How to Beat Bangers in Pickleball
When playing pickleball, an individual can implement various techniques to score. For example, a banger is an individual whose playing technique involves hitting the ball hard regardless of the spin you serve. Did you know that various tips can help you beat bangers at pickleball? Let’s explore these techniques or tips.
Always Stay Attentive
A banger plays with a lot of power and doesn’t engage in a soft game or a hit-drop play. These individuals utilize the technique to score many goals, especially when playing with a soft player. If you want to beat them, it’s best to always be attentive. The attentiveness would help you predict their moves before they hit the ball, thus making you ready for the next spin.
A banger will play consistently without losing touch with the ball; therefore, you’ll likely get tired soon. However, if you are ready and attentive, you’ll have minimal challenges keeping up with their pace. In addition, the banger’s strokes would not surprise you, which would minimize the distance moved on the court to hit the ball.
Imagine a situation whereby the banger serves you sidespins from one edge of the court to the other. In such a case, you would spend most of your energy running right and left to prevent a score. Therefore, paying attention is important in beating them because you can predict their moves, allowing you fewer movements. You would also have control of the game, thus enabling you to strategize how to beat the banger.
When anticipating the banger’s shots, stay in the kitchen lane with your knees slightly bent. Hold your paddle up and expect a fastball. The position would make it easy for you to respond to the type of spin the banger serves.
Detect Out Balls
You should also be aware that some bangers overplay their shots. As a result, some players lose the game when playing against bangers even though they have good court coverage. The reason is that the banger overestimates their abilities, thus playing out balls. In such a situation, you are advised not to engage in the shot but to step aside to allow other players to take it.
If you decide to take the ball, use your backhand side, since they shoot on that side most of the time. The technique would allow you to push the ball and gain control of it. If you don’t detect out balls from the banger, you’ll give them free points because hitting the ball will likely make it an out ball from your side. Therefore, you should keep the banger engaged by avoiding hitting their out balls.
Timely detection of out balls is one of the most challenging techniques of pickleball. The process is not easy since different players use different techniques. However, it’s important to spot the ball instantly when you read the spin of a banger’s shot.
The detection of out balls will trigger you to make a sharp move, making it difficult for the banger to hit your shot. Different ways of detecting out balls depend on the type of play you take. For example, some players would use their feet while others might use their eyes.
When detecting an out ball, consider the banger’s backward swing and how it hit it. You must also consider the ball’s height to your height. Sometimes, you might have to jump to prevent the ball from hitting outside the court.
The practice would also play an important role in making you a swift player and good at detecting put balls. Deciding whether or not to pass a shot is a tough decision, which might be challenging for beginners. Therefore, practicing different techniques to ensure you can hit or avoid out balls when necessary to prevent the banger from earning free points is important.
Act as a Blocking Wall
Did you know that underspin offers your opponent an opportunity to make clear and winning shots? Aim for shots that fall near the banger’s feet when you act as a wall. The technique would reduce their chances of hitting the ball at an angle good enough to score against you.
According to Pickleball Insights, a good block will require you to hold the paddle loosely because the technique would enable you to play the opposite of a banger. A banger focuses on fast-paced shots and holds the paddle with strength. If you serve them light shots, the ball will likely fall on their feet, allowing you to score.
Another secret to acting as a wall is being firm on the ground and avoiding backswings. As a result, you’ll hit the ball at a lower angle when you swing backward, thus serving the banger underpins. In this case, they would have the right angle to give you a topspin and likely win.
Quiet hands would also prevent you from hitting the banger’s shots hard, a technique they aim at increasing their scoring chances. If you are also a banger, practicing this technique is best because it will give you a better chance of winning against your opponent.
When acting as a block, aim to reduce the banger’s scoring chances. In this case, don’t give the banger a high-blocks or pop-ups that would make it easy for the player to score. Instead, as they play a fast-paced game by serving you a high-speed ball, play the opposite as a soft player would do.
Keep the Banger Near the Baseline
The technique of keeping the banger near the baseline can be a great help to you. If the banger’s shots go wide, it will allow you to take advantage of the court. In addition, the technique would enable you to position your paddle close to their hitting area, giving you less time to react and make an effective block.
A banger focuses on getting near the pickleball net as much as possible. If you allow them to get close enough to the net of the kitchen line, they will hit aggressive hits, thus increasing their scoring chances. In this case, you would have minimal time to move toward the net to hit the ball.
The best technique for keeping the banger near their baseline is by serving them wide shots. These shots would force them to stay away from the net, thus allowing you to get close enough to score. It’s best to strategize how you will get close to the net as soon as the game begins. The method also makes it challenging for the banger to hit balls close to the net or kitchen line, an act that favors you.
Focus on a Soft Game
If you are playing against a banger, the chances are high that they don’t know how to play a soft game. These players focus on fast-paced games to win against their opponents. Therefore, it’s advantageous to introduce the soft game.
In this scenario, you wouldn’t serve them a high or hard shot, making it challenging for the bangers to score. However, the technique doesn’t mean you should only practice soft. Sometimes, you need to combine the soft game with banger techniques to stand a higher chance of winning. For instance, if the banger decides to keep up with your game’s pace, you could take advantage of hard shots to score.
Should You Avoid the Banger?
If possible, it’s best to avoid the banger. The scenario is applicable when one of the opponents is a soft player. As soon as the game begins, it’s best to monitor how your opponents play to determine the banger and the soft player. Once identified, focus on directing your shots at the soft player because this would reduce their chances of winning.
When playing against two bangers, it’s challenging to apply this technique. However, you could identify the one with a softer game and direct them to most of the shots. Then, the technique would give you a better chance of scoring. The best part about this technique is that it fits well with the above strategies. For instance, serving soft banger shots would reduce their scoring chances.
How Do You Play Against Bangers Near the Net?
If the banger plays near the net, aim for the softest ball that is not likely to fall on the banger’s feet. Serving the ball is critical to winning against the banger with a high-speed shot. In addition, the technique would allow you to control their shots from hitting too close to the net or kitchen line, a technique they primarily play.
According to Pickler, avoid high balls when the banger is playing close to the net because they give the player an ideal angle to score. Instead, the method makes it critical for you to focus on how you would direct the softest shot, a technique that would give you an edge over your opponent.
If you want to avoid high balls, serve a low-speed ball that is likely to fall close to your opponent’s feet. The method will ensure they don’t get an opportunity to direct their shots at the net or kitchen line.
As the banger gets close to the net, focus on prediction. Pay attention to how to make them get back to the baseline. In this case, you need to serve the softest shot to make the opponent fall back. They will likely serve your next shot below the net as they play close to the net. Therefore, you must predict what shots would give you a high chance of winning.
