ALL EPISODES
#1027: When, How and Why is Stacking a Good Idea?
Master Pro and former pro competitor Lisa Palcic explains why two right-handed players almost always stack in mixed doubles on the pro circuit (no matter how good the female player is). But when, why and how stacking might make sense for amateurs in rec play or tournaments is another story.
#1026: Are You a Tournament Virgin?
Coach Veronica Alteri just started playing pro pickleball herself, but she remembers the mental challenges of the first time she played in a tournament. She and Tracie talk about the thrills and chills of playing competitively and how to deal with the way things change (for you and for your partner) when the score actually counts.
#1025: Why Should You Not Target the Weaker Player?
Coach Mindy Yoder says that hitting to the weaker player can make sense if your goal is to win the game, but can also backfire if the stronger player takes over the court and poaches aggressively, ending points quickly. In rec play, you might want to embrace more challenge and have better points by including the stronger player — which can make it a better experience for everyone — especially the stronger player, who is there to play pickleball and will not appreciate being "avoided."
#1024: The Attack of the Body Baggers
Coach Leia Miller talks about whether there is an etiquette or sportsmanship issue about aiming the ball at an opponent's body, since "body bagging" has become a legitimate strategy. In earlier pickleball days, hitting someone with the ball might have necessitated a heartfelt apology. Leia talks about how the sport has become more aggressive so you need to be prepared to defend against players who aim for your body — or heaven forbid, your face!
APPLE SPOTIFY BUZZSPROUT
#1023: Quit Hitting Out Balls!
Coach Thomas Yelloweyes in Oregon explains you're giving gifts to your opponents by hitting their balls that are going out. Tracie talks about how frustrating it is to have a partner who goes after every ball, hitting balls that are clearly going out when she thought their opponents had lost the point — but suddenly that out ball is coming right back to her!
#1022: Bye Bye Backswing
IPTPA Master Pro Lisa Palcic talks about a common flaw even in advanced players, especially in former tennis players, who transition to pickleball and bring their backswing with them. She explains how there should be no "take back" in pickleball except from the baseline. All other shots coming to the kitchen — and once you're there — should start and stay out in front of you. If you can always see the paddle before hitting, you'll have better timing for the shot and recover more quickly for what comes back at you. The backswing just holds you back.
#1021: Take it out of the Air or Let it Bounce?
Coach Greg Dedrick, the manager at True Pickleball Club, explains how to make a rapid determination about whether to take a mid-court ball out of the air, or take a step back and let it bounce before hitting it. Attacking a ball sooner gives your opponents less time to react, but if you take it as a volley, you need to be stable and in a good position if they make a fast return.
#1020: Tune Out the Noise, Zone in on the Shoes
Coach Mindy Yoder talks about how to cope if you get distracted by other people on both sides of the court and how to quiet your own brain if you're bugged by a partner or opponents with a different skill level, physical ability or personality. She suggests focusing on an opponents' shoes rather than on their (or your own partner's) facial expression or distracting behaviors so you can interact positively with a partner by being self-aware and kind towards yourself and others.
#1019: Good Things Can Happen in the Transition Zone
Former tennis players were trained to think of the back third of the court as "no man's land" — a place to get stuck, trapped or pulverized by opponents. Coach Thomas Yelloweyes explains how in pickleball, you can embrace the "transition zone" as a place where you can make good things happen for yourself.
#1018: Your Footwork Determines Glory or Disaster
Coach Leia Miller emphasizes how important footwork is in pickleball, and undervalued from beginners to advanced players. She discusses the proper stance, the significance of planting before hitting, and the dangers of crossing feet or backpedaling. Miller explains how good footwork is the basis of injury prevention, is central to controlling shots, maintaining stability, and is fundamental to overall success on the court.
#1017: STOP! Before You Go
Coach Lisa Palcic urges her students: Don't forget the split step! In the rush to get to the kitchen after serving, people forget to put the brakes on when the opponents hit the ball. Getting to the kitchen from the baseline is best done with a stop on the way there! Embrace the split step so you can handle any shots coming at you in the transition zone — then continue on your journey to where the fun really begins
#1016: Yours or Mine? Don’t Wind Up in “Divorce Court”
Deb "PicklePongDeb" Harrison calls the middle of the court "Divorce Court" because people bicker over whose shot it should have been when a ball flies past them both. Players should call it: "Mine"..."Me"..."I go"... Or conversely indicate to a partner: "Yours"..."You"... Or if you are lobbed, "Help!" Much better than saying "We should have talked" after you lose the point!
#1014: If it's not a drop & not a drive, it's the DRIP shot!
Coach Leia Miller explains how when you are serving, sometimes the 3rd shot — or the 5th shot — may not call for a drop. But neither is a drive the right move! Those situations might need a hybrid of the two shots — quite naturally referred to as a Drip — that will be the solution to getting you up to the kitchen effectively. She describes the how/when/where of this clever amalgamation of two other shots.
#1015: The Poacher Who Can’t Stop Himself
Coach Greg Dedrick talks about what happens when a poaching partner gets too greedy — and how to handle a partner who cannot curb his own appetite to hit your balls!
#1013: Don’t Go Into a Tournament Until You Admit You Want to Win
Thomas Yelloweyes (IPTPA and PPR certified) of Night Train Pickleball in Oregon discusses how to decide if you’re ready in your personal PB journey to try a tournament? Admit you want to win — an admission he explains is tough for many people, but without declaring it there's no point competing.
#1012: What Are You Cooking Up in the Kitchen?
IPTPA Master Coach Lisa Palcic explains that as you get better, your strategy at the kitchen needs to change. The NVZ is not just a place to practice your dinks, it's where you set up winning shots for yourself and your partner. Different strokes for different folks: depending on whether you're a low intermediate player, high intermediate or an advanced pickler, your thought process at the kitchen needs to evolve, too.
#1002: Don't Hate Lobs — Learn How to Control Them
Coach Leia Miller talks about how frustrating lobs can be and while they are rarely seen on the pro circuit, they can be a common weapon on the amateur court. She offers suggestions on how to keep them from rattling your cage, and even turn them against the lobber.
#1011: You’re faster. Seniors Are Smarter. Guess Who Wins.
The beauty of PB is that it's played by a wide variety of ages. Coach Deb Harrison, who wins tournaments as a Super Senior, says age does matter... but maybe not in the way people assume. People say younger players have an advantage (leg speed, stamina) but seniors have their own advantage of PB I.Q.: anticipation of being ready for where/how the ball will come back to them.
#1010: The 3rd Shot Drop — Everybody’s Nemesis!
Coach Leia Miller describes the shot after your serve is returned to you as difficult because you need patience, timing and finesse — without muscling the ball. The "unattackable” 3rd shot drop is how the serving team gets up to the kitchen without being nailed en route by the receiving team!
#1009: The Serve Myth — What Every Pickleballer Gets Wrong
Coach Thomas Yelloweyes of Nightrain Pickleball in Wilsonville, Oregon says the most important thing about the serve is not to dazzle (hoping ESPN is coming out to shoot a highlight reel of your killer serve!). Forget spin, slice and miles-per-hour — the serve needs to be three things: consistent, deep — it has to go in every time!