Aspen's Advice: Get to the Net

The first big movement...

I started a series of posts last week on movement around the court. We will pick that back up today with a brief post from Aspen Kern and the Pickleball Forum. It discusses the first big court movement - getting to the net from the baseline.

Aspen Kern is the creator of the Pickleball Forum and often adds his thoughts on pickleball topics. Aspen is a top player in the game and knows what he is talking about, especially with regard to the way the game is changing and how to win. 

Aspen's Advice

Warning, if you're afraid of a "gut punch" read no further, if your main reason for going to play rec is because you know there will be "potato salad" when you get done, read no further. Now that I have gotten rid of the weekend warriors, let me get to a serious matter. If your goal in a game isn't to get to the net and start a dink war, you are not playing Pickleball. 

I have been studying a lot of 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and even 4.5 and I can't believe how many points there are and no one gets to the net. If you don't have or want a short game, stop playing Pickleball (gut punch). I don't care if you have to lose 100 games in a row, try to get into a dink war. 

Having trouble getting into the net? Practice your 3rd drop shot over and over and over again. Afraid you will be beaten in a dink war? Practice your dinking over and over and over again !!! If you are playing and no one gets to the NVZ line it's like you are playing baseball without the infield players (headed for the potato salad yet?) Don't make me watch one more video of players not trying to get to the kitchen line, I just can't do it anymore.