How to Beat Taller Pickleball Opponents: Taller players have an advantage in pickleball thanks to their reach, power, and court coverage. However, there are pickleball strategies to defeat them by using their weaknesses against them. Pickleball coach Morgan Evans shares pickleball techniques for handling tall players, focusing on exploiting their agility and balance issues.
Taller players dominate in pickleball with strengths like longer reach, greater power, and stronger overhead smashes. However, their height comes with weaknesses, such as slower agility, less balance, and slower hand speed. Understanding these traits allows opponents to craft strategies that exploit these vulnerabilities.
Key Tactics for Defeating Tall Players
Morgan Evans uses a combination of tactics to outplay taller opponents. One major strategy is accelerating forward after the serve. Tall players often struggle to cover quick drives, so Evans recommends driving the ball with power and moving forward to the kitchen line. This disrupts the taller player’s positioning and prevents them from using their superior reach effectively. While this approach doesn’t always guarantee a win, it puts pressure on the opponent.
Another strategy involves using disguised shots. Evans explains that taller players, with their longer limbs, take more time to set up their shots. By using long backswings and making unpredictable movements, Evans forces taller players to guess the direction of the shot. This often causes them to commit to the wrong position, allowing Evans to strike when they’re out of place.
Risky but Rewarding Play
A high-risk, high-reward strategy involves moving quickly toward the center of the court after the third shot drop. This creates space on the outside for a possible attack. Evans uses this tactic, baiting taller players into thinking there’s an open opportunity. He then intercepts their shot with a quick backhand counter-punch. Though this strategy can result in high-speed exchanges, it often catches tall players off guard and results in winning points.
The Significance of Strategy
By targeting a tall player’s weaknesses—such as agility, balance, and hand speed—players can level the playing field. These strategies offer a way to counteract the natural advantages that height brings, allowing shorter players to compete at a higher level. Evans’ insights provide valuable tools for players looking to improve their skills and handle tall opponents in their next match.
News in Brief: How to Beat Taller Pickleball Opponents
Pickleball coach Morgan Evans shares strategies for defeating taller players who typically have advantages in reach, power, and overhead smashes. Evans recommends driving the ball forward, using disguised shots, and employing high-risk pickleball tactics like quickly moving to the center of the court. By exploiting weaknesses in agility, balance, and hand speed, these strategies help shorter players level the playing field and outmaneuver taller opponents for more successful matches.
ALSO READ: Collin Shick Breaks Down the Spin Continuation That Shocked Ben Johns