Why You Miss More Shots Against Better Pickleball Players (And How to Fix It)

Main Points

• Higher level opponents don’t just hit harder shots, they apply pressure that exposes balance, timing, and positioning issues.
• Standing too close to the kitchen line leads to overreaching, rushed decisions, and pop-ups.
• Playing slightly off the line improves balance, reaction time, and counterattack ability.
• Poor timing, especially short-hopping dinks on the rise, increases errors under pressure.
• Letting the ball rise to its peak after the bounce creates more margin and control.
• A wider, athletic stance with constant micro-movement prevents getting stuck tall and narrow.
• Getting trapped in backhand-to-backhand patterns puts you at a disadvantage against better players.
• Shifting to your forehand more often and using pattern-changing dinks reduces pressure and errors.
• Court position and advantage should come before trying to hit a winning shot.

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Summary

This video breaks down a common experience in pickleball: playing against someone whose shot quality is higher than what you’re used to and suddenly feeling rushed, off balance, and error-prone. While many players assume this is purely a skill gap, the video explains that the real issue usually starts with positioning, balance, and timing. When opponents hit more unattackable dinks and apply consistent pressure, small flaws get magnified quickly.

The first major problem addressed is overreaching at the kitchen line. Staying glued to the line may work at lower levels, but against stronger players it often leads to being extended, off balance, and forced into poor contact points. Playing about a foot off the line allows you to step forward into attackable balls rather than retreating under pressure. This adjustment gives you more time to react, improves counterattacks, and dramatically reduces pop-ups caused by reaching.

The second issue is timing, especially taking dinks too early on the rise. Short-hopping balls requires advanced skill and often forces excessive wrist use, leading to mistakes. By letting the ball bounce, rise, and reach its peak before contact, players gain more control and rhythm. Combined with a wider, more athletic stance and constant small movements, this helps maintain balance and readiness through longer dink exchanges.

Finally, the video tackles the problem of getting trapped on the backhand side. Stronger players will target perceived weaknesses, and staying stuck in losing patterns only accelerates errors. By positioning slightly off the line, shifting to forehands more often, and using intentional pattern-changing dinks, players can neutralize pressure and regain control. The key takeaway is simple but powerful: prioritize court position, create advantage, and only then look for offense. These adjustments don’t require better hands or faster reflexes, just smarter positioning and decision-making against higher level competition.

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Tags: Dink | Drill | Strategy | ThatPickleballGuy - Kyle Koszuta