The Top 10 Pickleball Strategies to Beat a Pickleball Banger
Remember the good ol’ days when dinks and drop shots dominated the pickleball courts and volleys lasted long into the night? Now, with an influx of new players coming from other sports where aggression and maximum pressure rule, the days of the “soft” game might be coming to an end.
If you’re a pickleball purist, you may have already noticed this change. If you haven’t yet, we promise you will see it soon enough.
But, don’t fret! We are here to help you build a strategy to combat these aggressive players and ensure that you’re ready every time a banger steps onto your court.
First, let’s identify what a banger is.
What is a Pickleball Banger?
In pickleball, a banger is someone who likes to hit the ball hard on most of their shots and attempts to overpower their opponents in every match. Many new players are bangers because they have yet to learn the nuances and the art of kitchen play. But, even some veteran players are making names for themselves with this more aggressive style of play.
Of course, not everyone who hits the ball hard should be characterized as a banger. However, if you notice a person consistently spiking the ball from any angle, refusing to play a drop or dink shot, or with a menacing scowl on their face the entire time, then you may just have found yourself a true banger, and you may want to switch your game up to combat their dominating style.
How? Let’s get into the top 10 strategies to beat a banger.
#1 - Embrace the Chaos
While it’s important to not pre-judge players, it should be fairly evident what type of game your opponent prefers to play after a few serves. Once you realize that the person on the other side is a banger, it’s time to take a deep breath, get ready, and embrace the chaos. Let go of preconceived notions about the “proper” way to play pickleball and focus on the best way to play right now.
#2 - Play Your Game, Not Theirs
It can be easy to become frustrated when playing someone with an aggressive style. You might feel an urge to match their aggressiveness and try to bang the ball yourself. But, if this is not the game you’ve developed, you’re setting yourself up for missed shots and failure. Instead, keep playing your game and make slight adjustments as needed.
#3 - Hit a Deep Return of Serve
When facing a banger, it’s essential to keep them back at the baseline as long as possible. Pushing them back there with a deep return of serve is a fantastic way to accomplish this. Early in a match, it can help you use their aggressiveness against them and catch them on their back foot, forcing them into a bad position and a weaker shot.
#4 - Aim for Their Weakside
For the most part, the backhand is a player’s weakest shot. It’s more difficult for players to deliver a strong drive with their backhand. So, hit the ball towards their backhand and see if they can handle it whenever given a chance.
#5 - Let the Balls Go Out
With the ball flying at you so quickly, it’s challenging not to swat at it immediately. But, an easy way to get an extra point (or several) from bangers is by letting the ball go out of bounds when you can. During practice, you can work on this by having your partner or friend bang shots at you and letting them go past. Notice how the ball reacts differently during out shots and those that stay in.
#6 - Work on Blocking
A block shot is when you lift your paddle in front of your body and allow the ball's energy to impact your paddle so that it bounces off and drops to the other side of the net. This is a tremendous defensive shot when playing against bangers. But, it can also lead to some points, especially if your opponent doesn’t like playing up at the kitchen line.
#7 - Combat Strong with Soft
If you want to frustrate your banger opponent, make your game even softer. Use the energy and momentum they create against them by dropping your shots just barely over the net and forcing them to sprint all over the court. You may tire them out or get them to back off of their aggressiveness.
#8 - Keep Your Shots Low
As a banger, your opponent will look for every opportunity to slam the ball. The best way to combat this is by not giving them easy opportunities. Keeping the ball low so it barely travels over the net can help.
#9 - Or Bait Them With High-Arcing Shots
Contrary to the advice from tip #8, you could instead bait your opponent by hitting lob shots just out of their reach or at the very top of it. Their aggressiveness will get the better of them, and you can force them to beat themselves with poor slam attempts. Just make sure you let the ball go out when they try.
#10 - Keep Them Guessing
Bangers are beatable because they aren’t able to play other ways. The best strategy for beating anyone is to keep your opponent guessing at all times. Mix and match your play with all of the strategies above and don’t fall into the trap of doing the same shots repeatedly.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to beat a banger take these strategies out onto the practice courts and prepare yourself for the next generation of pickleball players that might be showing up soon.
