by Jenny Foster
Getting up to the net is an important movement in pickleball. However, some pickleball players may struggle with achieving such a goal during a game. In most cases, the problem may be rooted from the very low shots that pickleball players sometimes receive.
To solve the abovementioned problem, there is one thing that pickleball players can do: a reset shot from the transition zone. Learning how to reset a point is also especially important for those who want to increase their level in pickleball.
As a review, the reset shot is done when a player wants to keep the ball in play and to prevent the opponent from further applying offensive strategies. Notably, a pickleball player should be able to realize when they should focus on resetting a point, for example, when the opponent hits the ball at a very low level.
Notably, a pickleball player should avoid speeding up the ball and hitting it upward because this will give the opponent the chance to hit down on them. Instead, they can reset the ball by hitting it at a neutral level into the kitchen. In return, the opponent will be deprived of the chance to attack the ball.
When resetting the point, the paddle should be in front of the player upon making contact with the ball. An important thing to remember about this shot is that the ball should be hit from a low contact point but at a neutral height. With this strategy, the opponent also hits with a low contact point and thus cannot initiate offensive shots. When properly executed, the opponents may occasionally hit the net when the other player is resetting a points.
Even in advanced level pickleball matches, players always apply the point reset. In this manner, pro player can avoid losing a point and may even gain the chance of winning more points.
Just like any other shot, point reset requires practice. As mentioned, pickleball players should avoid speeding up the ball when hitting it at a very low contact ball. In this regard, the grip pressure applied on the paddle will vary to ensure that the ball will bounce off from the paddle at a fairly neutral height, which should prevent the opponent from hitting down on the ball.
In the end, the existence of the reset shot means that pickleball players should not always aim at gaining a point. Instead, there are times when they must do a reset shot to recover from a disadvantageous situation. And just like any other strategy, when properly applied the reset shot can turn the tables for pickleball players.