Pro Breakdown: The Power of Patience, Pressure, and Grit to Win Points
Continuing this series, I am excited to get back into it and review some pickleball gameplay. If you didn't catch my last breakdown, check it out below.
Eric Roddy
The video in this breakdown, originally posted on Reddit, features two 3.0/3.5 teams in what looks like competitive rec play at a cool place called Pickle Rage.
For anonymity, I will refer to the team closest to the camera as the near team, and the team further away from the camera as the far team.
Let’s dive into the film and analyze what each team did well and could work on.
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Pro Analysis By Eric Roddy
Eric Roddy | DUPR 6.24
Turned Pro: 2022
Doubles Ranking: 55th
Singles Ranking: 20th
Point 1 – Patience Pays Off, But Positioning Matters
The lefty (red shirt) on the near team is serving, although we don't know what the score is or what game it is.
Near-Side Team Analysis
The first thing I notice about this team is their serve—it’s nice and deep. Depth is key on both the serve and the return, and the server does a great job starting the point with a deep ball.
From the serve onward, this point is all about the server. He hits every ball for his team during the rally and does a great job executing reset after reset to make his way to the kitchen.
Attack at the right time — Once he gets to the kitchen, the first ball he sees is high enough to attack, and he punishes his opponent with a well-placed speed-up through the middle to win the point.
How they could improve — While the near-side team wins the point, I’d love to see the server’s partner take a more aggressive court position—especially after the server lands the first couple of drops and resets.
A few balls from the far team go through the middle, and the left-side player for the near team is hanging out in the transition zone instead of getting up to the kitchen to try and poach some of those middle shots.
With his current court position, the near-side team stays staggered for much of the point, leaving a gap in the middle. Fortunately, the server makes enough quality resets to neutralize that vulnerability and work his way in.
Far-Side Team Analysis
The far team played this point exactly as they should have—until the very last shot. They started with a deep, penetrating return and kept pushing the ball deep to the opponent, who was positioned further back.
They didn’t over-hit or try to force a winner too soon. Instead, they used topspin to roll the ball at the opponent’s feet, making him hit as many balls as possible before reaching the kitchen.
How They Could Improve – Despite playing almost every shot perfectly, the far team made one crucial mistake on the very last shot of the point.
Once the near team successfully reached the kitchen, the far team should have conceded and played a neutral ball (or dink). Instead, the player on the right side for the far team hit an ill-advised speed-up, giving the serving team a free ball to attack, which ultimately cost them the point.
I would have liked to see the far team stay disciplined and encourage a dink rally. Overall, it was a great first point for both teams.
Point 2 — Grit Wins Points, But Decisions Seal the Deal
Near-Side Team Analysis
The near-side player in the red shirt hits a fantastic return. Is it the prettiest technique I’ve ever seen? No. But he manages to lob the return deep—about two feet from the baseline—giving himself enough time to sprint to the kitchen line and prepare for the next shot.
Target Your Opponents' Feet — The next two volleys at the kitchen from the near team are spot-on. They target their opponents’ feet and body, forcing them to hit “survival” shots instead of well-executed resets. As a result, the near-side player on the left gets an overhead opportunity. However, he hits it with too much pace and too steep of an angle, giving his opponent a chance to drive the next shot and force an error—ultimately winning the point for the far-side team.
This point is a perfect example of how quickly momentum and percentages can flip in pickleball. The near team is in control the entire rally—until one poorly executed overhead turns the tide.
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Far-Side Team Analysis
Kudos to the server on the far side—he hits a nice, deep serve. His partner recognizes how good the serve is and actually takes a couple of steps into the court but then has to backpedal to hit the third-shot drop off a deep return.
Make your opponents hit one more ball — From that third shot until the end of the point, the far team shows one of my favorite traits in a good pickleball player: grit. Their resets and drops aren’t perfect, but they stay in the point by forcing their opponents to hit extra balls.
Ultimately, the far team (like all players) will want to continue improving their ability to hit quality resets from anywhere on the court. That said, their grit and determination to just make balls keep them alive in this rally.
Take advantage of attackable balls — Eventually, the left far-side player gets the chance to drive a ball off a poorly executed overhead (the right call in this case), and he attacks his opponent, forcing the error and winning the point.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the level of play and decision-making from both teams showed real promise. Even in this short clip, you can see the recurring themes—short returns, smart choices—that often decide points in competitive pickleball.
Thanks for reading, and keep an eye out for the next article. Enjoy the grind—and remember: you can’t dink all day if you don’t start in the morning.
Eric Roddy
Eric is a PPA tour pro living in Charlotte, NC, sponsored by PROXR. In addition to playing PPA events, he teaches pickleball 2-3 hours a week, enjoys golf, and listening to his favorite band Goose.
