David Zapatka Two months ago, we wrote an article on being the best partner. This month is about being the best you on the court by focusing on your skills to strengthen your side of the partnership. Open space—The best players I’ve played against in my pickleball-playing career have been the ones who could create…
Tag: Relishing Pickleball
October 2024, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: Lobs and Angles
David Zapatka The lob is alive and well. Watch any of the stronger players and you’ll see they all use the lob as a weapon. Why do lobs work? They catch the opponents off guard. Many opponents don’t deal well with the unexpected lob. They sometimes panic or don’t use proper footwork to get to…
August 2024, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: The 4th Shot, Part 2
David Zapatka Consider these targets when hitting the 4th shot. 1. Hit to the opponent who is furthest back in the court. This will keep your opponents on defense. 2. Hit to the middle. The middle often causes confusion between the opponents. 3. Hit to your opponents’ feet. This is always an excellent target. It…
July 2024, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: The 4th Shot
David Zapatka We have learned the importance of the 3rd shot drop and that the receiving team has the initial advantage in the rally. The question now becomes, what does the receiving team need to do to maintain their advantage? Court positioning is vital as you prepare for the 4th shot. Only the player receiving…
June 2024, Sports
Relishing Pickleball: Evaluate Your Game and Improve
David Zapatka Evaluate: * Watch your opponents during pregame warmups to discover weaknesses and tendencies. Be sure you notice if they are right-handed or left-handed. * Be patient. Take your time. Learn to dink the ball cross court and straight ahead. * Play soft. Hit the ball hard only when you have proper timing and…
Sports, May 2024
Relishing Pickleball: New Player Tips
David Zapatka New to pickleball and want to improve quickly? Try these tips: * Seek out a mentor to help you learn the game. Talk with experienced players to glean information and helpful tips. Try what they suggest. Practice using their advice. * Serve deep and into the middle of the opponents’ court. Do not…
Sports, March 2024
Relishing Pickleball: Countering the Slice Shot
David Zapatka Last month we discussed hitting slice returns of serve and dinks. This month we are discussing how to counter the opponent’s slice returns and dinks. Consider using these strategies to counter the opponent’s slice shots. * Hit through the spin using a flat drive shot. By driving the ball, you are countering the…
Sports, February 2024
Relishing Pickleball: Slicing the Ball
David Zapatka Slicing serve returns and dinks are favorite shots of mine. A slice puts backspin on the ball. The slice makes the ball travel from 6 o’clock to 12 o’clock back toward the player who contacted the ball. These shots can be hit with a forehand or a backhand. A slice is effective for these reasons.…
Sports, January 2024
Relishing Pickleball: Pickleball Comes to U.S. Universities
David Zapatka Pickleball continues to grow in popularity around the country. It’s now making its way into U.S. universities. The leading example of this is my friend, Jarrod Smith, coach of Drury University’s men’s and women’s tennis teams, and in 2024, coach of Drury’s co-ed pickleball team in Springfield, Mo. In August, Drury announced the…
Sports, November 2023
Relishing Pickleball: Doubles Strategies (Continued!)
David Zapatka Continuing our study of Pickleball Fundamentals Master the basics and compete with confidence by Mary Littlewood, Ms. Littlewood offers these basic doubles strategies for players of any level. To read all her advice, buy her book. Strive for 100% accuracy on serves. The serve is the only shot in the game that is uncontested. There…