Kyle Koszuta posted on Instagram about handling pressure in pickleball when opponents repeatedly target a single player. He explained that knowing how to react in advance can help players stay calm and regain control of the game.
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Dinking Down the Line to Create Openings
Koszuta described a strategy where the targeted player can dink the ball down the line to see if the opponent redirects crosscourt.
“Because often what happens when somebody dinks it down the line is one player takes it back cross court to the area on the court where I have the most distance to work with.” – (Koszuta)
However, if the opponent keeps returning the ball down the line, the targeted player must adjust. “Nope, I’m going right back to him. Nope, I’m going right back to him,” Koszuta said, illustrating how an opponent can maintain pressure.
Using the Erne to Shift Pressure
To counter this, Koszuta suggested another approach: moving into the Erne position.
“So Johnny can go to the Erne position and now look what I see. I see a lot of people swarming me.” – (Koszuta)
This forces the opponent to hit the ball back to the middle or go crosscourt, bringing the other teammate into play. As the opponents adjust, confusion can arise, making it harder to keep attacking the same player.
“Now maybe they put off false balance. Please don’t just lob off your back foot and your back hand.” – (Koszuta)
Improving Skills to Handle Pressure
Koszuta emphasized that these tactics can help, but the best way to stop being targeted is to improve overall skills.
“Now it’s not gonna solve all your problems of getting picked on. The number one way to stop getting picked on is to get better, but it’s a good start.” – (Koszuta)
News in Brief: Handling Pressure in Pickleball
Kyle Koszuta shared strategies for handling targeted play in pickleball. He explained how dinking down the line and using the Erne position can shift pressure onto opponents. While these tactics help, he emphasized that improving skills is the best way to avoid being picked on in a match.
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