The general thought in pickleball is that when you are hitting a speed up ball at the no volley zone, the best strategy is to aim for the corners of the court, either cross-court or down the line. You can also target your opponent’s feet or just beyond, forcing them to react quickly and potentially making them reach for a difficult shot.
While these approaches make a lot of sense, I want to highlight a third shot. Aim for the armpits of your opponent. This approach works great against opponents who are not as prepared for the return and opponents who are a little slower to react. By aiming for the armpits, your opponent needs to bring their paddle up in a defensive position. An ancillary benefit is most people will react defensively when the pickleball is headed toward their bodies. This flinch will disrupt their return and will lead to you winning your point. Another benefit is once you hit your opponent they will think about that shot for subsequent points and may flinch again.
The big issue for you is the negative reaction that you may receive for hitting an opponent purposely in pickleball. Remember that you are primarily playing for fun and targeting a body shot does not seem to be in that spirit.
If you want to take the classic approach instead of the body shot, remember these points:
Keep it low:
Hit the ball low to the net to make it harder for your opponent to get a good swing at it.
Observe your opponent:
Watch where they are positioned and hit the ball to the opposite side or to their weaker side.
Use the pace of the ball:
If your opponent dinks a soft ball to you, use the opportunity to hit a quick speed up.
Maintain position:
Stay close to the no-volley line to maximize your ability to react quickly and hit a fast shot.
Specific situations:
- If your opponent is close to the net:Â Aim for the cross-court corner to force them to cover more ground.Â
- If your opponent is back in the court:Â Hit a hard down-the-line shot to put pressure on them to get forward quickly.Â
- If you want to create confusion:Â Hit a speed up down the middle, which can be difficult for your opponent to react to.Â
Important considerations:
- Accuracy over power:
While hitting a fast ball is important, ensure it is also accurate to avoid hitting the net or going out of bounds. In pickleball, accuracy is always more important than power!
- Paddle positioning:
Keep your paddle face slightly open to generate topspin and control on your speed up shot.
In making your decision, always remember that you are playing pickleball first for fun and then to win. If an intentional body shot will create hard feelings with your opponent save it for a tournament. If you are not playing in a tournament, forget the shot. My second choice is to always hit the pickleball low over the net and at the feet of your opponent. They will have a difficult time returning such a shot.