Stop playing pickleball the 'right way'

A lot of players think there's one right way to play pickleball.

But after watching thousands of matches, I've realized something extremely freeing. . . There isn’t just one way play and win at this game.

You see, this past weekend, I was watching MLP Dallas and decided to pay attention to every third shot choice made by the two teams (Gabe Tardio and Hayden Patriquin vs Ben Johns and Hunter Johnson).

I noticed something interesting. Both teams had very different third-shot strategies.

Gabe and Hayden chose to drop 19 out of 22 thirds.

While Ben and Hunter drove 15 out of 19 thirds.

Now, you might read that and think, “Ben and Hunter are the MORE aggressive players.”

But that’s not quite accurate.

Gabe and Hayden weren’t just throwing up any ol’ loopy drops. The person dropping the third was adding aggressive topspin, and right behind it, both of them were charging in, looking for Ben or Hunter to pop up the next ball. A different kind of shake n bake.

I call it the “Drop & Hunt” game.

Ben, on the other hand (he took most of the thirds), took a different approach, choosing to drive 11 out of 15 3rd shots.

From what I could tell, his strategy was pretty clear: drive the third and look to force an early error. But if that didn’t work? No problem—he’d follow it up with a 5th shot drop, get to the kitchen, and grind it out from there.

Basically, more of a “Drive & Probe” style.

Two elite teams, two very different choices happening on their 3rd shot.

So what does this mean for you?

Well, like I said at the start — there is no RIGHT way to play.

So many players get caught up in doing what they think they “should” do in each situation. I’ve even seen players storm off the court because their partner isn’t “playing the right way.”

Instead, what we should all focus more on is “What are our strengths vs what are our opponents’ weaknesses?”

In other words, have intention with each shot.

Secondly, aggression doesn’t just mean driving the ball every time.

If you tell someone to be more aggressive, they often think that means they should hit the ball harder, especially on their 3rd shot.

Not quite. You see. . .

Now, Hayden and Gabe’s style works for them. They’re both young and fast and have great hands.

Ben and Hunter’s style works for them; they both have elite drives (with lots of speed and dip), and Ben is unmatched in orchestrating points at the kitchen.

Both strategies work because both strategies play to those players’ superpowers.

And in the end, one team wins and the other loses (by the way, Gabe and Hayden won this match). So, no, there isn’t a strategy that will work 100% of the time even by the best players in the world.

Which, frankly, is good news for all of us! Because each of us has, in the words of Liam Neeson, a very particular set of skills.

But those skills and weapons have to be used intentionally throughout the match rather than just reacting to every shot our opponents hit.

Personally, I’m working hard right now to improve my topspin drops because I’m seeing greater outcomes, and I believe I’m a more dangerous threat when I drop and hunt more than I drive and probe.

SO. . .

Start to think about your game in a similar way. Think. . .

What works best for you?

Not what are you “supposed” to do.

Because THAT is how you unlock the version of you that’s been waiting — not to fit in, but to be unleashed.

As a final note, if you love thinking about pickleball like this—breaking it down, understanding why things work, and shaping your game with intention, then you’re the type of person ThatPickleballSchool was built for.

Talk next week,

-Kyle

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