Must-Know Counter-Attack Mistakes

WEEK 38

Welcome back to the Road to Pro!

Each week, I answer one of your questions, give you one advanced tip, and walk you through one helpful drill. Here’s what I’ve got for you this week:

• Question: How to counter attack aggressive players?

• Tip: Your grip affects your ready position

• Drill: A game for attacking and counter-attacking

This week Ashley asked our featured question, so I’ll be sending her a new Selkirk paddle! If you want a chance to win a paddle, click on the button below to submit your pickleball questions. Anyone whose question is featured in my newsletter will automatically win a new paddle!

Now let’s get to it!

Q&A Spotlight

Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts

Answer: When you and your partner have made it to the kitchen line in a game, you and your opponents are all waiting for the perfect moment to attack. If you’re facing aggressive players who attack any chance they get, you need to have a strong counter-attack if you want to win those battles.

So many players struggle with handling their opponent's speed-ups because they haven't developed a solid counter game. If you can develop this, then you can show your opponents that you can handle their attacks, and it’ll keep them on their toes. It might even cause them to overplay their shots and make more mistakes because they know you can turn the tables on them and attack back.

There are some very common counter-attack mistakes I see a lot of players make, so I’ll explain what those are and what you need to do to fix them.

1. Not scanning the ball with your paddle

The tip of your paddle should be pointed towards the ball. For example, if the ball is cross-court from you, you don’t want to be pointing your paddle straight in front of you because that’s not where the next shot is going to be coming from. Instead, point towards the ball and follow its movement during the entire point. Make sure to keep your paddle up and out in front of you. If you drop your paddle down too low, you won’t have enough time to react to an attack. Keeping your paddle up will help you be ready for any shot.

2. Not watching your opponent’s body language

You should be watching the ball’s movement throughout the point, but you should also be keeping an eye on your opponent and what they are doing with their paddle. If you see your opponent draw their paddle back in preparation for a speed-up, then get ready. Many players miss these subtle cues and end up not hitting a good counter-attack because they weren’t watching for the signs.

Special note: That being said, whether you see these signs from your opponent or not, ALWAYS be ready for an attack. If you always assume you’re about to be attacked, then you’ll be ready to hit an effective counter. And if your opponent decides against an attack and hits a dink instead, then no harm done, and you have plenty of time to return their dink.

3. Not staying grounded

So many players jump to the side or make exaggerated movements when they respond to an attack. Instead, you need to keep your feet grounded, meaning staying balanced with your weight evenly distributed. There are plenty of times when you need to move to one side or the other in order to get in a better position for your counter. When this happens, focus on making small, controlled steps. Remember, the goal isn't just to hit a good counter-attack but to win the hands battle. So, always assume the ball is coming back and don’t get caught out of position.

4. Not keeping compact swings

It’s very important to keep a compact swing on your counter-attack because you need to get ready for the next shot. There’s a very short distance between you and your opponent, so there’s no time for big swings. You don’t need to use your entire body for your counter. All you need is short, compact movements with your arm to redirect the ball back over the net. Keeping your movements tight allows you to respond quickly and recover in time for the next shot.

For compact swings, try focusing on keeping your elbows in and avoid letting your paddle tip cross behind either side of your body.

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Now that you’re aware of these common counter-attack mistakes and what you need to do to fix them, your game at the net will level-up significantly. When you start implementing these strategies into how you play at the kitchen, your opponents will think twice before speeding-up that ball at you.

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Tip of the Week

Pro Grip Tip

You’ll hear very often that you should always keep your paddle straight and out in front of you when in ready position. And you should have your paddle up and out in front of you; however, there can be some nuance to how your paddle is set based on which grip you use.

Players who use a continental grip might prefer to angle their paddle slightly in favor of their backhand since this grip provides more stability for their backhand rather than their forehand. This works for them because their backhand will cover most of their body when reacting to speed-ups. Other players who use more of an eastern grip might hold their paddle in the center, or slightly in favor of their forehand, since this is what works best for that type of grip.

The key is to choose a position that allows you to counter any shot with minimal movement. If your paddle is too low or too far to one side, you’ll struggle to react to fast shots because you’re out of position.

Drill Highlight

Counter Control

This drill is a game you can do with two players where you both get the chance to practice your skills with attacking and counter-attacking at the kitchen.

You and your drilling partner should position yourselves directly across from each other at the kitchen line. Start the game by hitting 3-4 dinks to establish some rhythm. Continue dinking until either you or your partner sees an opportunity to hit an attacking shot. Don’t designate yourself or your partner as the one who speeds up first. Instead, whoever sees the opportunity first should take it. And whoever receives the attack has the job of hitting a counter-attack.

Whenever one of you attacks, play out the rally, and whoever wins it gets a point. Start the same type of rally again, and continue making the attacks random, not designating a player to start the attack. Keep playing out these rallies until one of you gets 7 points.

The goal of this drill is to train yourself to look for the right time to attack, while still always being ready for a counter-attack. By not choosing a player to start each attack, you mimic what it’ll be like in a real game. Keep in mind all the tips we talked about this week, and implement them in this drill so that you can avoid making those common counter-attack mistakes in a game.

Videos You’ll Enjoy

• I just released a new YouTube video where I compiled the Nastiest Points In Pickleball History! Go check it out if you want to see the best pickleball plays made by some of the top pros!

• Go take a look at Cracked Pickleball’s most recent video called, The HUGE Mistakes 95% of Pickleball Players Make (and how to fix them).

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