Games Included

Back to Base

Castle Game 2.0

Wall Ball

Spot Rally

Rabbit Style of Play

Rabbit - Hit the Spot (with High Net)

Monkey Style of Play

Monkey - Space Adapt Game

Bull Style of Play

Bull - Short and In

Bear Style of Play

Bear - Win-the-Racquet Game

Acknowledgement

Pickleball diagrams created by Dr. Tim Hopper, as seen in:

Hopper, T. F. (2014). EPHE 452 - Strategies for teaching games. School of EPHE, University of Victoria. Victoria, BC.

Summary of Tactical Questions

How do you play to be consistent and keep the ball in play?

  • Hit the ball high and into center of target area.

Where do you position yourself after the shot?

  • Behind the opponent's target area.
  • Behind the back-line of the court.

Where do you send the ball to challenge the opponent?

  • To spaces wide (to side), deep and short within the area of the court.

Where do you place the ball to create spaces to attack?

  • Send shots deep in court.
  • Hit to open areas on the outside of the court.
  • Hit the ball short then long.
  • Varying height to get short ball.
  • Attack opponent's weaker side.
  • Hit deep at opponent to crowd their shot.

Where do you position yourself based on ball placement and anticipated response of opponent?

  • Move in to attack anticipated short ball.
  • Approach shot down line, move in to volley - attack open space and gain mid-court area.
  • Hit ball behind opponent and coast in for short ball.
  • Drop-shot or lob - move in to gain mid-court area.
  • Get behind lobs and then smash to spaces and move in to service line to attack response.
  • Counter opponent's attack with high balls for time and anticipate shot for surprise counter attack.

When do you use spin to control power in shots to press, defend, or attack spaces?

  • Spin on serve for kick and ball movement to challenge opponent on return.
  • Rally with topspin/slice to pressing zones or spaces to move opponent out of position.
  • Slice under ball for low bounce and to approach the net.
  • If opponent deep in court use drop shot with under-spin for ball to bounce low.

How do you use spin and force in a shot to set-up/win a point and stay in the rally?

  • Attack pressing zones to keep the opponent in a defensive role by using:
    •  an approach shot down the line and move to net
    • the rising ball by taking the ball early as bounces then coasting into the net
    • the volley in the mid-court area to volley the ball deep or the drop it short
    • the lob or passing shot when opponent attacks the net
  • Use height to gain time and spin to control ball flight.

  • Serve with hard and soft strokes and then move to cover anticipated target spaces.
  • Smash with spin and power into spaces.

Adapted from : Hopper, T. F. (2014). Inventing Pickleball game as a foundation for a Net unit. In Inventing games. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Hopper, T. F. (2014). Inventing Pickleball game as a foundation for a Net unit. In Inventing games. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

 

Back to Base

Wall Ball Practice

Tactical Questions

Where do you send the ball to challenge the opponent?

  • To spaces wide (to side), deep and short within the area of the court.

Wall Ball

Rabbit Style of Play

Rabbit - Hit the Spot with High Net

Tactical Questions

How do you play to be consistent and keep the ball in play?

  • Hit the ball high and into center of target area.

Where do you position yourself after the shot?

  • Behind the opponent's target area.
  • Behind the back-line of the court.

Where do you send the ball to challenge the opponent?

  • To spaces wide (to side), deep and short within the area of the court.

Rabbit - Hit the Spot with High Net

Bull Style of Play

Bull - Short and In

Tactical Questions

Where do you position yourself based on ball placement and anticipated response of opponent?

  • Move in to attack anticipated short ball.
  • Approach shot down line, move in to volley - attack open space and gain mid-court area.
  • Hit ball behind opponent and coast in for short ball.
  • Drop-shot or lob - move in to gain mid-court area.
  • Get behind lobs and then smash to spaces and move in to service line to attack response.
  • Counter opponent's attack with high balls for time and anticipate shot for surprise counter attack.

Bull - Short-and-In

Castle Game 2.0

Tactical Questions

Where do you position yourself after the shot?

  • Behind the opponent's target area.

How do you play to be consistent and keep the ball in play?

  • Hit the ball high and into center of target area.

Castle Game 2.0

Spot Rally Game

Tactical Questions

How do you play to be consistent and keep the ball in play?

  • Hit the ball high and into center of target area.

Where do you position yourself after the shot?

  • Behind the opponent's target area.
  • Behind the back-line of the court.

Where do you send the ball to challenge the opponent?

  • To spaces wide (to side), deep and short within the area of the court.

Spot Rally

Play Like a Monkey

Monkey - Space Adapt Game

Tactical Questions

Where do you place the ball to create spaces to attack?

  • Send shots deep in court.
  • Hit to open areas on the outside of the court.
  • Hit the ball short then long.
  • Varying height to get short ball.
  • Attack opponent's weaker side.
  • Hit deep at opponent to crowd their shot.

Where do you position yourself based on ball placement and anticipated response of opponent?

  • Move in to attack anticipated short ball.
  • Approach shot down line, move in to volley - attack open space and gain mid-court area.
  • Hit ball behind opponent and coast in for short ball.
  • Drop-shot or lob - move in to gain mid-court area.
  • Get behind lobs and then smash to spaces and move in to service line to attack response.
  • Counter opponent's attack with high balls for time and anticipate shot for surprise counter attack.

Later:

When do you use spin to control power in shots to press, defend, or attack spaces?

  • Spin on serve for kick and ball movement to challenge opponent on return.
  • Rally with topspin/slice to pressing zones or spaces to move opponent out of position.
  • Slice under ball for low bounce and to approach the net.
  • If opponent deep in court use drop shot with under-spin for ball to bounce low.

Monkey - Space Adapt

Bear Style of Play

Bear - Win-the-Racquet Game

Tactical Questions

Where do you place the ball to create spaces to attack?

  • Send shots deep in court.
  • Hit to open areas on the outside of the court.
  • Hit the ball short then long.
  • Varying height to get short ball.
  • Attack opponent's weaker side.
  • Hit deep at opponent to crowd their shot.

Where do you position yourself based on ball placement and anticipated response of opponent?

  • Move in to attack anticipated short ball.
  • Approach shot down line, move in to volley - attack open space and gain mid-court area.
  • Hit ball behind opponent and coast in for short ball.
  • Drop-shot or lob - move in to gain mid-court area.
  • Get behind lobs and then smash to spaces and move in to service line to attack response.
  • Counter opponent's attack with high balls for time and anticipate shot for surprise counter attack.

Bear - WIn the Racquet Game