By Rahul Sadhu

Copyright timesnownews

Playing pickleball is no easy task and to play it professionally can be intimidating, especially as a rookie. However, content creator Tanner Tomassi shared his insights and strategies and said: “You’re going to be nervous going into this tournament, so start out by hitting your third shots as third shot drives at 70% power. This takes the pressure off of you and puts it onto your opponent who’s also going to be nervous.” “If you try and hit a third shot drop while you’re nervous, you’re going to be shaky and hit it sky high or into the net. I’m also trying to apply a little spin so that the ball dips over the net and my opponent is forced to volley up,” he was quoted as saying by pickleball.com “The best spot to aim it is down the middle, more toward the person who’s running up.” Stating that a common mistake is that players tend to hit the ball at their opponent, Tommassi said: “Only look for speed ups out of the air. It’s such a higher percentage for you to win points. The issue 4.0 players fall into is after two or three dinks they get nervous and tight, and they bail themselves out by hitting a crappy speed up off the bounce and lose the point.” “You have to get comfortable with that discomfort. Let your opponent pull a stupid shot and you be cool, calm, collected, and attack only out of the air,” he added. “Respect the X” means to play at a diagonal, so if you’re playing in a dink rally and you hit a diagonal shot, you and your opponent should step over to cover the likely diagonal return, and your partner can cover the line. “It doesn’t matter if it’s my forehand or backhand. We want to stay true to this strategy when we’re at the kitchen line because the ball comes so fast, we don’t want to have a gray area of who should take what ball,” Tomassi concluded. About Indian Pickleball Association: The Indian Pickleball Association is the official governing body for pickleball in India and is dedicated to promoting, developing, and organising the sport across the country. The association continues to inspire players of all ages and skill levels to embrace the game through events like the IPA Nationals. IPA is affiliated with the Asian Pickleball Association (APA) and the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF). About Pickleball World Ranking: PWR is a national ranking system that spans all age groups, skill divisions, and formats -including singles, doubles, and mixed categories. It serves as the official National Sports Federation Ranking for India. With multiple sanctioned events taking place every week across the country, PWR defines the top Indian players at every level and forms the foundation for team selection at the school, district, state, and national stages. PICKLEBALL – Stay connected with all the latest news on Pickleball, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, tips, and inspiration you won’t find anywhere else. Your ultimate destination for all things pickleball – where the community comes together for news, views, and the sport that’s sweeping the globe. Follow us at @pickleballnow on Instagram and be part of the community!