There are a few myths in the world of pickleball that, if followed to religiously, may wind up hurting your game.
That’s where this week’s tip comes in.
Coach Mary’s Tip for the Week
Tanner.pickleball is one of the best pickleball YouTubers and his video “5 Myths that are holding you back” is highly useful. If you stop believing these, you are guaranteed to level up.
Myth 1: You must stay tethered to your partner as you make your way to the NVZ. False.
The proper technique is as soon as you see the ball is going to your partner, who will be executing a third shot, take two steps in and then watch your partner’s shot. If it is a good drop, then crash into the Kitchen, and look to poach to attack. If your partner’s shot is too high, and it can be attacked, stay back and get set. Tanner says to use this technique on 3rd shot drives also, but see the whole court, and do not poach, just come up to the NVZ.
Myth 2: Forehand always covers the middle. Not always.
If you dink the ball cross court, your partner will cover the line, and you will cover the middle, regardless of whether you are left or right-handed. That way your partner only has one side to defend, instead of thinking he/she must cover the middle because it is a forehand. This is along the same lines as “Respect the X.”
Myth 3: You should hit winners with 100% of your power every time. Incorrect.
Instead, use a maximum of 75% of your power. Your goal is not to hit through the opponent, but rather, to place the ball low, just over the net with topspin, so it is unattackable. This will cause your opponent to hit up on the ball, which will help you control the point.
Myth 4: Always hit to the weaker player in a match and avoid the higher-level player. Wrong!
If you do this, the weaker player has less court to cover, and the stronger player can cheat over to take more balls. Often, when you think they are so good, you are scared to hit behind the stronger player. Instead, if you dink to the stronger player and put him in a corner, this will open the court so you can attack the weaker player, who now must cover more real estate.
Myth 5: Mental Tip: If I practice and drill and work hard, why do I underperform in tournaments?
This is so true. Tanner uses the example in his video of his two-handed backhand dink. He is great in practice, but he found that he reverted to his one-handed slice dink in competition and made more errors. In the next tournament, he committed to the two-hander, and he was successful.
I tell my students regularly that they need to drill, then put it immediately into game situations and try it in competitions to gain confidence. After all, the drills are done to make you a better player, and help you level up. If you do not use those skills in games, you are wasting all that drilling time!
A question for my readers
As a USA Pickleball Ambassador since 2014, I try to offer activities for the public that are affordable and fun, yet also competitive. From October to April, my outdoor round robin tournaments have good participation.
This summer, I have offered 5 indoor round robin social events. The May event had 40 players, and the June event had 65 players. Last week, we only had 25 players. I think our desert community should have options to play in the air conditioning during the hot months. Do you have suggestions for me that would motivate more players of all levels to participate?
I offer beginner level events, up to 4.0-4.5. We have:
The price is reasonable – $20.00 to enter, and $10.00 for each event. Should we lower the price? I could do $5.00 per event.
I appreciate any suggestions from the public. Time, day of the week, cost, etc. Thanks! Email me at mgbarsaleau@gmail.com to provide feedback.
The last two indoor events are Aug. 24 and Sept. 28. I am excited to announce that the October event will be at Civic Center Park on Oct. 18-19, 2025. This will have age groups, skill levels, and senior divisions. Flyer is coming soon.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Five pickleball myths that may be hampering your game
Reporting by Mary Barsaleau / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
