Pickleball is a game that can be played slowly with lots of resets, dinking, and driving. But it can also be a fast game of driving, banging, and smashing. If you’re playing against bangers, knowing how to play great pickleball defense is a must. Here are ways to always get the ball back.
Ultimate Pickleball Defense: How To Always Get The Ball Back
Give Yourself Time
When it comes to defending against overheard smashes or a putaway attempt, in general, is to give yourself time. The way to do this is by backing up as soon as you or your partner accidentally hit a ball up. The further you are away from the ball, the slower the ball will have gotten by the time it reaches you.
Adjust Your Grip
Sometimes, an attack comes at you at the non-volley zone or at the transition zone. Whether there is a speedup of the ball at the net or you’re trying to make your way up to the net, you don’t want to back up. A simple block will allow you to stay in the point but without adjusting your normal grip, it may give your opponent enough pace to smash it back.
In a “shake-and-bake”, your opponent may drive the ball at you, only for you to block but inadvertently prop the ball up. And then they smash the ball away. By adjusting your grip, you’re taking pace off of the ball so that it is not easily attackable in the next shot. It will also buy you time to get to the kitchen line if you’re making your way there.
The adjustment that you will have to make on your grip does depend on where you’re at on the court. If you’re further away from the net, you will still want enough to push the ball back so it makes it past the net. If you’re at the kitchen line, you will want to take off more grip pressure.
Having this touch and control of the ball is an advanced skill that may take time and a lot of practice. However, it is extremely effective as a defense.
Learn How To Half-Volley
Sometimes your opponent may be great at attacking by aiming at your feet. When you don’t have the time to make any other shot, your goal is to make one more shot. That one more shot may be the only shot option you have and keep you in the point for a better shot opportunity.
A half-volley means to take the ball right off of the bounce instead of waiting for the ball’s maximum bounce height. Half-volleys are perhaps the best way to retrieve balls smashed at your feet because you don’t have the time or space between you and the ball.
You don’t want the ball’s bounce to reach higher because it could be at your body. While a reset shot could be better, you don’t always have the luxury of knowing where your opponent is exactly aiming. Knowing how to half-volley will get you out of those jams where you don’t have the time or position to defend any other way.
Anticipate Your Opponent’s Next Move
One way that you can anticipate an attack is by being aware of your opponent’s paddle face position. This is especially true at the net. If your opponent has an open paddle face-up, be prepared for a lob. You can also anticipate the direction that the ball will be going by looking at your opponent’s overall body language.
That includes where their shoulders and heads are turning. Or whether they’re winding up for another drive. While it may take more experience, generally being more conscious of the game will help anticipate your opponent’s next move.
Being more proactive will help you play better pickleball defense. If you’re only playing reactively, it may already be too late before you move to counter an attack or retrieve the ball.
Slow The Ball Down
The best pickleball defense is to create unattackable balls. This means being great at dropping, dinking, resetting, and even lobbing. If you’re retrieving a ball, you will want to safely drop the ball back into your opponent’s kitchen zone.
If you need to switch up your defense because dinking and dropping are not working, lob the ball over your opponents. Many players are not great at overheads. With enough lobbing, they may either smash the ball into the net or out of bounds.
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