3 Advanced Strategies Tyra Taught Me

Hey!

Yesterday, we dropped a brand-new video with Hurricane Tyra Black — the #5 player in the world.

And today, I’m pulling back the curtain on some of her best tips for defense and positioning… and how you can steal them for your own game.

So, here are 3 advanced strategies Tyra taught me:

1. Trust Turns into Tactics
Tyra’s success with her partner Jorja comes down to one thing—trust. Because she knows exactly where Jorja’s drops are going, she can step into position early instead of reacting late.

That trust unlocks a few things you can copy:

• Predetermined shot patterns (so you’re already moving before the ball bounces)

• Dropping middle to take away angles and open up poaching chances

• Split-step timing that matches your partner’s shot instead of guessing

If you don’t trust your partner yet, focus less on being “aggressive” and more on building predictable patterns together.

Also, don’t be afraid to name those patterns early.

If you don’t want to be “pushy” telling your partner what to do, you could say something early in the match like, “Hey, those were some really good drops. If you want to keep doing that, I’ll do ‘this’.”

This works as a double positive because now you’ve made your partner feel good with a compliment, and it’s provided you both with a strategy to work the whole game.

2. The Counterintuitive Forward Press
Most players back up when they sense their opponents speeding up. Tyra? She steps in.

Her reasoning:

If she’s just hit a reset and sees her opponent preparing to roll with topspin from below the net, that ball is going to lift slightly higher. Instead of giving ground, she moves forward and takes it right in her strike zone.

Try this:

. . . next time you reset and see your opponent trying to get aggressive from a low position, don’t drift back—press in. You’ll surprise them and often be in good position to counterattack.

3. Use lobs as weapons, not just bailouts
A lot of rec players lob only when they panic. Tyra uses lobs on purpose.

Her rules:

• Height over distance. The higher the lob, the more errors you’ll force.

• Targeted placement. Cross-court, to the backhand, or behind someone hugging the kitchen.

• Follow-up plan. She loves the lob-drive combo: lob them back, then attack the next ball when they’re out of position.

Start thinking of your lob not as a last resort, but as a useful shot that can be used when you’re under attack. (and if you haven’t watched the video yet, this section alone is worth watching. I’d never seen lobs used the way she uses them).

You can drive other players absolutely crazy with a few well-placed lobs.

These three strategies can redefine how you play defense and build points. Tyra shows us that great defense isn’t just about “hanging on” — it’s about staying composed, buying time, and then striking at the perfect moment to flip the point on its head and take control.

And in case you didn’t see it, here’s the video where I go really in-depth on these and other strategies with one of the best players in the game:

👉 Click here to watch the full video

Enjoy!
Kyle

P.S. In a poll a few months back, I asked if you all hated or loved lobs. . .

Here’s what you said:

More than half of you said you love them!

So, we created a Lob Course for ThatPickleballSchool. First video drops in a few days.

👉 Click here to start your free trial and check it out!

For those that hate em, you might as well join the course too, so you can better defend against them! :)