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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 พ.ค. 2024
- Respect the "X" - UPDATED - The Pickleball Strategy You Need for 2022 | WeArePickleball
Early on in our path as pickleball instructors we started to notice a common error: players from one side of the court crossing over to hit a shot on the other side of the court.
To be clear, this is not always an error. There are plenty of times where crossing over makes sense: covering the middle and lob coverage are two easy examples.
BUT …
Crossing over for the sake of crossing over or because of some “forehand takes the middle” idea often leads to errors. And unnecessary ones.
Unnecessary because you have control over whether you break the X or, instead, respect it.
Perhaps the most common form of not respecting the X that is causing your team to lose rallies is the player on one side coming over to take a third shot drop that properly belongs to their teammate if the team was Respecting the X. The most common reason given for this is “forehand in the middle.” This is an error (lowercase “e” error if you want to look at it that way, which is what we do inside WeArePickleball).
Three reasons it is an error:
1. It is a more difficult shot, mechanically, for the player coming over to hit the third shot. This player is reaching away to hit the ball. Their teammate would be hitting a ball coming into their body.
2. The player coming over leaves their side of the court open and vulnerable to attack.
3. The one very few players know: they “pin” their teammate back behind their shot. The pinned player cannot move forward and attack if appropriate.
The X applies at the NVZ line and also in defensive settings. These are all covered in this video.
There are times when you can break the X - specifically, whenever there is a shot that makes more sense to be taken irrespective of the X. Think of a poaching opportunity where one player will come across to attack a high ball. That is an example of breaking the X, with a purpose.
As you develop as a pickleball player, adding these sorts of pickleball strategies will significantly help you. Seeing the game better will mean you are playing the game better.
Let’s keep working at it.
0:00 Introduction
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Tony
WeArePickleball Player Development
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Stellar content!!! Love this "chalk talk" style breakdown. How many times have I "disrespected" the X....no more!! Big Thx.
This is incredibly useful. Once you get to the point where you can hit most of your shots, you realize that tactics and positioning are super important. While rules will be broken in the heat of play, this gives a great foundation for game play. Love the whiteboard. Please do more.
Appreciate it. RTX is strong stuff. I use the board all the time. Come to our workshops in March. Lots more board :)
I really like this concept. When I play drop in games in new venues, most players don't seem aware of the "X" or that it's the trajectory of the ball we're looking at. I think technically there's another time it is a good idea to break the "X." That is when the receiving team returns the serve and the player already at the kitchen can step over and take the serving team's 3rd shot if they can reach it and not be too much out of position.
You are 100% correct Joel . Covering the middle is another area for sure. Always look for the best shot for your team.
@@BestPickleballCoach : Which begs the question, what does "not be too much out of position" mean? More to the original point, I notice the pros don't respect it at all. The left side dominates. It the left is good enough - I.e. Johns, AL. Even so, wouldn't those two be a stronger team?
Thank you. Appreciate the content, appreciate you and CJ giving all of us good, free instruction and tips to help improve my game. It’s kind of you to be generous with your time and knowledge.
Thank you Lisa. We are glad our work is helping you along your journey :).
I’m lost early in the video, the blue player is not extended hitting the ball since it is his forehand. He isn’t reaching. The other player isn’t STUCK, they should be moving to the net. I’m a beginner per se and not going any further with this video till I get some clarification.
Hello Robert. Welcome to pickleball. I would ice this one for now. This concept is difficult Even players who have been playing for years
Great stuff!! Thanks
Our pleasure!
Nice concept! However, for me, there are some buts. First, when playing mixed doubles with lower level players, most cannot hit an effective backhand third shot drop from the baseline. So, I take the majority of those and break the X because I can hit an effective third shot drop. Secondly, at the NVZ, I see a lot of pros break the X. Just watch Riley and Lindsey Newman win the 2021 Pickleball National Championship and you will see Riley do it numerous times.
The important thing, from my vantage point, is that you are thinking through the puzzle. The "X" can definitely be broken, as long as there is a reason to break it. Thanks for the comment.
Thank you, thank you 🙏
Glad you enjoyed it Roman.
Great video Tony!
Thank you LC
Really great analysis, Tony! This is another gem that is easy to explain to my PB friends who are too lazy to improve their game off court.
Aloha Ron. Thanks for the shoutout. Some players just don’t get it :)
Love this concept Tony. Understanding this concept I choose to break the X based on how angled the ball is coming along with how far across the centerline the ball is. If I feel comfortable taking the shot I will call it...communication is key. If I do break the X, hitting the ball in front of my partner is important so I don't leave the open court as vulnerable to a returning shot by my opponent.
For shots near sidelines returned to the middle respect the x is most important as the player across from the one hitting the ball needs to be covering the sideline. Also the shot from the sideline towards the middle will also have a sharp angle which will be harder to hit unless you respect the x.
Love the analysis.
👍💪🥰
Great video, well explained.
I see your comment you are a lefty, I am a lefty and in my group of 15 I play with, 5 are lefties.
As a result, lefty-lefty and lefty-righty teams become common.
There are a number of nuances to the “respect the X” theory when these L-L and L-R teams play.
It would be very useful to make note of these nuances in an updated X video. Ie: with a R-R team, this happen, but with a L-L team, this happens, But with a L-R team, this happens.
I often find my R partner taking/stealing the 3rd shot even when it is 2+ feet into my rh court. Ugh!!!
Hello Ken. Thank you for the comment. Actually, respect the X does not change depending on Lefty or Righty players. The X is always present, and our recommendation is to respect it, unless there is a reason to break it. That is one of the advantages of the RTX principle. Unlike “forehand in the middle“ which would definitely be impacted by the dominant side of the player.
Excellent strategy video
Thank you Bill
I appreciate your analysis as I have often ended up looking like a "Keystone Cop" from the old comedy movies! I believe the first thing in strategy is to remind everyone to shout out "I/you got it! and avoid a false start toward the ball that spooks the other partner off the ball. Not fun to stare at each other as the ball bounces between both of you! I recommend that all right handers learn to use their left hand for specific instances (slower shots to the left side) that do not require the strength and skill of the dominant hand. Go out with a friend and practice dinking with the left hand only until ready to progress further. When an incoming serve is a low, hot smash to the left, your recommendation is most appropriate however.
Agreed. Partner communication is so vital
Why learn to play with our left instead of just improving our backhand?
I wish everyone where I play would watch this!! There IS logic in PB. ;) It's NOT always that the forehand takes the middle. I really followed your thinking, and I love it when choices of play make sense to my brain. Hopefully, I can drill that thinking, so it becomes second nature to think these strategies.
Feel free to share it with as many as you want :)
I told my group about it today, in the courts.
@@lisamaraszek6599 Awesome - give me their names and I will look to see if they watched it.
Great info. Thanks. One minor adjustment...the blue team might play better if they face the net. 😀😀 ...just meant that the magnets representing the players appear to have outstretched arms with circles representing the head. Soooo, shouldn't the blue team be positioned with the arms facing the net? Always get lots of great info from you and CJ. Thanks.
Switching to S and R. I think it will work better. Let me know what you think when you see the next board videos. Appreciate the feedback.
A 4th negative consequence of breaking the X: (See about 4:00) re. #2 mechanical problem - hitting the ball reaching to the side instead of in front of your body, also, in order for the (blue team) player in the right of the frame to take that ball, (s)he usually has to get to it early, because after the bounce it's still moving along that X -- farther away from him/her and toward the partner in the left of the frame, and the properly positioned partner will also normally be seeing its x-court trajectory and so, preparing to hit it. So players breaking the X tend to move forward early and/or during their stroke, half-volleying it (shot with lower margin for error, thus less consistently accurate).
Most of the players I know who repeatedly reach across for X shots headed toward their partners are also players who habitually step into the court too far after serves and often get punished with deep returns that they have to flick at around their feet. They're also runners -- which makes a 5th negative consequence -- being in motion during more shots because they keep opening and closing holes all over the place. Not only a domino effect on their own shot quality but their partners are then forced to scramble too.
Great observations. Thanks for sharing them.
I teach this and I play it. Tough to get some players on board. Proper positioning on the serve makes this strategy work well. Server on the right(deuce)side should move close to the T(center line) and partner should stand close to their sideline. You have strong forehand positioning. Keep preaching it. It works. I further it by having the server make the mine/yours call. That takes away any indecision.👍
Hello Lon. Indecision is bad news.
Great video! I never looked at respecting the X. I'm left handed and you explaining who should take the balls returned towards the middle makes total sense. I just played with three experienced players that I had never met. My partner continued to step towards the middle and took most of the returns coming towards my forehand. Guess what? The other team third shot were deep to the open court, and just as you said it kept me from being aggressive. It put us on the defense right from the start. I didn't say anything as I didn't know exactly how to say without coming off the wrong way. After seeing your video I feel asking if have they ever heard respect the X could really make a difference. Thank You!
Thanks Mark. Just send them a copy of the video :). Check out the playlist - you can see the errors that occur in game time situations.
I need to improve my backhand for sure.
That is most player’s Achilles
I have always known you have great strategy content, but I always have had a hard time hearing what you are saying and staying connected to the content. This video you have much better microphone, it's clear, concise and you are speaking more slowly so I can finally hear all the valuable gems of knowledge! Thanks Tony!
Thank you for the feedback Tara. Been working on it :).
Respected the x today, noticeable improvement.
Excellent :)
Great explanation……. New too the game and have been hammered by Rec Pros (said sarcastically) about always hitting on the forehand when the X is presented for the third shot. It never made much sense in definition as it was explained and no one could articulate the best next play and why.
Hello Russel. Glad the explanation was helpful. Next time you can just share the video :).
Great info!! Thank you!
Thanks Beverly
As a left handed player who stacks so both forehands are in the center I would love to know if/what your advice would be for 'respecting the X'?
Hello lefty. Forehand / backhand does not change the basics of the RTX.
❤ and hope to take a workshop with you when you come back to the Triangle in North Carolina
Look forward to seeing you.
I'm not convinced this is a useful concept, except perhaps as a minor consideration. On the return, most of those issues have nothing to do with the "x". The issue is how far do you want to forehand to cross over before the cons of being out of position outweigh the pros of the stronger shot/player hitting it. This is true regardless of which side the ball came from. I can easily move several feet over to the other side without have to reach out, so that's a non issue. Yeah, there is some mechanical advantage to sending a ball back where it came from when it's travelling toward you, but a good player can adjust for that and hit it wherever they want, especially with a tennis background. No way is that advantage sufficient to counter the advantage of an a typical forehand over a typical backhand. Most people don't crush returns anyway, even at a high level, so the ball has little momentum to redirect.
Also, the pros don't play this way. The better forehand takes just about everything.
Appreciate the well thought out comment. It is great that pickleball allows for variations in play and strategies. There are situations where you can break the "X" - for instance, when the player along the axis just cannot get the third in play. Despite the reasons to break the X, the X principle remains there under the surface to help guide optimal play. This is an area where the pros make mistakes when they come across - in fact, we have a video coming out tomorrow showing just this. Again, thanks for the comment and the analysis.
Love the concept but you skipped the return of serve and went to the third shot (about 2:30 in the video). The concept is still the same, but I think it's more important on the return since it's coming harder than a drop. I've seen the earlier X video and I'm a believer. Wish everyone understood. Thanks.
Hello Guy. Sorry if wasn’t clear. The shot I was addressing was the third off the return. The bottom team was the serve team and they were handling the return of serve along the X. Glad the concept resonates with you. And I too wish more understood it :)
@@BestPickleballCoach You're my favorite TH-cam coach, but at 1:49 you identified the top team as the serve team and at 2:01 you called the shot the return. Seems like I'm the only one that caught this, so I guess I'm being picky. I really love your videos. Thanks again.
@@guygunn379 thanks for pointing it out. I missed that. And thanks for the shoutout :).
Which doubles team(s) play this way in either the PPA or APP? Thanks
Ed and Wayne, Ellen and Mary Jane, Ron and Kristi. There are many more. These are just a few.
I see a lot of pros breaking the X all the time to move in their partners court to take a ball with their forehand
So good. The small court in pickleball means there is less time to react and recover. Even being a little out of position can render you vulnerable to a well placed ball that you will have to chase down.
Thanks for the comment. It is helpful for players to hear different constructive perspectives on these sorts of principles. Take care.
Great information....do you have pickleball clinics? I'm a solid 3.5 player and looking to improve my game
Hello Sid. Check out wearepickleball.com/camps. If you are in the Tampa Bay Area you can email us. Keep working on your game.
I am a little confused. So, to sum up the "respect the X" concept:
Each person should generally try to stay in their quadrant and if the ball travels into a quadrant in a certain direction, the person the ball is going towards should get the ball while not moving out of position (quadrant)?
Is this right, @In2Pickle?
Hello Bryan. Sort of correct. Think of where the ball will go along it’s trajectory. Usually, the player at the end of that path should be the one to hit it. Hope this helps.
Tq for speaking a little slower and clearer 😅
Pleasure :)
I see you have the Diadem ICON paddle!!! I just bought it a few weeks ago and LOVE IT!!
It’s an awesome paddle. Did you see our review of it?
@@BestPickleballCoach No. Just bought after my mixed Doubles partner and I won our division in a tournament - as a reward. Was eyeing the Pro Kennex for over a year. The surface on the icon is wicked FAB!
@@Look4LizG it is similar to the ProKennex at least in weight feel and thickness. Congrats on winning the division :)
Question about this concept. If one of the opposing players is returning the ball from the middle, they effectively have three lanes to work with (both corners and the center). In this case, does the X still work or are both defending players have to guard their half of the center?
Good question. The outside angles do not really exist on a middle shot the other way off the return of serve. The middle should always be guarded. Hope this helps.
Awesome!!!!! One reason why I switch hands. I am from Brooklyn where paddleball is a two-handed sport.
The Brooklyn 2-hand :). Great stuff Randall
@@BestPickleballCoach I don't recommend folks practicing switching hands unless they have used both hands in the past, the way one-wall Brooklyn paddleball players do. I think it is better for most players to work on improving their backhands.
In the first example of when you can break the X (11:55), it seems like all the disadvantages you explained earlier still apply: that one side of the court is wide open, the other player is pinned back, and the one to hit the ball is reaching. So why is it okay to break the X at this point?
True but the question then becomes do the advantages of breaking the X outweigh the disadvantages?
Does this work the same for a lefty and righty?
Hello Joanne. The X always applies. Break it only if you have a reason to
I can't respect my X, but for this X, I'm all in!
Interesting take :)
In reality, that diagram only works when the ball is hit down the middle. A shot with any significant angle should mean that both players shift to the side of the court where the ball was hit. This could result in one player covering the line (at the NVZ) while the other player is near the mid point of the court
What you describe is what the players should do. But yes the X is intended to address the middle - that is where the confusion reigns.
What happens to the strategy if you insert a lefty into the mix on one or both sides of the net?
The "X" is still there - the only question is should you now break it. Usually no but there are occasions, like a short attackable return.
Looking for Comments. I play sometimes against a guy ,in doubles, a good player who hits hard. Often when he hits a shot that he thinks will go out he yells out. One of the few players who does that . I don’t think he does it on purpose , just a emotional response . But it’s confusing to hear him yell out about a shot and then maybe it is in. Is he doing anything illegal?
It’s interesting. The answer is perhaps. It might be considered a distraction as it has no pickleball purpose. It’s different than saying “move back” or “get ready” to your partner. An argument could be made. That said my personal perspective on it would be to use it as an opportunity to practice concentration. Particularly in a recreational game setting. The other options here are not that appealing.
I have never heard an opponent calling his ball out, more often I hear something like “stay in” but when a ball is coming to me and my partner and I think it’s going to be out, I do yell “out” and that is considered communication between me and my partner. I heard that was OK to do, but may be the best thing to say is “let it bounce.”
What happens on a team with a left handed and right handed player?
Same principle applies. I’m a lefty myself.
Tony - I understand the whole concept but do not understand when you are considering the X being broken. How far off the axis cam the player come without it being considered breaking the X?? Are you basically saying don't come across the centerline on a cross court shot to your partner? You need to give a definition of where the player can come across to without breaking the X.
Hello. The X is not dependent on the centerline (although most of the time the X will cross it). Think of it as a natural flow of the shot. If it is coming left to right then it probably should be hit by the player on the right. And vice versa. You break it when you take a ball that is naturally flowing toward the other player. And you can break it - when it makes sense to do so.
@@BestPickleballCoach Appreciate your reply - the concept makes perfect sense, especially the aspect of blocking your partner from moving forward when you take it. Being an engineer I was just looking for the boundaries of the X - LOL. Love this strategy part of Pickleball! Keep doing these great videos for us. They really help dispel court myths that everyone uses and champions during rec play - like "forehand always gets it" or run to the NVZ line and stay out of no man's land.
I don't know if you mentioned this reason - to respect the X - but here's an idea: The server is more in rhythm than his partner, having just hit the serve. He's moving, he's hit basically a forehand groundstroke and should be more in sync with hitting a third ball. Whereas his partner is stationary and is being asked to suddenly move to his side and hit a ball out of rhythm.. (no shots yet). To me it just makes more sense (usually) to play the diagnonal (the X) with the server taking the third shot if it's hit in his direction, since he's already in motion and has momentum. Similar to both players at net - the player in motion hitting the volleys should KEEP his movement going (with momentum) to finish the point.. In any event, REALLY enjoyed this video and I hope you'll do more videos on STRATEGY!
Hello Charlie. Love the thinking. Thanks for sharing.
Good points makes sense but do you really need to repeat yourself 3 and 4 times?
Don’t recall there being repetition in there but I am getting up in age so perhaps there was some.
@@BestPickleballCoach You take 15 mins to say something I could say in a couple sentences
@@claycc79 look forward to the video
@@BestPickleballCoach I will do you one better. Hey everyone don't get out position...See everyone tomorrow....
I sure could’ve used some video playing examples in this video, the strategy discussion with a whiteboard and discussion only with no playing video examples gets very monotone and boring and i fall
asleep.
There are very few instructors who teach court positioning. Muscle memory is more important in your movement than shot mechanics. I'll take a partner who is not running into me all the time and is in the right place on the court. And you win a lot of points just by being in the right place! Taken a few $600 clinics no one mentioned positioning as a strategy, which is most easy to teach at the beginner level. Even if you cannot hit the ball consistently, you can move to the right place on the court and fake it till you make it. Its more like teaching someone the rules of the road to avoid accidents. Your partner can be your worse enemy!
Good stuff Don. Footwork and movement are No.1. That’s why we include it in our camps.
I've never had a PB teacher who was any good. They teach how they were taught, or how they play. The only useful things they were able to impart were things that are applicable to any sport.
Re this video: I watched the whole thing and don't think there was mention of the player closer to the net taking the ball. If your partner is back in the giant reaches of no man's land, you should generally take the ball when you are at the net, even if it breaks the X. Why leave your partner's feet exposed?...plus...you probably can't trust them they if they are not at the net already!
So hard to implement when you’re playing with people who do not know about the “X”. They are upset saying you need to let me take that it’s MY forehand. So when you try to explain EHY you took their forehand and that they should be protecting the “alley” they are upset. They’ve always been told that “it’s my forehand”. They won’t hear what you have to say by way of explanation and now you have a teammate that is mad at you
On-court relations is a difficult thing to deal with. I would say there just let them do what they are doing. You will know the optimal strategy.
👍
👍
If you break the X without your feet crossing the centerline (out of your own side) you're really not blocking your partner from moving forward, not unless your partner is hanging back because you don't have a shared plan.
Hello Allan. Like the thinking but the issue I would anticipate is if you do not cross over the centerline with your feet then you would be reaching for the ball. Better to let the player who can set their feet more fully take that shot from our perspective.
@@BestPickleballCoach Thanks for your response. For myself, I'm tall and I can cover a fair swath over the centerline on my forehand without reaching. Furthermore, as a former squash player, reaching at knee level is what I do best :-) The point where you begin to block your partner from moving forward is not the dividing line between the courts, but something a bit further, a line determined by who can better set for the shot, somewhat contingent on the partnership and individual skill.
I should add that today I played with my best partner yet, a former tennis instructor long ago. Both of our opponents were above my level, but I focused on keeping my strong partner in the play by getting the ball across the net above all else (and always moving the ball toward more structure and away from scramble). We ended up winning as a result.
The reason I was able to keep the ball in play against stronger players is that I kept to the X which I learned here. I played a heap of high percentage diagonal shots right back where the came from, and it worked like a charm.
At the high pace, my shots were a little loose, but my strong partner absorbed all attacking shots from the yellow zone like a Michelin Man made out of marshmallows, and I was able to cut enough balls off at the net with my long reach. Most fun I've had yet on the PB court!
@@afterthesmash good idea to evaluate based on the best shot for your team.
Respect the X works in theory but you have to have a partner who knows and accepts the theory. Unless you're playing with the same partner or group of partners that know this theory, nobody's going to use it.
It is the same for all good strategies, no? If two players are marching to the beat of their own drum they will not play as a team.
hmmmmm.
Why the (what I think is) hesitation?
she’s thinking! a good thing
Please folks, when a fault happens, “X” or not, please again, refrain from snarling, “THAT WAS YOUR FOREHAND!” at your partner. They are most likely aware of the mistake. They don’t need your shade!
Never feels good to get it piled on
I like to communicate with a partner before hand and let them know I like to defer to the forehand and I tell my partner that (and if I have the forehand, I tell my partner I have a strong forehand ) but when the person with the forehand just watches a ball coming down the middle and takes no action or movement at all it is frustrating. I had that happen to me and I said those dreaded words,”that was your forehand” 😱
Rather than repeat what has been said (we can rewind if we need it repeated.), please go over service from the #2 position, and how to handle lefties (After all you are one).
Hello Butch. The “X” is the same on both sides. It is also not lefty righty dependent. Hope this helps
it is frustrating to watch somebody just pointing on a whiteboard without giving any live video playing examples. its pretty boring TBH but this channel could change that and make it more exciting by showing players employing those strategies.
Appreciate the feedback Grace. You will find both types of videos on our channel. Some are classroom type and some are game video breakdowns.
Here is an example in the same topic
Point Breakdown - Respect the "X" | Project 4.0 | In2Pickle
th-cam.com/video/dZGz75T3v3I/w-d-xo.html
The pros don't "respect the X" I notice. So ???????
Happy to have the conversation. What is your point/question?