No matter what level you may be at in pickleball, you may find that there are still aspects of the game that you may need to work on. If you’re looking to have a better pickleball attack strategy, here are three areas to aim at when you’re battling at the kitchen net or elsewhere on the court.
3 Areas To Aim For At The Net
In order to know which side to aim at, take some notes on your opponents. Check to see who is a right-handed player and who is a left-handed player, if there are any. This is important for you to know to see what side is their weaker side or their backhand.
Aim for the Dominant Shoulder
The first area that you should look for to attack when you’re at the net is your opponent’s dominant shoulder. So this would be the right shoulder for a right-handed player and the left shoulder for a left-handed player. The reason aiming the ball at their dominant shoulder is so effective for attacks is that it is an awkward position for the player to block.
Many players do not hold their paddle in the ready and correct position, to begin with. They will either not have the paddle ready in front of them. Or hold the paddle too dominantly favored to their backhand. That creates what is called a chicken wing position when you attack their dominant shoulder. That tends to create a weak block that you can then use to your advantage for your next attack.
Aim for The Dominant Hip
Like the dominant shoulder, the dominant hip is great to aim for when you’re attacking at the net because it is an awkward area to block the ball. The paddle-ready position is also higher up in front of the player’s chest.
By aiming at the hip, it forces your opponent to make an awkward movement with their arm and wrist that they’re not used to doing with any other shot. The dominant hip will be the right hip of a right-handed player. And the left hip of a left-handed player.
Aim For The Outside Foot Of the Nondominant Side
Arguably the most effective pickleball attack is one that is aimed at the outside foot of a player’s backhand side. It could be on the side of the foot or the area in the vicinity of their backhand side. You don’t necessarily have to be at the net to use this shot.
You should be aiming in this area when you’re looking to keep your opponent back when they’re in the transition zone. Or even when you’re returning a serve to a right-handed player that is serving from the right side of the court.
A pickleball attack to the outside of your opponent’s backhand side is effective because it requires certain skills to return the ball without propping it up. Your opponent will have to take the paddle across their body and hit the ball with enough touch and control that it doesn’t fly up to you or your partner’s forehand.
They will then have to move quickly to their steady position while trying to rush to the kitchen net. When you level up in pickleball, you want to be able to make shots that make your opponent uncomfortable or uneasy to return. Being able to aim for these areas will help you advance your game.
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