5 Shots That Are Hurting Your Pickleball Game

1. Your fifth shot from the mid-court

Charging in after your third puts you in a vulnerable spot for your fifth. Too often players are caught moving forward and make a mistake on their fifth.

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A controlled, balanced approach toward the kitchen is the only way to survive at higher levels. You need to get comfortable moving through the transition zone. Split step and be prepared for whatever shot is coming your way.

2. Your powerful return of serve

Your opponents don't have to hit a particularly good third ball if you're nowhere near the line. If making your opponent's third ball more difficult comes at the cost of your chance to play a great fourth ball then the trade-off probably isn't worth it.

3. Your slice dink down the line

An attempt to add spin in such a tight space can leave you in a world of hurt. Too often the ball travels a little too far when slicing a dink down the line. The result? An easy putaway for your opponent.

Save the slice dink for the cross-court exchange where there is more space to to work with and more room for error.

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4. Your cross-court attack

The attack is all about removing time for your opponent to react. When you attack cross-court you give your opponent more time to react than with an attack straight ahead.

To make things worse, your partner is the one who pays for your mistake. An errant cross-court attack will likely be countered straight ahead, putting your partner in harm’s way.

5. Your “Just get it in serve”

Of course Morgan Evans advocates for a bigger serve; he had one of the most lethal spin serves back when they were legal.

But Evans explains that you’re losing a chance to put pressure on your opponent by just getting your serve to land in. Practice hitting a deep and effective serve to give your team a better chance to win.