

Stay alive in the rally, slow things down, move to the kitchen

If your opponents are at the kitchen line and you are not, they have the advantage. Until you get there yourself, the likelihood that you will hit a successful winner is low. Players at the net will win more rallies than players in the transition zone or near the baseline.

As the serving team, your first goal is to neutralize the positional advantage that the receiving team has. Keep the point alive, slow the ball down, and advance through the transition zone to the kitchen. Once you get there, you can begin to be more aggressive by placing dinks that cause your opponent trouble, and you can look for an attackable ball.

Hope you found something here helpful. Thanks for stopping by.

...Okay, I'm tacking this on because I was asked about it in a recent conversation.

Q: David, was the article you wrote on [x] because of [player or instance] I saw you in the day or week before that article published?

A: No. I produce drafts of articles several weeks in advance and they are nearly always about general observations and tips that everyone (including me) can work on to improve their games. Unless I am asked a specific question by a specific person, the inspiration for topics comes from seeing rec and tournament games over the course of years.

People tell me they are reading and enjoying this content. I would love to hear if there are topics you would like me to cover. There have already been a couple of articles that were inspired by questions I got from people.

My Partner is Being Targeted

Slippery Grips

Stacking Series

These are a few examples. Keep the questions coming.

No Fun David