Common Pickleball Mistakes

Some time ago I wrote a post about staying aggressive in the dinking game - Dink Game Strategies. One of the areas where aggressiveness needs to be apparent is your reaction when a ball will land near your feet at the kitchen line. Do you back up to take the ball higher on the bounce or do you hit it in the air?

In that earlier post, I wrote:

"There is one final element to an aggressive dink game – never back up unless necessary. Many players will step back when a shot is hit to their feet to take the ball on a short-hop. While this step gives you more time to assess your options, it also gives your opponent more time to prepare for their return. Maybe even more important is the mental aspect. An aggressive player takes the ball in the air while a passive player allows it to bounce. Always take a ball in the air when possible to keep your weight toward the net and to keep an aggressive frame of mind."

A recent video from Mark Renneson identifies backing away from the kitchen line as a mistake - one he calls Common Pickleball Mistakes: Kitchen Reversal. Additionally, he extends the concept from dinking to volleying.