When it comes to competitive pickleball—in other words, playing to win—the winner is oftentimes the team/player that can figure out their opponent first. In other words, the first team/player to identify the other team/player’s weaknesses, and then execute and exploit them.
So, to win on the pickleball court, it is imperative to not only strategize, but strategize quickly. To do this, watch your opponents earlier in the day if possible. If not possible, watch your opponents during warm-ups to get some insights into their style of play, strengths, and weaknesses. If all else fails, play to your strengths to start a pickleball match and/or attack the middle of the pickleball court. Then, tweak your strategy from there as you start to identify weaknesses or patterns of play. Target your opponents’ weaknesses and remember to mix up your shots to remain unpredictable, while also remaining true to your strategy.
Lastly, beware of the trap of not constantly evaluating your strategy on the pickleball court. Oftentimes, pickleball players will identify a strategy and then, when their opponents adjust their strategy, fail to counter or fail to respond to the opponents’ new strategy. It is important to constantly be thinking and evolving during a pickleball match—from game to game, point to point, and even shot to shot.
