Can you play catch?

I watched a video recently with a couple of high school baseball coaches. One of their evaluation tests was to play catch with the 14 year old kids that were trying out for the team. They were adamant that they should be able to consistently hit the receiver's glove at about chest height. This was non-negotiable - if they couldn't play catch, they couldn't play.

I have preached a pickleball version of this for a number of years - always make the routine shots. Basically I am suggesting that we should ALL be making fewer unforced errors. I send all of my students home with simple drills designed to have them execute routine shots. Basic, boring, unexciting drills that will make them better players. Things that they should be doing for the rest of their pickleball journey.

How many times per game do you hit simple dinks or drop shots into the net? Ten to twelve unforced errors per game is a common number. Never mind trying to learn spins, slices, twoies, or anything else that is the shot-du-jour. Build a solid foundation of the basics first - dinks and drops with patience and control. "Never" is your goal - as in never miss a serve, never miss a return of serve, and never miss a routine dink or drop shot.

See you at practice!

​Michael Gauthier