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If you are new to pickleball, you will probably wonder which pickleball strategy guide will bring you glory. Of course, you will need different strategies when playing singles or doubles. Read this article carefully and get your paddle ready.
Pickleball Strategy Guide for Beginners
When playing a single match it’s great that you don’t have to worry about another teammate or worry about having two opponents. But instead, you have the pressure to do every hit well.
Pickleball Singles Strategy
Hitting
You should try to hit your serve as strong and as deep as possible into the opponent’s court so that the game is played on a high note. After serving, you need to keep the ball moving because most of the points you gain or lose are at your fault or the opponent’s.
Your hits in that game must constantly change direction in order to keep your opponent busy. Plus, it will be difficult for them to predict your next shot.
To get advanced hits, you need to have a good paddle. Adding spin to the ball, you will have the advantage to win the next match.
Positioning
In a single match, to save you time and energy, you should stand as close to the center as possible. This makes it easy to move to the sides.
Once you are in the correct position, hit the ball deep and toward the corner, which will cause your opponent to move back and forth continuously.
Pickleball Doubles Strategy
There are many tactical similarities between singles and doubles matches. The biggest difference is that when you play a pair you have to work with a teammate and work well with him.
Hitting
One good trick when playing a doubles match is hitting angles will get you the most points. Make sure your shot is long and deep. You need to keep your opponent on the baseline while you need to move towards the net.
When striking back the ball, you need to try to return the ball to the center so that both opponents have to move. That will cause confusion among opponents. In addition, returning the ball to the center forces left-handed players to use their right hands and vice versa.
Additionally, You should try to hit the ball down the side of your opponent’s feet. This will make it difficult for your opponent.
Serving
In a doubles match, concentration and consistency on serve are crucial. And always remember, you need to serve as deep as possible to keep your opponent in check.
Positioning
In a doubles match, a player’s standing position is different from a single match. Each teammate will stand on one side of the court to control the ball instead of in the center of the court. As such, you will want to defend the center of the court as they become the target of your opponent’s attack. To do this, two players have to move synchronously and understand each other on the court.
Communication
One of the most important things in a doubles match is communication. Without communication, your team will have a higher chance of errors like faults, running into each other, or assuming the other person has the ball.
Make sure both you and your teammate clearly call out whose ball it is and if you see it heading towards an out-of-bounds area.
The more you communicate, the less confusion your team has and the easier it becomes to win the game.
Communication is one of the most important things in a doubles match. Without this, your team will make many mistakes such as running into each other, competing for the ball, leaving a hole on the court…
You and your teammates need to clarify who each part of the court belongs to and when the ball goes out of line, how to handle it? The more you understand each other, the less confusion your team becomes and the easier it is to win.
Advanced Pickleball Strategy
Topspin
The spin technique can control ball bounces with different spin styles, which will confuse your opponent and give you an edge. The first type of spin is the topspin, commonly used in tennis. Using your dominant hand will be easier, you need to change your swing from low to high with the paddle tilted slightly forward. Using topspin will help the ball move low and faster, which can get your opponent stuck at the bottom of the court while you move up.
Backspin
Backspin is the opposite of topspin. The paddle head is facing backward and hits from high to low. Such a shot is called a slice, which causes the ball to move slowly and is comparable to baseball changing up. The shot can confuse your opponent and gives you more time to move to the net.
Poaching
Poaching is a tactic where the stronger player crosses the court and hits a ball that this ball is intended for their partner. If you anticipate your opponent’s attack direction, you will be able to step through to poach the ball. You need to talk to your partner about this in advance and make sure they are willing to give up and fill in the space that you leave behind when you poach.
Stacking
Stacking is a simple tactic, performed when one player is right-handed and the other is left-handed. This has the advantage that both players can block mid-serve shots. Again, it is important to be informed about who will make strikes in the center of the court to avoid a collision or a miss.
Conclusions
We hope these tips can help you in improving the game and impressing your teammates. If other players do not understand these techniques, please share and help them play better. The game will get more and more fun as participants play better and better.
