The Science of Perfect Court Coverage | Shifting Secrets

Welcome to The Pickleball Clinic Coaching Newsletter!

Today we’re going to discuss the biggest debate in all of pickleball:

Whose ball was that??

When a ball whizzes right by your head, it can stump beginner and advanced players alike!

But thankfully, there’s a strategy that you can use to eliminate that confusion, and make sure that you never leave any holes on the court.

(By the way, this has nothing to do with your athleticism or mobility!)

Let’s dive in 👇

One of the most frustrating things in all of pickleball is getting the ball blown right by you. Whether it gets hit right through the middle and you don’t know who should have gotten it, or you get passed clean down the line, one thing is certain: it’s not fun!

There is one main reason why you get passed in pickleball: improper court positioning.

The pickleball court isn’t super big, but it is just big enough so that two people can’t cover the whole entire court at one time with out leaving some open space. So, you should always be making a calculated decision on what part of the court you decide to cover, and which part you leave open.

The strategy that we use to determine which parts of the court we cover and which parts we leave open is called shifting. When you shift, you move side to side, following the ball, to cover the areas of the court where your opponent is most likely to attack to. This way, they won’t be able to hit a speedup or drive right by you.

Thankfully, shifting is one of the easiest aspects of pickleball to improve on! It isn’t a new skill or shot that needs tons of repetition. Just a little mental work and practice, and you’ll be covering the court in no time. Plus, shifting is universally applicable from all over the court. So whether you’re dinking at the kitchen line, defending a drive, or approaching the kitchen after your third shot, you can use it to improve your game.

Here’s the “where” and “when” of shifting that will get you to the right spot every time.

Let’s start with the “where.”

There are two attacks that always need to be covered:

• A speedup to the middle.

• A speedup down the line.

💡 These two attacks are high percentage, meaning that if there was no one on the other side of the court, you could hit the ball hard and it would still go in.

And one attack that we are going to “leave open” for our opponents to attempt:

• The crosscourt speedup

💡The crosscourt speedup is low percentage, because if you hit the ball hard on a sharp cross court angle, it is likely to go out. If your opponent beats you on a crosscourt speedup winner, just say good shot and move on, because they probably won’t do it again in the match.

Since there are two spots that we need to cover, we can split that up between each player. So each player will cover one of those two spots: the sideline on the side the ball is being hit from and the middle.

Now that we know where to cover, we need to establish when each player is covering each spot.

Which spot you are covering will change throughout the point. It is entirely dependent on where the ball is being hit from. Here’s how to break it down:

If the opponent who is directly opposite you is hitting the ball, you should be covering the sideline. If the player who is diagonal from you is hitting the ball, you should be covering the middle. In both of these scenarios, your partner should be covering the other spot.

You should always be following the ball, side to side. When the ball is hit to the left box, both players shift to the left to cover the sideline and the middle. When the ball is hit to the right box, both players shift to the right. High level pickleball almost looks choreographed, because all the players are shifting at the same time in the same direction!

Shifting does require both partners to be on the same page

See you on the courts!

- Matt Slowinski (Co-Founder, Pro Player & Coach)

Most confusion when it comes to who takes which shot comes from deciding which player covers the middle. If you want to see how it’s done, watch this clip. Pay close attention to who covers the middle on the first speedup.

Did you catch it? The player on the far right shifted right into the middle to counter the speedup with authority. And, as she shifted to the middle, her partner shifted right to the line. There were several shots hit to the middle throughout the rally, and each time the player diagonal from the ball moved in to take it.

The “Big D” stands for Discount!

Our sport keeps on growing, which means there’s always new and improved equipment and gear to use. Unfortunately, stuff costs money. 🥲 But don’t worry, we’re here to bring you discounts on the best brands in pickleball. Just click on the image above or right HERE.

Insights from Pickleball Pro, Coach, and Creator Tanner Tomassi

Shifting is a skill that will ensure all areas of the court are covered that need to be. The easiest way to put this into effect is, wherever you, or your partner dinks the ball.. take one step in that direction with your paddle facing the ball. This way, if the ball gets sped up in the most common area, your paddle is there to cover it, as opposed to having to react after it’s hit.

It’s a simple trick that will level up your game before you know it!

See you all for my next bulletin!

For more from Tanner, follow @tanner.pickleball on Instagram & YouTube!

If you're serious about improving your game, there's only one way to do it: DRILLING! Here's an essential drill to add to your routine to ensure you're shifting correctly. 👇

Setup:

First, grab a couple partners. This drill can be done with either 3 or 4 players.

• 3-Player Version: Two players form a team on one side of the net, standing at the kitchen line. The third player is on the opposite side, feeding balls to different areas of the court.

• 4-Player Version: Two teams of two players start at the kitchen line and will initiate a dink rally.

Drill:

• The player (or team) on one side hits balls to different areas of the kitchen.

• The other team practices shifting in response to the ball’s placement. When the ball is hit towards one side, both players should shift to follow it.

• One side should test the other side by attempting speedups, both down the line and through the middle. This way you can make sure that the right player is covering it.

Use the Most Trusted Pickleball in the Game

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Well, that’s a wrap… so let’s recap what we learned this week about shifting.

• Shifting applies at all areas of the court, in nearly every situation.

• There are two spots that always need to be covered: the sideline in front of the ball, and the middle.

• The player directly in front of the ball should cover the sideline, and the player diagonal from the ball should cover the middle

• Leave the crosscourt attack open. It’s low percentage!

Thanks for reading! We hope you can put these tips to good use the next time you’re out on the courts!

Reply to this email with anything you want to see in our future newsletters 😄 

- Your Friends at The Pickleball Clinic