TH-cam placed this video on my feed today. I really enjoy your analysis on all your videos. I'm learning more from your channel than any rec center class. Thank you. 👏🙌
You mention "no man's land" at 16:12 . Basically that's a term that teaching pros never use because the transition zone is often very useful (unlike in tennis ... where they never call it a transition zone).
Rory, I’m with ya on the backwards hat thing. Might as well be wearing their shirts and shorts backward as well. Serves no purpose, makes no sense. Good video.
@@jimstaub2308 Some people don't like the bill of the hat over their eyes while playing... and wearing a hat will keep the sun off of your head. It can also help absorb sweat. Nothing wrong with wearing a backwards hat. Plenty of benefits.
You're right. They do. But, they're new to the game. I'd much rather play in a pair of shoes made by a company that's been making court shoes for 40 years.
Whew! This was actually a better game than I thought it would be. The thin guy in orange was clearly the weakest player of the four. Maroon/White did well to take advantage of that. At 15:56 Thin Orange ran around his backhand; that put him out of position to advance through the Transition Zone. (Rory, it's not No Man's Land; that's tennis.) It cost him. Similar problem at 24:54; he ran around his BH, opening the court for a down-the-line winner by Maroon.
No. Not at all. When I did the video Skechers pickleball shoes were just coming out. I was not aware they were available. I was referring to people who play with Skechers walking shoes. Thanks for watching.
The two handed backhand is exploding. Everybody should use it when the time is right. I make lethal crosscourt double backhand shots. More control, more feel. Tennis player, yes. But ironically never double hand. I swap hands occasionally to make a shot and have a pretty capable non-dominant hand, especially in badmonton. I think that's key
I think the guy with the hat is better than you think. I've seen guys like him that have an excellent 2 hand backhand with top spin but will hit drop shots with their forehand. Saw it several times and at least once where he hit the 3rd shot drive which set up the 5th shot drop. I don't see a lot of two handed backhand players but the ones that do tend to have really good control with it and like you said are often tennis players. I was told that it is powered mostly by the rotation of the body and more with the non dominant arm. Good ones also engage the legs more. I think the third shot drive vs the drop depends on the opponent. Dropping in front of some taller opponents (6'2 or more) that have the reach and can snap their shots require such a fine window to have an effective drop that I prefer to drive it at them and set up the 5th shot. Long arms sometimes have problems with hard shots at their body.
I don't think we can categorize players based on their paddle. I know a guy that has a cheap paddle (due to his funds), and he is excellent. His shoes are old and worn out, but he's quicker than heck. Remember, we shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
Sometimes not. But, those are things I do look for. Sometimes it turns out I'm right and sometimes not, but, I'm able to determine what my opponent is capable of very quickly. I played this morning against someone I never played against. He was in his 50s and was bulked up. I could tell he worked out a lot. I figured before I ever saw him hit a shot, he would be a banger and would be unable to hit a third shot drop or attempt to reset a shot. He did not. He hit it as hard as he could and often did not advance to the nvz. I kept him in the back of the court and returned his drives to his back hand and he missed quite a few of them. Me and my partner returned ever serve to him and not his partner. We won the first game 11-3 and the second game 11-5. Thanks for your comment and thanks for watching.
Skechers is the official footware of every pickleball league including the US Open Pickleball Championships, the PPA pickleball tour, major league pickleball. I'm not saying they are the best choice.
I've yet to see a paddle, no matter how expensive, that makes you stand in the correct position on the court, anticipate opponents' shots, makes you move your feet or squat when required, or makes you choose the correct shot to play. Every time my opponents buy new paddles, I continue to beat them by the same approximate margin. I think spending excessive money on paddles should be waaaay down the list of ways to improve your game, but for most players it seems to be their first option.
I understand what you're saying. However, if I see a player playing with a $40 paddle made out of fiberglass, I know they're not serious about the game. Like most sports, technology in equipment can improve your game. Thanks for watching.
I agree. I started playing pickleball almost 2 years ago with a decent $150 Head Radical Tour paddle. My good friend had the same paddle but 2 months ago upgraded to a $250 Selkirk Control Air. We are at the same skill level and with equally skilled partners, the game could go either way. He is very good but the better paddle hasn’t improved his game. I’ll upgrade when my paddle is the reason I miss a shot.
Thanks. I think dupr ratings are flawed. There are many reasons why. I think I'll eventually do a video and explain why I think they are. Thanks for watching.
It's weird. I have made it larger and it's okay when I'm recording but when I render it, it goes back to a smaller mouse. I might give it a shot again. Thanks for asking.
4.5 level? A couple of nice rallies, but most of the play was not above 3.5 level. And I disagree that you should make it all the way to the NVZ just because you hit a good 3rd shot drop. You need to be stopped and set up when your opponent is hitting the ball, no matter where you are (as you advocate all the time). It is no longer referred to as no mans land. It is the transition zone. Good luck hitting a good 3rd shop drop from well behind the baseline and making it all the way to the NVZ comfortably . 4.5 players can play their way through the transition zone easily.
I’m going to tell everyone right now the greatest flaw in pickleball. Warming up with dinks only. The warmup should be just like tennis, ground strokes, serves, volleys and overheads. Why on earth would you try your first serve of the day in a match. It’s soooooo dumb.
Thanks for watching. That is a great point. I only dink for a little while while warming up. Then I try to hit at least 10 third shot drops into the kitchen. Then I'll serve three or four times. You are exactly correct.
@@pickleballpick-apart9787 dumb may have been a harsh way to say it but it is “pick a part” lol. I would love to do all that but people just want to dink. So I have to go early and hit a ball on the wall
As my fighter pilot buddy says "We train like we fight" With that in mind, why do 99% of pickleball players, in Rec play, warmup by dinking straight ahead? When your level is high 3s or better, the majority of dinking is cross-court.
Show up with a wooden paddle, skater shoes, and a dew rag. On another note, I can attest to the long arm problem, I'm struggling right now with handling 3rd shot drives at NVZ...but can take many balls out of the air on drop attempts. So, adjust based on your observations of opponents and be honest with your strengths and weaknesses.
The PB commentators need to correct what a "Ping Pong Grip" is because it most certainly doesn't include the index finger being vertically oriented in the middle of the paddle. The index finger, for a shake hand grip (vs. penhold) is typically held horizontally at the base or bottom of the paddle, perpendicular to the grip.
@@pickleballpick-apart9787 Well, they would have to be very recreational, as in never played before (or very little). Imagine if you tried to hit a backhand with your index finger in the middle of the paddle. Challenging. I've seen many beginner PBs with their index finger in that position. it must feel comfortable, more control perhaps. Great video though...excellent insights.
Thanks for asking. I think using a ping pong grip with your hand all the way up on the handle prohibits you from having any type of whip. Not that you get that much whip with a continental grip and your hand on the bottom of the handle, but you can get a little. Secondly, when dinking, sometimes you want to bring your hand back at an angle and just flick at the ball. With a ping pong grip it's more difficult to do. And, of course, when hitting a backhand, you can hit your finger. I haven't really checked it out, but I would bet if you watch professional players play, I'd be surprised if any of them uses a ping pong grip. Maybe you know of one that does, but, I really haven't seen it.
@@pickleballpick-apart9787 I'm surprised the index finger grip allowed him as much good touch as he had on some of those shots. But you're absolutely right that this type of grip limits flexibility of the wrist and really takes away much of the ability to incorporate effective top spin rolls.
@Pickleball Pick-Apart Pro player Callan Dawson uses a ping pong grip. Pro player Tyler Loong uses a paddle with a longer handle and places his index finger across the handle instead of the surface of the paddle. This hybrid grip allows the player to retain power on their shots. I've seen a number of players do this... Callan is the only pro player I know of that uses a full ping pong grip.
That 3rd shot at the 16 min mark was not as perfect as you would think it was. While the trajectory was good his weight transfer was not going forward. He got caught too close to the line and made the shot while backing up.
You are not as good as you think. Explain why the tall guy gets caught in no man's land after his third shot, and therefore, he gets a forth hit to his feet, which he misses. He hits the third shot while going back because he cheated up into the court after the serve, and thus, he had to move back to allow the return to bounce before he could hit it.
I'm going to agree with this. Hitting a nice 3rd shot drop doesn't always allow you to get to the NVZ. Sometimes it's beneficial to get to the line in stages and work your way up in chunks. You see the pros do it this way from time to time. You don't want to force it and get caught moving forward and then have a ball hit back at your feet. You want to be set and be able to adjust to the shot when the shot is hit back at you. Yes, you want to get to the NVZ line... but not at all costs after the 3rd shot. Getting there after the 5th shot is fine too... if you do it smart.
Some of these are great tips. Some of them are iffy, and some of them are downright wrong. This guy sounds like a 4.0 haha.
There are 114 million TH-cam channels out there. I really appreciate you watching mine.
TH-cam placed this video on my feed today. I really enjoy your analysis on all your videos. I'm learning more from your channel than any rec center class. Thank you. 👏🙌
That's awesome! I'm glad the videos are helping. Thanks for watching.
You mention "no man's land" at 16:12 . Basically that's a term that teaching pros never use because the transition zone is often very useful (unlike in tennis ... where they never call it a transition zone).
Thanks for pointing that out. I think I'll switch to transition zone.
Rory I use mostly 3rd shot drops, hardly ever hit hard but if I ever play you I'm going to do so with a backwards hat on.
Haha! Cool! Thanks for watching!
Rory, I’m with ya on the backwards hat thing. Might as well be wearing their shirts and shorts backward as well. Serves no purpose, makes no sense. Good video.
@@jimstaub2308 Thanks! Not everyone agrees!
@@jimstaub2308 Some people don't like the bill of the hat over their eyes while playing... and wearing a hat will keep the sun off of your head. It can also help absorb sweat. Nothing wrong with wearing a backwards hat. Plenty of benefits.
1:47 I'm a McGuffin wannabe and wear sketchers
Thanks for your comment. Yes I know. Sketchers now make pickleball shoes.
RORY, would you be so kind as to post some of your games with your analysis. This would help us with on court self awareness, thanks.
I'm going to get to it. One issue I have is, most of the players I play with, don't want to be on youtube. Haha. Stay tuned.
Sketchers makes court shoes FYI.
You're right. They do. But, they're new to the game. I'd much rather play in a pair of shoes made by a company that's been making court shoes for 40 years.
Whew! This was actually a better game than I thought it would be. The thin guy in orange was clearly the weakest player of the four. Maroon/White did well to take advantage of that.
At 15:56 Thin Orange ran around his backhand; that put him out of position to advance through the Transition Zone. (Rory, it's not No Man's Land; that's tennis.) It cost him.
Similar problem at 24:54; he ran around his BH, opening the court for a down-the-line winner by Maroon.
Thanks! Nice job!
That tells you he is not confident in his BH, which should be the target. good observation
I just bought a pair of the new Skechers pickleball court shoes. Are you saying they are no good and I’m not serious?
No. Not at all. When I did the video Skechers pickleball shoes were just coming out. I was not aware they were available. I was referring to people who play with Skechers walking shoes. Thanks for watching.
The two handed backhand is exploding. Everybody should use it when the time is right. I make lethal crosscourt double backhand shots. More control, more feel. Tennis player, yes. But ironically never double hand. I swap hands occasionally to make a shot and have a pretty capable non-dominant hand, especially in badmonton. I think that's key
If you played badminton, that translates really well to pickleball. Probably, more so than tennis. Thanks for watching.
I think the guy with the hat is better than you think. I've seen guys like him that have an excellent 2 hand backhand with top spin but will hit drop shots with their forehand. Saw it several times and at least once where he hit the 3rd shot drive which set up the 5th shot drop. I don't see a lot of two handed backhand players but the ones that do tend to have really good control with it and like you said are often tennis players. I was told that it is powered mostly by the rotation of the body and more with the non dominant arm. Good ones also engage the legs more. I think the third shot drive vs the drop depends on the opponent. Dropping in front of some taller opponents (6'2 or more) that have the reach and can snap their shots require such a fine window to have an effective drop that I prefer to drive it at them and set up the 5th shot. Long arms sometimes have problems with hard shots at their body.
Very good points. It all depends on the player you are playing against. You've got to figure it out. This team did.
I don't think we can categorize players based on their paddle. I know a guy that has a cheap paddle (due to his funds), and he is excellent. His shoes are old and worn out, but he's quicker than heck. Remember, we shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
Sometimes not. But, those are things I do look for. Sometimes it turns out I'm right and sometimes not, but, I'm able to determine what my opponent is capable of very quickly. I played this morning against someone I never played against. He was in his 50s and was bulked up. I could tell he worked out a lot. I figured before I ever saw him hit a shot, he would be a banger and would be unable to hit a third shot drop or attempt to reset a shot. He did not. He hit it as hard as he could and often did not advance to the nvz. I kept him in the back of the court and returned his drives to his back hand and he missed quite a few of them. Me and my partner returned ever serve to him and not his partner. We won the first game 11-3 and the second game 11-5. Thanks for your comment and thanks for watching.
@@pickleballpick-apart9787 One of these days we're going to need to see one of your matches to critique!
If a person has a cheap paddle look for a wear spot on the face of it. That will tell you if he consistently hits the paddle's sweet spot.
Can’t buy a good game
At the Naples
Open? lol
FYI, Skechers makes dedicated Pickleball sneakers
You are right. They do. I can tell the Skechers that are not court shoes. Thanks for watching and thanks for your comment.
Skechers is the official footware of every pickleball league including the US Open Pickleball Championships, the PPA pickleball tour, major league pickleball.
I'm not saying they are the best choice.
I've yet to see a paddle, no matter how expensive, that makes you stand in the correct position on the court, anticipate opponents' shots, makes you move your feet or squat when required, or makes you choose the correct shot to play. Every time my opponents buy new paddles, I continue to beat them by the same approximate margin. I think spending excessive money on paddles should be waaaay down the list of ways to improve your game, but for most players it seems to be their first option.
I understand what you're saying. However, if I see a player playing with a $40 paddle made out of fiberglass, I know they're not serious about the game. Like most sports, technology in equipment can improve your game. Thanks for watching.
I agree. I started playing pickleball almost 2 years ago with a decent $150 Head Radical Tour paddle.
My good friend had the same paddle but 2 months ago upgraded to a $250 Selkirk Control Air.
We are at the same skill level and with equally skilled partners, the game could go either way.
He is very good but the better paddle hasn’t improved his game.
I’ll upgrade when my paddle is the reason I miss a shot.
Thin orange guy is actually a 5.0 DUPR player (4.98 to be exact)
Thanks. I think dupr ratings are flawed. There are many reasons why. I think I'll eventually do a video and explain why I think they are. Thanks for watching.
Well done! Is it possible to make the mouse cursor larger so it would be easier to see. Asking for a friend!!! Thanks GOD, Guns & Gumbo
It's weird. I have made it larger and it's okay when I'm recording but when I render it, it goes back to a smaller mouse. I might give it a shot again. Thanks for asking.
4.5 level? A couple of nice rallies, but most of the play was not above 3.5 level. And I disagree that you should make it all the way to the NVZ just because you hit a good 3rd shot drop. You need to be stopped and set up when your opponent is hitting the ball, no matter where you are (as you advocate all the time). It is no longer referred to as no mans land. It is the transition zone. Good luck hitting a good 3rd shop drop from well behind the baseline and making it all the way to the NVZ comfortably . 4.5 players can play their way through the transition zone easily.
Yes. You are correct. This is one of my earlier videos. Learning to play in the transition zone is a big part of the game.
I’m going to tell everyone right now the greatest flaw in pickleball. Warming up with dinks only.
The warmup should be just like tennis, ground strokes, serves, volleys and overheads. Why on earth would you try your first serve of the day in a match. It’s soooooo dumb.
Thanks for watching. That is a great point. I only dink for a little while while warming up. Then I try to hit at least 10 third shot drops into the kitchen. Then I'll serve three or four times. You are exactly correct.
@@pickleballpick-apart9787 dumb may have been a harsh way to say it but it is “pick a part” lol. I would love to do all that but people just want to dink. So I have to go early and hit a ball on the wall
As my fighter pilot buddy says "We train like we fight"
With that in mind, why do 99% of pickleball players, in Rec play, warmup by dinking straight ahead?
When your level is high 3s or better, the majority of dinking is cross-court.
Show up with a wooden paddle, skater shoes, and a dew rag. On another note, I can attest to the long arm problem, I'm struggling right now with handling 3rd shot drives at NVZ...but can take many balls out of the air on drop attempts. So, adjust based on your observations of opponents and be honest with your strengths and weaknesses.
Good points. Thanks for watching. Do you really play with a wooden paddle?
In what world are these guys 4.5 players? 😮
I hear you! It's that dupr rating system. Thanks for watching.
I look to see how big their beer gut is. More than 20-30 lbs, move them around LOB
You said it, not me! Thanks for watching.
The PB commentators need to correct what a "Ping Pong Grip" is because it most certainly doesn't include the index finger being vertically oriented in the middle of the paddle. The index finger, for a shake hand grip (vs. penhold) is typically held horizontally at the base or bottom of the paddle, perpendicular to the grip.
Thanks for watching and commenting. So, I've seen recreational ping pong players hold their paddle like that. Am I mistaken?
@@pickleballpick-apart9787 Well, they would have to be very recreational, as in never played before (or very little). Imagine if you tried to hit a backhand with your index finger in the middle of the paddle. Challenging. I've seen many beginner PBs with their index finger in that position. it must feel comfortable, more control perhaps. Great video though...excellent insights.
@@bryanfaz Thank you!
May I ask, why don’t you you like the ping pong grip? Asking for a friend.
I embrace my ping pong grip!! I tried to switch to continental but I play better with my index finger on the paddle.
Thanks for asking. I think using a ping pong grip with your hand all the way up on the handle prohibits you from having any type of whip. Not that you get that much whip with a continental grip and your hand on the bottom of the handle, but you can get a little. Secondly, when dinking, sometimes you want to bring your hand back at an angle and just flick at the ball. With a ping pong grip it's more difficult to do. And, of course, when hitting a backhand, you can hit your finger. I haven't really checked it out, but I would bet if you watch professional players play, I'd be surprised if any of them uses a ping pong grip. Maybe you know of one that does, but, I really haven't seen it.
@@pickleballpick-apart9787 I'm surprised the index finger grip allowed him as much good touch as he had on some of those shots. But you're absolutely right that this type of grip limits flexibility of the wrist and really takes away much of the ability to incorporate effective top spin rolls.
@Pickleball Pick-Apart Pro player Callan Dawson uses a ping pong grip. Pro player Tyler Loong uses a paddle with a longer handle and places his index finger across the handle instead of the surface of the paddle. This hybrid grip allows the player to retain power on their shots. I've seen a number of players do this...
Callan is the only pro player I know of that uses a full ping pong grip.
the woman in your next vid- Men vs Women- is wearing Skechers shoes. Maybe the brand is adapting. Enjoy the videos immensely.
Did not realize that. Thanks for pointing that out.
@@pickleballpick-apart9787 and I was surprised to see Skechers too.
That 3rd shot at the 16 min mark was not as perfect as you would think it was. While the trajectory was good his weight transfer was not going forward. He got caught too close to the line and made the shot while backing up.
Thanks for watching and thanks for our opinion. I appreciate it.
Playing in Skechers means you're not serious about playing pickleball? Bullshit!
This is before Skechers came out with their pickleball shoe.
So, you're not a serious player if you do not play with pickleball specific shoes? Is that right? LOL! Come on, man. That's bullshit.
i disagree. three decades of tennis/a life time of musicianship /and pickleball. Rarely the GEAR [for show] match the talent.
Thanks for watching. What instruments do you play?
Too many stop & goes, I gotta go and look for an actual game! Messing up the flow of the game doesn't do it for me.
Sorry you didn't like it. This is one of my older videos. I think I've gotten better. Give one of my more recent videos a shot.
You are not as good as you think. Explain why the tall guy gets caught in no man's land after his third shot, and therefore, he gets a forth hit to his feet, which he misses. He hits the third shot while going back because he cheated up into the court after the serve, and thus, he had to move back to allow the return to bounce before he could hit it.
Nice observation. Thanks for watching.
I'm going to agree with this. Hitting a nice 3rd shot drop doesn't always allow you to get to the NVZ. Sometimes it's beneficial to get to the line in stages and work your way up in chunks. You see the pros do it this way from time to time. You don't want to force it and get caught moving forward and then have a ball hit back at your feet. You want to be set and be able to adjust to the shot when the shot is hit back at you. Yes, you want to get to the NVZ line... but not at all costs after the 3rd shot. Getting there after the 5th shot is fine too... if you do it smart.
Dude in the dark peach shirt just had a bad day. Probably thought about flubbing the opening serve. You have to get over mistakes quickly.
Yep. It shook him up and he couldn't recover. Thanks for watching.