REMEMBER THE FUNDAMENTALS
is hitting it deep into the opponent’s court. If the serve is short,
the opponent is already moving in to return the serve and with
only a few more steps will be up to the non-volley zone with
his/her partner. A deep serve, however, forces your opponent
to step back, behind the baseline, to hit the return, making a
longer distance to travel to get up to the non-volley zone. If the
player hits a short return and fails to get up to the non-volley
zone with his/her partner, it opens up more court space for the
serving team to take advantage.
THE RETURN OF SERVE
As mentioned previously, the serving team is starting on
defense while the returning team has the offensive position
at the net. The goal of the team returning serve should be to
keep the serving team on defense. The best way to do that is
by making sure you and your partner are side by side at the
non-volley zone BEFORE the serving team hits the third shot.
The key fundamental shot, like the serve, is to hit a deep return.
Not just a deep return but one that gives you plenty of time to
join your partner at the non-volley zone.
For players without blinding speed (the vast majority of
us), the best return of serve is a nice high-arching shot that
lands within two or three feet from the baseline. Remember,
THE SERVING TEAM HAS TO LET THE BALL BOUNCE! Give
yourself as much time as you need to get to the non-volley
zone. The higher the arch, the more time you have to get to
the line. The flatter or harder you hit the return of serve, the
quicker it reaches your opponent and the less time you have
to get to the line. If your return is short, the serving team has
the opportunity to drive it and you have lost your offensive
advantage. By hitting a deep return of serve, you keep the
serving team back and on the defense, forcing them to work
harder to get to the non-volley zone. We all know about hitting
the third shot drop shot. Well, it’s much harder for the serving
team to hit an effective drop shot from the baseline than from
mid-court. Keeping your opponent deep is a fundamental goal
of the team receiving the serve.
PRACTICING THE FUNDAMENTALS
As previously stated, the only way to master the
fundamentals is to practice them over and over. The beauty
of the fundamental serve and return of serve is they can be
practiced together very easily with just two people. Take some
painter’s tape and lay it down two to three feet inside the
baseline on both sides of the court. We’ll call this area the “end
zone.” One person will be the server, the other the returner.
Make a little game out of it. Regardless of where the serve
lands, the returner always hits a return shot. For every serve
the server gets inside the “end zone,” it counts as a point for
the server, and for every return of serve inside the “end zone”
is a point for the returner. See who can get to 10 first, and then
reverse roles. You’ll quickly see how much more difficult it is for
the returner to win the game if the server is consistently hitting
deep serves. Start out by just hitting high-arching serves, but
as you get better you can start varying the speed and trajectory
of your serve and go for the corners of the service area.
Remember, though, the first fundamental rule is to get your
serve in. There aren’t many service aces in pickleball, so your
primary focus should be on getting the serve in and deep.
When you hit the return of serve, simulate a game situation
and run up to the non-volley zone. Notice where you are
standing when the ball bounces on the other side of the court.
If you can get to the non-volley zone before the ball bounces
deep into the opponent’s court, you know you have hit an
effective return of serve.
This drill transitions effectively into a third shot drill,
but that’s a fundamental shot for another time. For now,
focus on hitting a deep serve and a deep return of serve, two
fundamental shots that can help your tea m win the point. •
Jim & Yvonne Hackenberg have played pickleball
at a highly competitive level since 2009. They enjoy
giving clinics and lessons to help individuals improve
their skills and winning strategies. Jim & Yvonne have
garnered 22 USAPA Nationals gold medals since
2010. Yvonne is a former tennis teaching professional
and accomplished racquet sports competitor. She
has won national titles in paddleball, platform tennis
and pickleball. She is a member of the National
Platform Tennis Hall of Fame, and in 2010, along with
partner Hilary Marold, won the National Pickleball
Women’s Open Championship. Jim & Yvonne were
named Pickleball Rocks Players of the Year for 2013.
MARCH 2016 |
MAGAZINE
35