Roscoe Bellamy’s Pickleball Strategy Tips: Professional pickleball player Roscoe Bellamy is helping players handle tough matches against tennis players who are new to the sport. In a new video shared online, Roscoe Bellamy explained how to stay calm, take control, and win by using four smart tactics. These strategies focus on changing the pace, returning shots wisely, and using smart placement instead of power.
Why Tennis Players Start Strong
Roscoe Bellamy explained that tennis players bring power and speed to the court, especially with their serves and fast drives. Their big serves feel natural to them because a pickleball serve is a lot like a tennis forehand.
“A pickleball serve is basically just a tennis forehand, which a tennis player has clearly done before.” – (Bellamy)
To counter this, he advised players to take a big step back when returning serve. This gives more time to react and slow down the ball. He also explained that players should aim their return deep and cross-court. This allows time to move to the kitchen line and avoids getting stuck in the transition zone.
Roscoe Bellamy also said that if you’re playing doubles, the partner should shift toward the middle to help defend while you move forward.
“I’m going to have him shift a little more middle. I’m not going to have to be worried about covering this shot… because I’m in transition here. I’m vulnerable.” – (Bellamy)
How to Handle the Drive
After returning serve, players can expect a fast, hard shot known as a drive. Roscoe Bellamy said many players try to fight back with another hard shot but warned against that.
“Don’t do that. Don’t play their game,” he said. Instead, he recommended blocking the ball low and short. This forces the tennis player to hit the ball up, giving the pickleball player a chance to control the next shot.
Bellamy also shared a bonus tip: let the ball go out if it’s high enough. “If we’re going to contact that ball at shoulder height or above, we can probably just get out of the way,” he said. But if it’s at hip level or lower, you should hit it because it will likely land in.
Third Shot Drops Are Key
One of Roscoe Bellamy’s biggest tips is to use a soft third shot drop rather than a hard drive. Tennis players enjoy pace and are better with fast shots. Bellamy explained that a slower, low drop can take away their advantage.
He also said it’s best to target the opponent who just returned the serve, catching them as they move forward. He warned against trying to make perfect, aggressive drops.
“We want to hit soft, low drops with less pace and less bounce because we know that we can make them consistently.” – (Bellamy)
Frustrate Tennis Players with Dinks to the Body
Roscoe Bellamy shared his favorite trick for beating tennis players: aim dinks at their body. “They hate it,” he said. Tennis players prefer hitting with space. By playing the ball close to their feet and middle body, it’s harder for them to hit powerful shots or find angles.
He demonstrated this with a player named Tommy, saying, “I’m not going to be pulling him out wide because he likes having space… I’m going to keep the ball closer to the middle and closer to his feet.” He explained that this limits their options and forces weaker shots. If players hit to the sides, tennis players can use angles and create more dangerous plays.
Why Playing Middle Makes a Difference
Roscoe Bellamy added that players should aim their shots to the middle of the court. This makes it harder for tennis players to create angles and reduces the number of attacking options.
“If I move this center here, then all they can do is speed up middle here, speed up at his forehand, and speed up at my backhand.” – (Bellamy)
This strategy works especially well in long rallies. According to Bellamy, it helps wear out tennis players who aren’t used to being patient during points.
Why This Matters for All Players
Roscoe Bellamy said these strategies work at all skill levels. He has used them in pro matches against former high-level tennis players. Even if a tennis player is faster or more experienced, using the right tactics can shift the match in your favor.
“These are some of the exact strategies I use on tour against former highle tennis players and they work at every level of the game,” Bellamy said. But he also reminded players that sometimes, the opponent is just better. “But here’s the thing, I’ve got a strategy for that, too. It’s a totally different mindset, a totally different approach.”
Pickleball players looking to improve can benefit from learning how to slow the game down, place shots smartly, and not fall into the rhythm of fast play. These tactics could be the key to winning tough matchups on the court.
News in Brief: Roscoe Bellamy’s Pickleball Strategy Tips
Pickleball player Roscoe Bellamy shares four smart tips to beat tennis players on the court. He advises returning deep crosscourt, blocking hard drives low, using soft third shot drops, and targeting the middle with dinks. Bellamy explains how these tactics limit a tennis player’s speed and angles, helping pickleball players gain control and win points with smarter strategy.
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