Pickleball Transition Strategy Secrets: Pickleball coach and player Jordan Briones has shared expert advice for players struggling with their game. In a recent instructional video, he explained how improving decision-making during transitions—especially before and after the third shot—can help players progress to a 5.0 skill level.
The Importance of Spacing and Reading Returns
Jordan Briones started by explaining that players must judge the return before deciding what shot to hit. “Before we even talk about the third shot and what kind of shot I’m going to be hitting, we have to really think about how we’re going to prepare ourselves so that we can be in a really good position to hit it.”
He used clear examples to show when to move backward or forward. If the return is deep, Briones advised stepping back to create space. If the return is short, players should close the space to get closer to the ball. “I really want to make sure that I close in the space so that I can actually be aggressive with the drive or maybe get a really easy third shot drop from this part of the transition zone.”
Choosing the Right Third Shot
Briones stressed the need to match the third shot with the player’s strengths. He often uses a drive because of his aggressive serve and quick setup. “Sometimes it may be hard for me to drop in this position. So, one thing that I like to do and utilize because I have a very consistent drive, I will typically drive this shot here and then stop my feet right after that and then look to drop my fifth.”
He also pointed out that slower, floatier returns are easier to drop. On the other hand, short returns that bounce high are best attacked early. “I want to close that space and I really want to take time away from the returner coming in.”
When returns are short but stay low, Briones suggested a softer drop. “These are ones where I may want to just come under and drop so that I can get into the nonvoy zone and dictate from there.”
Thinking Ahead After the Third Shot
Briones said it’s important to watch the opponent’s contact point after hitting the third shot. If it’s low, players can move forward. If it’s high, they should stay back to defend. “If I hit that same third shot and I know that contact point is going to actually be higher than net level and my opponent is more setting up for a swinging volley, that is a time where I’m probably going to want to hold my position.”
He also explained the importance of setting up correctly for the fifth shot with a strong stance and split step. “Wherever I am on the court or in the transition zone, and I choose to make progress right before my opponent hits the ball, I want to make sure I get in a good wide split.”
For lower contact points, he advised using a soft reset shot. But if the ball is higher, players should attack. “These are opportunities that I definitely want to be attacking and being aggressive on.”
Practicing the Right Way
Briones showed a drill where a partner feeds different types of returns. The goal is to make quick decisions and hit the right shot every time. “The whole idea here is we’re working on all those things creating space, closing space. We’re assessing our shots after we hit it.”
During the drill, he made decisions based on return depth and height. “So, you know, I moved in early. I really thought about driving it, but that one was a little bit low, so I kind of went to a drop.”
Briones ended the session by tracking how many times he could reach the net in five tries. “I’m going to try to make a good decision, and we’ll go out of five here.”
He encouraged players to track their own success rate. “If you’re only getting to the net two, three or four out of times out of 10, you know that you need to either work on your decision making, maybe your thirds or your fifths in transition.”
News in Brief: Pickleball Transition Strategy Secrets
Jordan Briones shared tips to help players improve transition play in pickleball. He focused on spacing, third and fifth shot choices, and how to practice smartly. He used real-game examples and drills. Briones explained how better decisions during play can help players move toward the 5.0 skill level.
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