Advanced players know that to get the upper hand in a match, you must prevent your opponents from hitting their best shots while trying to pick on their weaker shots. Simply playing the same game against every team does not work. As a fun bonus, you can employ this strategy quite sneakily. Your opponents may notice they’re not playing their best but not recognize why, and frustration sets in. Now you’ve disarmed both their physical and mental games at the same time! (Winning isn’t always pretty.) 

To use this strategy successfully, you need to figure out your opponents’ strengths and weaknesses. You do so through careful observation before or during your own match, or by gathering intelligence from other players. If you get a chance to watch your opponents play another match before yours, take it! This is an opportunity to glean a ton of valuable information. Here are some things to note while you observe your opponents:
 

• Are they left- or right-handed?
• Do they switch hands when they play (ambidextrous)?
• Is the team stacking or switching?
• What types of serves do they use?
• Which partner has a weaker return or third shot?
• How mobile are they?
• How long can they last in a dinking rally before making an error?
• Do they like to lob, and in which situations?
• Are they typically the first person to speed up the ball?
• How well can they handle a body shot?
• Is the team pinching the middle or backing up off the line?
• Do they communicate well on middle balls?

Communicate regularly with your partner to point out what you’re noticing. You may each notice different things, so share them and work together as a team to adjust your strategies.

Excerpted from Pickleball For Dummies – available now wherever books are sold.