by Jenny Foster
There are different types of pickleball players, and bangers are one of the formidable ones. Bangers include pickleball players who hit the ball hard during games and aim to defeat their opponents with the power of their shots.
So how do you beat bangers in pickleball? There are several steps to do this.
First, to beat bangers, one should learn how to reset a round and develop their soft hand skills. This also involves learning how to slow down the ball exchange during pickleball matches. A game can be slowed down by removing the pace off the ball and opting for a drop in the kitchen instead after receiving a hard drive.
Applying such strategies requires a certain amount of practice. As such, pickleball players can only beat bangers if they truly master the skills mentioned above.
One way to improve a pickleball player’s soft hand skills is through reset drills. In most pickleball matches, a player would want to speed up the ball when hitting from the non-volley zone line. However, one good strategy is resetting the ball and softening the shot by returning the ball with a drop shot toward the opponent’s kitchen. In this case, the shot becomes unattackable for the opponents.
Another useful drill, especially in cases when the opponent frequently drives the ball, is by using the paddle in backhand position to absorb the pace of the ball. Here, the wrist should be firm or stable but the grip on the paddle should be loose. For example, the player will backhand hold the paddle in front of them, a little below the chest, and let the paddle just absorb the ball’s pace.
With these drills, pickleball players can improve their game against bangers and gain more chance of winning a pickleball match. Still, these drills will only become useful after sufficient practice and training.