As pickleball players develop, they will encounter many players that attempt to control every point of their game by hitting powerful drives down the lines. These players are referred to as “bangers” or “power players” and can be very difficult to beat when they are using their style of play. However, power is not unbeatable. In order to manage the opponents’ pace of play, play effectively on the kitchen line, and utilize a variety of strategic techniques to play pickleball against opponents of all styles and skill levels, we offer professional pickleball lessons with players of all skill levels. These lessons help the players of all skill levels learn how to recognize opponents’ styles of play and learn new ways to play to increase their amount of consistent wins and have fun playing the game of pickleball while building their skill level and confidence.
Understanding the Banger’s Style
The aggressive player looks to end points as quickly as possible. They attack high-flying shots, drive serves, and return. Aggressive players try to make their opponents hit errors by playing to their weaknesses with power. The games of more experienced players can be very quick and a lot to take in for new players, as the shots are played quickly and don’t give the player much time to react.
Hard hitters rely on opponents playing quickly and aggressively. If a player is not forced to react to a hard hit and can remain calm, he can make the opponent, who is playing aggressively, take even greater risks in order to win a point. This allows the first player to gain control of the rally.
Pickleball is more than just hitting with power, so we focus on strategy as opposed to intimidation.
Stay Calm Under Pressure
One of the most effective responses to a hard hitter is maintaining composure. Players who panic often rush their swings, overhit returns, or abandon sound positioning.
Breathing slowly, keeping balance, and watching the ball hit the ground are important things for students to do. If we prepare ourselves well in advance to the ball hitting, we can absorb its speed instead of trying to resist it.
Confidence grows through repetition. Practicing against faster shots during pickleball lessons helps players become comfortable with situations that once felt overwhelming.
Control the Kitchen Line
The non-volley zone remains the most valuable area of the court regardless of an opponent’s playing style. Teams that consistently control the kitchen often reduce the effectiveness of aggressive drives.
Advantage is gained by slowly making progress down court, using controlled volleys and resets to neutralize hard shots. Opponents are restricted in the types of attacks they can produce once you have reached the kitchen line and are playing downwards.
To safely move forward against more aggressive players in these situations, players use third-shot drops and transition resets to advance.
Use Soft Shots to Change the Pace
Counter power with more power is how many players play, but it greatly slows down the game and leads to more success rather than less.
Dinks, resets, and soft blocks make aggressive opponents generate their own pace. The dink in particular can be very disruptive to an opponent’s rhythm and forces them to hit patiently and precisely rather than quickly.
Mixing up a soft shot with a scoring opportunity is good for a hard hitter, as they can be uneasy playing long kitchen points and wanting to hit constant drives.
Keep the Ball Low
For aggressive players it’s all about high returns and floating volleys. They can be smashed for high returns using powerful overheads or fast drives which are hard to return for most players.
When playing with low bounces, the opponent has to hit the ball upwards, resulting in controlled drops, low volleys, and dinks. As a result, there are fewer balls that can be attacked by the opponent. You get time to recover from your own shots.
Rather than trying to hit big home runs, play well enough that the other team can’t hit against you.
Let Their Power Work for You
The hard hitters in your arsenal provide pace to the ball and must be blocked or redirected in a controlled manner to the correct area of the court instead of hitting them harder.
The surface area of the paddle face should remain relatively constant when hitting shots to guide the ball to open areas of the court. It is far more effective to alter the pace of the ball when hitting sharp angles rather than hitting an already fast shot with even more speed.
The earlier you switch to short swings during fast recovery, the more consistent you’ll be compared to longer swings, as verified by more experienced players.
Target Placement Instead of Power
Aggressive players can often recover very quickly from strong shots, so rather than trying to counter their strength, focus on their placement.
Shots hit at players’ feet can cause lots of damage. Shots hit down the center of the court can cause doubles partners to hesitate. Attacking the backhand of many players can limit their options to attack.
Moving the ball instead of hitting it harder creates more chances for you. Each point then becomes a problem for the opponent to solve rather than just a fight for strength.
Communication Strengthens Doubles Play
Facing aggressive opponents requires teamwork. Doubles partners should communicate continuously before, during, and after rallies.
Calling shots early prevents hesitation, while discussing positioning between points helps teams adjust throughout the match. Positive communication also prevents frustration from building after difficult rallies.
Partners can defend against very powerful attacks and do so better than solo players as long as they coordinate their movements and trust each other’s positioning.
Practice Against Different Playing Styles
By playing against many different opponents with vastly different playing styles, you will, in due time, develop the appropriate competitive skills to deal with very aggressive players. Each playing style has its own difficulties.
Confidence is built through structured drills such as fast drives, transition resets, and defensive blocks to scenarios that players face under pressure. The more these scenarios are rehearsed, the quicker a player’s reaction time and the better their decision-making in match situations.
All skill levels can benefit from our pickleball lessons that include a lot of realistic game situations and help students recognize and play many different situations instead of relying on luck and guessing.
Strategy Wins More Matches Than Power
There is a misguided opinion held by many recreational pickleball players that stronger athletes make better pickleball players. In reality, even matches between two evenly matched opponents are usually decided by strategy.
Patient, control of the kitchen, control of the game, shot selection. Each point offers a multitude of opportunities to control the game, thereby winning more points than you lose as opposed to merely trying to hit powerful shots against hard hitters.
Intelligent competition on the court can help to increase confidence when playing against any opponent.
Continue Building a Complete Game
You can always learn something from your opponent, even if they’re hard hitters. You’ll get to improve your defense, start hitting softer, and learn more about the court as well as the different tactics used in the game.
Whether you play for fun, are in a pickleball league, or play in tournaments, our lessons will help you deal with very aggressive pickleball players. Learning the smarter way to play pickleball (using strategy instead of power) is easy and will become second nature to you as your skills improve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a banger in pickleball?
A “banger” is someone who mostly hits hard shots, trying to hit the ball as hard as possible with a lot of power. The opposite of playing with finesse.
Should I hit harder against aggressive pickleball players?
It is generally more productive to mix in some soft shots, smart placement, and controlled defense rather than trying to hit against a powerful hitter.
How do I stop fast drives at the kitchen line?
Keep swing length short and try to play with a steady paddle position. Instead of playing long swings, try to play controlled blocks and resets.
Can pickleball lessons help me play against hard hitters?
Yes. Professional pickleball lessons cover court positioning, defensive strategy, effective shot selection, and game plan to help the beginner player gain confidence to handle aggressive opponents.
Every opponent presents an opportunity to become a smarter player. We invite you to join our pickleball lessons and learn proven strategies that improve your confidence, strengthen your decision-making, and help you enjoy greater success against every style of player.
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