LET THE BANGER BANG, THEY GOT RIGHTS JUST LIKE THE REST OF PICKLEBALL BALL PLAYERS

PRACTICE, DRILL, PRACTICE, DRILL, PRACTICE, DRILL THEN PLAY

Today was a reminder to myself, you need to practice specific skill sets if you want to improve your level of play and become a better player.  WELL SAID, Joe! I really need to practice what I preach. Sorry for the pun.  Coaching has given me great insight to quickly assessing a players performance during a game, and identifying any and all problem areas that are impeding his or her from improving their game skills. 

One other thing I have learned is, "that a coach cannot coach him or her self."  He can quickly assess what he is doing wrong, but implementing the corrective measures is where I fall short. 

However today was an eye opener.  I played against a close friend who is a renown banger, highly competitive and aggressive in open play.  Seldom if ever do I win against him, but he provides me the practice time that I need to develop specialized skills and customized  strategies to compete and even win a game or two. 

When I first joined him on the court he quietly told me that earlier someone complained about his hard hitting style that had intimidated them to the point they would not play with or against him in the future. 

He truly seemed disheartened that some players thought of him now as a courtside bully. He was also accused of purposely aiming his speed balls directly at players.  

I know this man, he is not a bully, nor would he every intentionally try to hit someone with a ball.  My friend is just a hard hitting player who is not especially fond of the dinking game. I know this because I've tried to coach him into playing the soft game at the net but it just ain't gonna happen, at least for now. 

When he finished lamenting over this criticism, he said that was just going to stop hitting those hard smashing shots, if people won't play with him.

I could feel my blood pressure rising, and I could feel my facial features changing from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. I told my friend, that what you decide to do with other players is your business. However when you play against me, I want your best game, and if that means fielding every hard smash you can muster, than so be it.

I then told him that to do that against me, I would consider that as an insult to my playing skills.  "How in the hell do you ever expect me improve my game and develop a winning strategy to defeat you?" 

I ended my diatribe with somewhat of a rebuke, saying, "if when I play against you, and I determine that you are holding back or sending me softballs over the net, I will walk off the court. In friendship, he assured me that that will not happen.

WHY are you consoling him? You ask?  Then YOU tell me, "this  guy needs to be called out and told this ain't the way to play pickleball."  OK, when you next see me I will give you his name and you can do the honors."   

I am not going to enter the conversation about smashers, bangers and taggers.  WHY? There is nothing in the RuleBook about the limitations or restraints a player must excursive when hitting a ball. 

There are no posted ball speed limits signs on a pickleball court.  There are no cops on the sidelines with radar gun clocking ball speed. 

There are rules about "Actions and Behavior that will result in a technical foul, such as excessive profanity, excessive arguing, threats of any nature to any person, purposely breaking a ball or striking a ball between rallies, and intentionally throwing a paddle.  But not a word about hitting a ball too hard, or hitting a ball that hits an opponent. 

At one time in the past, a server was awarded a point for hitting the receiver or receiver's partner with a ball. That's been rescinded. 

Now the only rule that may apply for someone with an overactive imagination or a victim complex, is "Threats of any nature to any person." 

If a player was playing against someone who hits hard smashed balls, that inturn cause said player to fear for his or her safety on the court, then possibly the complaining player can claim "that" as a "perceived threat, or a physical warning."

The motive for the threat/warning was to intimidate the complainant to purposely throw the game.   

If afterwards the complainant does get hit by a hard hit fast ball from the smasher, and files a complaint with the Open Play Organizer(s), "assault with a pickleball", then it would be up to the person in charge to either deny the complaint, based on the fact that no specific rules were broken, covering this conduct. 

Or possibly the Organizer may pass this entire matter onto the USAPA National Legislative Affairs Committee for an rendered opinion, as a "matter of "special circumstance."   

That was an extremely long story just to make a point about "developing strategies."  All that negative discourse motivated me to finally implement a pilot strategy that I had developed against hard hitting pickleball players.  

Towards the end of open play I got one more opportunity to play against my hard hitting friend.  I swore to my self I was going to executed my "drop dink & dunk strategy."  NO! I am not going to expose a play by play description of my strategy.  I may have to use it against some of you.  But, I can give you some general idea of what it involves. 

I planned to take my friend to the net, keep him at the net, making him hit every return with an underhand stroke, and running him and his partern side to side, keeping them off balance when returning, and opening up holes for put aways. THAT'S IT,  YOU'VE GOTTEN AS MUCH AS YOU'RE GOING TO GET!

Don't assume that this is a normal dinking strategy.  It is not.  Its a "drop dink and dunk" strategy, and it worked for me.

Now faithful followers of my blog, I shall say good night, sweet dreams, and don't let the beg bugs bite. 

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