Transition Attacks

• Some people get too timid and only block or reset on high balls.
  • If there are high balls above the net you should attack 99% of the time.
• A common pattern is one guy drives to kitchen and 2nd player crashes and counters the ball down. It’s called “Shake & Bake”.
• Attacking even balls at net height at hip level aka yellow zone.
  • You need to attack balls in the yellow zone to make it clear to the opponents that it is a threat. Otherwise they will just keep fully leaning in and attacking you because they know you’ll always reset in midcourt.
  • If you always reset in transition you become a safe spot where they can always hit to with no repercussions.
    • Pattern: Opponent at the kitchen is really leaning far in to flick or smack the ball.
      • Strategy: even if you are at midcourt, blast it right at that leaning person’s body. He won’t be able to defend it or get out of the way because he is so leaned in. He either gets body bagged or pops it up. Get ready for him to pop it up and for you to poach it.
  • What percentage you attack or reset at the yellow zone depends on you, but it should never be 100% either way.
• When attacking aim at the opponent right across from you unless there is a specific gap you see.
  • Aim downwards at their feet if ball is high enough. Otherwise aim at their shoulder jam spot.

Transition Zone Attacks: The 3 Types (These apply to Counters at the Kitchen as well)

1. Hitting balls higher than net height
   1. This one is self explanatory: You can easily make the trajectory go downwards at opponent. The higher the ball, the less topspin you need to apply and more the shot becomes a putaway. The lower the ball, the more your stroke becomes like a drive hitting the ball out-of-the-air.
2. Hitting the Ball at slightly below net height
   1. You can drive the ball out of the air (or off the bounce) and make it dip below the net.
      1. Quang Duong will attack (he’s 5’ 11”) balls at around his thigh height level if he is far enough back. Even on 5th shots and then drop the 7th. Of course if the ball is low (below knee height), he will just topspin drop it in.
         1. The game is still to be won at the kitchen line. Mindset: you are hoping opponent messes up and pops the ball up off your topspin drop or low dipping drive, so you can shake & bake. But you are expecting them to hit it short, so you can just 7th shot dink/drop it in the kitchen. The purpose of the driving in transition is to still get to the kitchen line by default.
         2. source: https://youtu.be/d8Dptj82DCA?t=439
   2. Advanced counter: for when they are hitting the ball straight at you as you are closing in on the kitchen line: you take pace off the ball, apply topspin, and send the ball back so it dips down when it gets to opponent. Make them hit the ball at below their hips. It’s like a cross between a reset and a counter.
      1. This is the advanced counter and is rarely talked about. It’s new tech. This is the one I instinctively used literally 1st month of playing pickleball. I didn’t even know it was advanced tech, it’s just what I do because it makes sense. Instead of having to reset, you just taking pace off the ball, apply topspin and get it back so now opponent has to hit up on it. They pop it up, you put it away. For me it was easier to do than a reset. I think table tennis players will under stand this more naturally.
         1. Only time I’ve heard it talk about is one-time on Tyson McGuffin’s breakdown, he points out that Jaume was doing it.
   3. Traditional Hard Counter
      1. You hit it back at opponent hard and fast. Right at their jam spot. Or towards the middle if there is an opening gap.
         1. It doesn’t matter if the ball goes up a little high, if they can’t get their hand up fast enough to get their paddle face downwards, the ball will pop up or fly at you parallel.
            1. the ball coming back from them is going to be easy for you to putaway. Or they will hit too hard on the ball with paddle surface pointing up and launch the ball out.
         2. If they move fast enough cover it with their paddle and just block it (because they didn’t have enough time to hit downward), the ball will come back but be just slow enough (still fast though) that you can reset it back to neutral.
3. If it’s below knee height: Reset it.
   1. If it’s below knee height you should always reset it. Can’t attack a ball that low without sending the ball flying off the court.

Drill Progression

Self

• self-toss a ball to yourself mid court. And attack the ball in the air downwards.

Robot/someone tossing you the ball:

• Do it with someone tossing you the ball.
• Do it with you facing outside the court, so you are turned 90 degrees. Forces you to react faster to balls you don’t expect coming.
• Do it with you turned 180 degree.
• This is because often times you don’t have the luxury of facing completely forward the entire time, sometimes the ball pops up surprisingly and you need to get your body/hip together quick to react and hit it.

Partner

• Do a 7-11 but for high balls, you can putaway crosscourt instead of being limited to right in front of you.
  • Also have your partner purposely do about 5 random high balls throughout the round. So you don’t expect it.
• Offense In Transition Zone
  • Drill to get more comfortable attacking any ball and running through the transition zone.
  • You drop or drive like usual on 3rd shot. And then on 5th shot where you are in mid court, you are not resetting the ball. You are ripping the ball and following it in to initiate a hands battle. https://youtu.be/08gIKfzLMoo?t=337
    • This is great against nervous opponents or opponents who just aren’t used to “go-go-go”.
    • It’s also great if you think your opponents are better than you or you are intimidated by them, because this will get you more 50-50 or 30-70 points that could go either way. As opposed to if they are just beating you out at the kitchen 9 out of 10 times. It adds randomness.
• Resets Into Offense
  • You will start and stay in the mid court hitting resets. Your partner will be at kitchen hitting towards you. At any point if they hit the ball too high, you can attack. And then you play out the point.
  • Resets Into Offense 2: Charge the Net After 3 Resets
    • After 3 resets, you can charge the net and play out the point from the kitchen.