Target Practice: Win More Points by Attacking the Right Spots on your Opponents

You can’t go to the same spot every single time you go on offense – eventually, your opponent will catch on. And make you pay for it.

Despite the growth in pickleball paddle technology and the resulting increase in power and speed, location is still crucial in pickleball.

While you might be able to overpower a beginner or lower rated player, as you improve, your opponent’s hand speed will get better. Focus on hitting the following spots when attacking your opponents.

Right hip of your down-the-line opponent

This is the bread-and-butter and most popular spot to target in pickleball.

If you can successfully aim for and hit the right hip (or left hip if they are a lefty) of the opponent down the line from you, it will almost always result in a weaker shot and give you an advantage in the rally.

Let’s pretend you are playing the left side as an example.

• If you have a right-handed opponent across from you, locate their right hip
• Draw a pretend bullseye about the size of a dinner plate in your mind at that location
• This is your target that you want to aim for when attacking
• This should result in your opponent having to hit the dreaded chick wing, or they will have to hit an awkward short arm forehand counter

I will aim for this spot when attacking off the bounce on both sides, using my two handed backhand or my forehand off the bounce to top spin the ball with control to this location.

If you hit the ball too hard and flat, it will go into the net, or you will hit it too high and give your opponent an easy leave or counter.

Keep in mind that the right hip of a left-handed player is opposite of that of a right-handed player. This target will result in you attacking more middle. This spot works from all spots on the court (drives, counters, speed ups at the kitchen, etc.), but make sure you are targeting the opponent down the line from you.

Very rarely do you want to speed up cross-court.

Right shoulder of your down-the-line opponent

Okay, let’s say you’ve successfully targeted the right hip of your opponent down the line from you a few times in a game. If your opponent is paying attention, they will likely start to protect that spot, either by sliding over (creating a huge gap in the middle of the court), or by putting their paddle there. 

If you can keep your opponents guessing, you will stay ahead in rallies and put yourself in better positions to win points with high percentage plays. You can’t go to the same spot every single time you attack. Eventually, your opponent will catch on. 

So, the next spot to target is the right shoulder (or left if you are playing a lefty) of the opponent down the line from you.

This spot forces your opponent into an awkward arm position. They won’t be able to swing freely, and from a technical standpoint, it’s very difficult to counter straight down from your paddle-side shoulder.

Again, you don’t want to hit this shot too hard, since the target is higher up on your opponents’ body. Too much power and they ball will fly way out. Spin is again key here.

Mix up this location with the first location. It will keep your opponent guessing and result in you having the advantage in rallies and hands battles. These are great targets from anywhere on the court, but they are especially effective if all four players are at the kitchen.

If timed correctly, this two-shot pattern can cause a lot of issues for your opponents. It forces them to have to hit higher quality fourth shot volleys, and the extra stress of having your partner move aggressively at the kitchen line can lead to your opponents committing a lot of errors. 

Hit low through the middle

The final spot I want you to practice targeting when attacking is through the middle.

Once you can establish the first two targets on your opponent down the line from you, they will be forced to adapt and hopefully overcompensate to protect those two spots. The most common way to protect is to slide towards the line, which will expose the middle of the court between your two opponents. 

Once you have this opening, it is important to try to hit the ball low through the middle.

• Your opponent cross court from you should try to cover the middle ball
• If you hit it too high, they will be able to cover easier and slam a counter back down at you
• If you can get it waist high or lower, it will result in your opponent having to hit up on the ball.

This will give you the ability to counter or let it go out.

One last note on these three locations – variability is key.

You want to have all three of these targets in your repertoire ready to use at any time during a match. You also want to be able to vary the speed of your attacking shots.

This adds another layer that your opponent has to account for when they are defending your speed ups. Throughout a match, I might hit a backhand to my opponent’s right shoulder softer than normal. Then, I hit a faster ball at their right hip. Next, a shot with more spin dipping through the middle.

Always keep your opponent guessing at what attack you are going to hit, keeping you in front of the rally and giving you the highest percentage to execute and win the point.

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