Pickleball Strategies "Hitting Down Sideline"

Hitting Down the Sideline

Do not hit shots down sideline unless:
1. Your opponents poach.
2. Your team is favored to win.
3. Your team has a good lead.
4. You have an easy ball to hit.
5. You want to keep your opponents honest when they are close to center court.
6. Your opponent’s backhand is to the outside of the court and he is the weaker player.

A soft ball down the line is just as good, if not better, and if you can bounce the ball beside your opponent and be ready to jump on a ball hit 12" above the net.
If you make contact on a shot outside the sideline, try a shot around the post deep to the baseline corner, or put up a very high lob to give yourself time to recover. If you don’t think that you will be able to recover, try to finish point with pure winner.
If you are stretched out to your limit when volleying, always go down the line in the direction that you are stepping. The shot will have more power and be more consistent. A good example would be the same as in softball, when a pitcher pitches the ball to the outside corner of the plate, the right-handed batter has a better chance of hitting the ball to right field.
Keep your elbows high when hitting the ball down the sideline.
Follow through a little shorter for a straight volley down the sideline.
When stretched to your limit to the right, volley down the right sideline. Go with the pitch.

Coach Mo

Content from the Pickleball Strategy Guide by Coach "Mo"
For more information visit PickleballCoach.com