A Better Target

Mark Renneson has a new video, Pickleball Strategy -- Win More Net Points, in which he explains where to hit the ball when given a high ball at the kitchen line.

Mark's concept is a simple one - hit the ball at the closest opponent when you are in an offensive position. This means hitting at the opponent directly in front of you when both are at the kitchen line or hitting at the crosscourt opponent when his down-the-line partner has retreated from the kitchen line. 

The idea is that the closest opponent has less time to react to the shot. This aligns with the Joe Baker videos in which he discussed the need to make the first shot of the fast game count. If the shot isn't a winner or fails to force the opponent to make an unbalanced return, the odds of the offensive team winning the rally fall dramatically.

Of course, the strategy changes if you are not in an offensive position. Then, the return should be made to the opponent off the kitchen line to keep him back.

For those in western NC who know Marcus Luke and Tommy Boyette, they are shown in several sequences in the video.