Move Up (Again)

I've spoken about this before and there are tons of other posts out there also encouraging people to get to the NVZ. With all of this "encouragement", you might think that the message would be sinking in.

But you would be wrong. I was in a round robin event a few days ago and there were quite a few intermediate and above players that I hadn't seen before. So time and time again I am standing alone at the NVZ, looking around for my partner. When I tactfully mention to them that they really do need to be at the NVZ, the most popular response is that playing back a bit gives them more time to react. And then the attack starts - hard hit balls to their feet that have no possibility of being returned.

So let's look at the logic and strategy again:

Moving back from the NVZ opens up floor space for your opponents to attack low and hard. If you stay at the NVZ, your opponents cannot generally attack your feet unless you've really popped one up for them. In that case you deserve what you get.

Moving back from the NVZ widens the path that the ball can take coming off your opponent's paddle. Think of it like a goalie in hockey moving out to "cut off the angle". Same thing. At the NVZ you can reach every shot left or right. You can't do that as you move back.

Moving back from the NVZ to get "more time" is rarely necessary. Pickleball is generally a slow game and it is rare that you need more time. Actually the more time and options your opponent has, the better his shot will be, so don't give it to him.

Yes, you will often need to move up to the NVZ with caution or multiple steps, depending on the quality of your team's drop shot, but this just emphasizes the need to work on those high quality and consistent drop shots. Absolutely necessary.

And one other benefit that you will notice - if you can trust your partner's third shot drop, then you can move to the NVZ ahead of him and you will be surprised at how much pressure this puts on your opponents. One of them is getting ready to return the shot and instead of seeing an open floor to aim for, he sees you on the other side of the net. Last second changes are rarely successful and you can easily grab a point or two every game by doing this. This strategy can be particularly effective if your partner is hitting third shot drives that are likely to be popped up. If you are already at the NVZ, these are easy pickings - "shake and bake" it is officially called.

Remember that getting to the NVZ is pretty much the ONLY way to neutralize the built-in advantage your opponents already have. Control of the NVZ is control of the rally, and pickleball is a very hard game to play from the baseline.

So please don't let me catch you lingering around mid-court. My favorite advice is - if you are not at the NVZ, then you should be trying to get there.

See you at the NVZ!

Michael Gauthier
Rally Academy
​Pickleball Strokes