When your opponents come at you with power when you are at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line, you generally have one of two options: (1) hit back with more power; or (2) reset the point with a soft shot. Like the decision to drive versus drop the third shot, the decision generally comes down to your individual style of play, your strengths as a pickleball player, and the effectiveness of the shot against your particular opponents. However, one good rule of thumb on the pickleball courts is that the less time you have to strike a pickleball, the less you should do with the pickleball.

If you decide to reset the point with a soft shot:

1. Paddle Out Front – Position your paddle out in front of your chest with your elbow bent. If your paddle and your arm get extended, you will have less control and find it more difficult to absorb the pickleball and soften the shot. Also, to note, if you need to raise your paddle above your chest, the shot by your opponent is probably going out of bounds. Be disciplined and let high shots sail out of bounds.

2. Hold the Paddle on Contact – Strike the pickleball with the middle of your paddle and hold on contact. Let the pickleball deflect off your paddle face. If you put any forward motion on your paddle, you will strike the pickleball with more speed and power, rather than resetting the point with a soft shot. You may want to even think of this hold as “absorbing” the pickleball or very slightly pulling back away from the pickleball at the point of contact. One tip to absorbing the pickleball is to loosen your grip on your paddle. If you loosen your grip, you will have a softer touch with your paddle, and vice versa.

To note, this reset or absorption volley is more common as a backhand shot because of the lack of time to react. Also, pay attention to your paddle angle on this shot, which will vary depending on the height of the pickleball upon contact.

To practice resetting a point after a fastball, set-up on the pickleball court with you and your partner directly across from one another at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line. Start by dinking to each other back and forth. After a few dinks, warn your partner by yelling “NOW!” and hit a fastball at your partner’s belly button. Your partner should reset the fastball with a soft shot, and you and your partner should resume dinking. After a few more dinks, your partner will warn you and yell “NOW!”, and then hit a fastball at your belly button, which you will try to reset with a soft shot. Once you and your partner can reset the point consistently, do not give each other any advance notice or warning. Instead, just hit the fastball. However, you should be able to detect the fastball by watching your partner’s paddle for clues. Most pickleball players will telegraph a fastball by a bigger backswing. So, if your partner pulls his or her paddle back more than normal, be ready for the fastball!

Key Takeaways:

1. The less time you have to strike a pickleball, the less you should do with the pickleball.

2. To reset the point:

a. Position your paddle out in front of your chest with your elbow bent;

b. Hold your paddle on contact and try to absorb the power of the pickleball;

c. Try to have a looser grip, which will help you have a softer touch; and

d. Revert to Pickleball Ready.

3. Try the reset drill with your partner. Dink with your partner and then send random fastballs at your partner for your partner to reset.