Have you ever been three or more points into a pickleball game and suddenly realized that one of your opponents is a lefty? Be sure to identify whether you are playing a lefty before the beginning of the game, as a lefty will have opposite forehands and backhands as compared to a righty (duh, right?). This is crucial, as you generally want to target a player’s weaknesses, which more times than not is a player’s backhand. If you do not identify that you are playing a lefty, you could be inadvertently targeting the lefty’s forehand (which would be a backhand on a righty).

When you are playing against a team that has one lefty player and one righty player, your opponents will always have either two forehands toward the middle or two backhands toward the middle. (To note, if they are smart players, they will stack to always have two forehands toward the middle.) When your opponents have two forehands toward the middle, mix up your shots toward both (1) the middle of the court to try to get your opponents fighting with each other over the pickleball and (2) the sidelines, which will target your opponents’ backhands. When your opponents have two backhands toward the middle, target the middle of the court, which will lead to some tough backhand shots that your opponents will fight over.

Lastly, as a reminder, lefty players will have different spins than righty players. Find a lefty player that will drill and play with you, so that you can identify and get used to the different spins of a lefty.

Key Takeaways:

1. Identify if you are playing against a lefty!

2. Pay attention to whether your opponents have two forehands or two backhands in the middle if you are playing against a righty and a lefty combination. Target those backhands!

3. Be aware that lefty players have different spins on the pickleball.