Plan of Attack

Who doesn’t love putting away a clean winner? It’s one of many reasons why pickleball is such a satisfying game.

As you develop your own game, it will start to become clear that the sport is about earning the opportunity to put the ball away and the steps it takes to get there. And ultimately, that’s what each team is trying to do: either force the other side to make an error or force a pop-up so they can put the ball away.

A very effective way to do this is by speeding up the ball - or - attacking it offensively. So why are we sometimes caught off guard when we get attacked with a speed-up?

Let's dive in...

Photo credit: Sara McInnes

Get Ready, Get Steady

Usually, attacks work on someone because they aren’t prepared for the ball to be played at a faster different pace - an example of this is someone speeding up the ball with a flick in the middle of a dinking rally.

There’s a strong chance that a person’s head is down and can't see that their opponent is preparing to attack (also, the opponent is likely choosing to attack because they see the head is down).

While focusing on your game is great, by opening your peripherals to see the opponent you will begin to pick up on subtleties or a giveaway sign when someone is attacking.

Can You Spot the Attack by Your Opponent?

Here are some signs that likely result in a speed-up:

- The player takes a long pause before making their shot
- The ball is on their forehand side, generally, the side that is easier for most people to attack from
- Head is down and they are focused on the ball
- Their body is in a semi-closed position, leading with their shoulder to generate power from the rotation of their body
- They are a foot or two off of the non-volley line, giving themselves more room for the attack
- A high ball off of a bounce 
- A high ball that one can attack with a volley from the air or your ball has a high bounce that they can attack off of
- The player is a power player who is known to attack (just expect that the attack is coming!)

The really good players will disguise their shots, so even if their head is down or they are pausing, waiting until the last possible moment to make their shot, they may just hit a dink into the kitchen instead.

By always attacking - or playing just one style over and over again, the attack becomes less surprising and more predictable.

Seeing the Attack but Don’t Know What To Do?

You’re reading what is coming, you know what the other side is going to do but you still can’t do anything about it. Now what? There might be a few immediate changes you can make, but chances are it’s a matter of getting yourself comfortable with the thought of being attacked.

Some players out there want the other side to speed up the ball because the counter-attack is almost more effective than the initial attack. This is up to you as a player, are you the attacker or counter attacker?

Either way though, it’ll be more advantageous if you’re comfortable reading, defending attacks and playing people with that style of game, rather than avoiding that style of play.

The concept of attacking can be demonstrated in a variety of ways. By using top spin, you can insert a large amount of strength behind your shot, because the spin will cause the ball to drop and land within the court.

Flicking the wrist is another way to attack, minimizing the distance in which the ball will travel. It can be particularly effective if the opponent can’t identify the flick before it actually happens.

If you decide to go for the body shot attack well, then your volley or groundstroke can be hard and flat, because your opponent's body is going to stop the ball from flying out of bounds.

Photo credit: Sara McInnes

Try making a note of how your body reacts to a speed up, chances are you’re tensing up and the tighter you are the less ball control you will have. That ball will just rocket off the paddle like a pinball machine. Stay relaxed, track and follow the ball and keep the paddle stable.

Confidence is Key

If you are worried about the possibility of being hit by a hard, fast ball then protective eyewear could be a serious game changer for you. Getting hit with a plastic wiffle ball should hardly do any damage with the exception of the eyes.

Throw on a pair of sport sunglasses or athletic eyewear and watch yourself stay square to the ball on an attack rather than turning the body to avoid contact.

Do you notice yourself jumping back and away from the non-volley line when you are getting attacked? This ultimately puts your paddle further away from the ball too. Stand your ground and keep the paddle out in front of the body.

For the players who back off of the line out of nervousness, implementing how to attack, counter attacks and defending attacks into your practice will create empowerment through understanding, familiarity and additional control!

Just remember that just because you aren’t ready to counter-attack the ball doesn’t mean that you can’t (or don’t have the ability to), sometimes attacking and counter-attacking don’t happen simply because a player doesn’t feel it’s the right moment to do so. So, if you don’t feel it’s the right time, simply block or reset the ball by hitting a dink and neutralize the rally.

If both players engage in this exchange of attacks we move into what’s commonly referred to as a hands battle, rapid-fire or firefight. It becomes a matter of who can sustain the pace and strength longer than the opponent.

A combination of good footwork, compressed movement and fast hands is usually the difference between winning and losing a firefight.

This article was taken from our 'Control the Kitchen' Newsletter, if you're interested in receiving more content like this, please feel free to sign up using the subscribe section located at the bottom left of this page (or underneath the article if you're on mobile), thanks!