A poach is where a player crosses over the center line of the court to hit a pickleball on his or her partner’s side of the court. A poach is an aggressive move that can really put pressure on your opponents if executed properly.

When to Poach

Try poaching in the following circumstances:

1. Your partner is being “picked on” by your opponents;

2. Your opponents hit a floating pickleball into the air and either:

a. Your partner is back at the baseline; or

b. You have a stronger shot than your partner (for instance, the pickleball is to your forehand and your partner’s backhand); or

3. You and your partner are struggling and you need to give your opponents a different “look” to change the momentum of the game.

How to Poach

When you poach, you are essentially crossing over into your partner’s side of the pickleball court to take a shot. To do this effectively:

1. Consider communicating your intention to poach if the opportunity presents itself to your partner before the point;

2. Imagine you put your arms out at a 45-degree angle. Move along the imaginary line that your arms create. In other words, move along the “V,” which will help you generate momentum into your poach and cut off angles from your opponents;

3. Keep your shot short and compact by taking a small backswing and keeping your paddle out in front of you; and

4. Consider poaching more on your forehand side (rather than on your backhand side), as most players have more reach, more power, and more mobility on their forehand side.

Lastly, hopefully, your poach was effective and you put the pickleball away. However, always assume that the pickleball will be returned by your opponents. Assuming the pickleball will be returned, consider switching sides of the court with your partner in a poach situation in order to cover any open court space caused by the poaching player. Be aware that, due to the open court space caused by the poaching player leaving his or her half of the court, it is imperative that the poach shot is a winner or otherwise puts your opponents on the defensive to keep the point alive.

Why to Poach

The poach is an important and effective shot in pickleball because it puts pressure on your opponents to hit a quality shot, rather than hitting shots that float through the air. A poach also cuts off your opponents’ angle, gives your opponents reduced reaction time, and generally throws your opponents off guard, as a poach generally is an aggressive move and not expected. Lastly, as alluded to above, the poach gives your opponents a different “look” on the pickleball courts, which can keep them constantly guessing as to what you and your partner will do next. Once you execute an effective poach, you can continue to keep your opponents guessing and feeling uncomfortable by even faking that you are going to do a poach.

It is imperative that you execute the poach, especially on the first time. By executing the poach, especially the first time (and especially early in the game), you and your partner will put fear into your opponents and constantly keep them guessing about what move you will make next, whether it be a poach, a fake poach, or no poach.

Key Takeaways:

1. A poach is where a player crosses over the center line of the court to hit a pickleball on his or her partner’s side of the court.

2. Try poaching to put your opponents on the defensive or, if things are not going as planned on the pickleball courts, to give your opponents a different look and try to change the momentum of the game.

3. When poaching, take short backswings and move along the “V” to cut off your opponents’ angles and generate some momentum into your shot.

4. After a poach, consider switching sides of the court with your partner. Be sure to communicate the switch with your partner.