How to Judge if the Pickleball is Going to Be In or Out
We all do it at times. We connect with a ball that is likely going out of the court so we let our opponents off the hook by keeping them in a rally. Now if you've played a racket sport before, it's likely you've learned to judge whether a shot from your opponent is going to be in or out. Still I know I make a mistake now and again and hit an out ball. Just know whether you are a beginner or experienced player, you can learn to judge the ball better.
Senior professional Linda Thompson was recently on the Pickleball Fire podcast and she said she has a drill to help her students improve their judgment about whether the ball is going in or out of the court. Start by standing at the kitchen line and have your practice partner hit shots that should land deep in the court. Be sure to stand facing your partner and don't swing at the ball. Just say out loud whether you think the ball is in or out. Your practice partner can then tell you whether you are accurate. So over time you will be able to correlate the speed and height of the ball with whether it is going in our out.
Some people will say if the ball is shoulder high let it fly. But that isn't always the case if you are shorter. I'm 5'5” so I know this isn't always true especially if my opponent has a lot of top spin on the ball. But if they don't hit with top spin, they contact the ball below the net, and are driving the ball it is likely going out. So spin and the contact point are key along with how high over the net the ball is going. I am someone who doesn't hit with a lot of top spin, but I can have the ball just go a couple of inches over net. If I do this when I drive the ball it stays in. So the other key is to look at your opponent and determine how consistent they are. I often will let my competitions first ball go if I think it is going to be out to understand which balls to play going forward.
Judging whether a ball is in our out is definitely a learned skill which you can improve over time. Don't be afraid to let a ball go by without you hitting it as you can see the result and learn from the situation.
