In “Game To Watch”, I post games that are interesting to watch in a strategy perspective. And I breakdown specific points and patterns that are interesting or lead the match wins.
Setting the stage: the Johns brothers have a negative win rate against Gabe Tardio for the past months. Tardio seemingly has their number.
Tardio and Daescu have beaten the Johns brother consistently (before Daescu was suspended earlier this year for paddle tampering). And now that Daescu is back, the duo are coming off 2 tournament wins in a row.
In the last tournament in Las Vegas, we could see the Johns brothers finally adapt their style to the modern game. Colin Johns kept serving bigger and bigger until the refs called him for faults. Whereas previously, Colin Johns had one of the softest serves on tour and only served the ball to get it in. We also saw the Johns brothers started driving and crashing the third more. Colin Johns being more aggressive on the right side.
In this tournament, Ben Johns is hobbled (he rolled his ankle at the tournament the day before and dropped out of singles).
So we know they are going to try to have Colin Johns play more of the court as opposed to the 30% he usually plays. And this is perfect timing as they are adapting their style to have Colin play bigger than usual anyway.
Let’s see what they do and if it works.
There will be spoilers. You have been warned.
Colin Johns Taking More Middle Dinks As The Right Side Player
In the very first dink rally, you can see Colin take more middle balls with his backhand. Whereas typically, Ben will come and take it.
We see this in the 2nd dink rally as well, Colin’s foot is very close to the middle line and he reaches in and takes the ball out of the air with his backhand:
And then Colin also comes over to the middle and takes it with his forehand in an inside-in dink whereas before, Ben would take it with his forehand.
We can tell Colin has been watching Gabe Tardio’s games a lot, this is what Gabe does more than anybody else on the tour.
Classic Gabe Tardio Off The Bounce Speed-Up
On a deep dink, Tardio takes a step back off the line. He winds up like he usually does when he has time. https://youtu.be/d5ks1SoB478?t=239
Off the Bounce Speed-up Key Lesson: when Tardio takes a step back, you can see he slides his front foot back as well.
If he only takes a step back and doesn’t slide his front foot, his body would be perpendicular to the kitchen line, which would limit the number of angles he can speed up to. Sliding his front foot back so his shoulders are open instead of closed is key.
Because Tardio winds up so often and because it’s off the bounce, the Johns Brothers don’t know it’s going to be a speed-up 100% of the time. So they still have to cover low if Tardio does an aggressive topspin dink instead.
Tardio speeds-up it up fast down the middle. The Johns brothers don’t have time to react and it flies past them and hits the baseline.
As you can see in the screenshot, because the ball had so much topspin, it dipped down, so even if Colin did block it, it would’ve likely resulted in a pop up that Tardio/Daescu could’ve put away.
Wind-Up Key Lesson: If you are an advanced player with good control of the ball, feel free to backswing and wind up. Just don’t speed-up every time you wind-up otherwise it’ll be too obvious.
The advantage of winding up is that it allows you to swing faster at a more consistent momentum instead of having to suddenly accelerate in a short stroke. If you accelerate fast in a short stroke on an off-the-bounce dink, a simple mistiming will send the ball flying off the court. Whereas a wind-up actually you makes you more consistent.
The “looser” you swing, the faster the ball will go and the topspin will keep the ball in.
This goes against what is taught to beginners. The reason beginners are taught to not wind-up is because they don’t have a consistent stroke yet and can’t “brush” up on the ball at the sweet spot on the paddle every time.
If you are coming from a lot of competitive Table Tennis experience, even if you are new to Pickleball, you’ll be able “brush up” on the ball and do this instinctively.
Tardio Inside-Out Out The Air Speed-Up Down The Line
High dink from Colin.
Gabe pulls his wrist back and threatens both line and middle.
Ben guesses wrong and covers middle. Gabe speeds it up down the line.
Key Lesson to Learn Here: Have a flexible wrist, it’ll allow you to speed-up to more areas an angles. Most people here would not be able to cock their wrist back far enough to speed-up down the line fast.
Self Drive and Crash by Colin
Colin Johns blasts a hard drive and crashes in. As the commentator Adam Stone points out here. Colin Johns (CJ), is crashing in whether it’s a drop or drive. And even that drive where it went way high, CJ crashes in as well. This is similar to Alshon/Duong’s play style. Whereas before, CJ would hang back and slowly move up.
CJ Third shot hybrid drive
he drives it dipping down the line as Daescu is running up. And Daescu misses it into the net for the game point.
CJ Self Shake and Bake
Another one: CJ drives the third and instantly crashes in and kills the pop-up with his backhand.
Colin speeds-up off-the-bounce
Something he never does. He is pushed back off the line on the dink. And he speeds it up. Before he would always dink it back middle.
He speeds it up right at Daescu’s right hip, jamming him up.
Daescu pops it up middle. Ben Johns finishes it with a putaway.
Colin Johns used to never do this, especially on a dink that pushes him both feet off the line. This is a Gabe Tardio move haha.
CJ speeds it up here as well off the bounce again. This time he gets countered by Daescu.
Colin Johns speeds it up off-the-bounce here to Daescu’s outstretched backhand. Daescu is late to it and blocks it out.
CJ speeds it up out-of-the-air: