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​Hey Reader,​

Are you playing against people 10, 20, or even 30 years younger than you?

Do you hit a return and find yourself thinking, "There's no way I'm making it to the kitchen line before they attack"?

The reality is that if you're hitting flat, hard returns and trying to sprint up to the line, you're fighting a battle you can't win, especially against younger, faster opponents.

But here's the good news: You don't need to be faster. You need to be smarter.

How? Add 3-5 feet of height to your returns.

This came up in our last Dynamite Doubles coaching call. One of our students was frustrated. He's playing against people 20-25 years younger, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get to the kitchen line after his returns.

Here's what Coach Helle told him:

"Hit it higher then you can walk in."

Not sprint. Not jog. Walk.

When you hit a flat, hard return, the ball gets there fast. That means:

• Your opponents are ready before you've taken three steps
• You're stuck in no-man's land with no paddle position
• They can attack while you're vulnerable
• You're scrambling on every return game

When you hit a high, deep return with arc, the ball stays in the air longer, so...

• You have more time to get up to the kitchen line
• You get there at the same time (or even before) the ball bounces
• You have your paddle up and ready
• You're in position to handle whatever they throw at you

"But Trey, won't they just crush my high return?"

Here's what Helle said about that:

"You and your partner are ready, both paddles up. If you have good volleys, they can rip it all they want. You have the position advantage."

In other words: Yes, they might attack it. But you'll be ready because you're positioned at the kitchen line instead of caught halfway.

The brutal truth:

If you're hitting flat returns and only making it halfway to the kitchen line, you'll rarely win. You just won't. Your positioning is wrong, your not in ready position, and you're giving your opponents easy targets.

But if you hit higher returns and make it all the way to the kitchen line? Now you're playing the same game they are. Speed doesn't matter anymore...positioning does.

The technique (straight from the coaching call):

Don't stand still, whack the return, and then try to move. You'll never make it.

Instead:

1. Bunt it and lift it - Contact the ball softly with upward trajectory
2. Move while you're hitting - Take the ball on the rise as you're already moving forward
3. Use the momentum - You're halfway to the kitchen by the time the ball leaves your paddle
4. Advance with purpose - The ball is in the air long enough for you to get positioned
5. Paddle up - Arrive ready for the volley

It's more like bunting in baseball than hitting. You're using the ball's pace and redirecting it high and deep while you're already moving.

Try this in your next match:

Pick 10 returns and commit to hitting them higher and softer than feels natural. Focus on getting all the way to the kitchen line, not on how hard you hit the ball.

Notice the difference in:

• How relaxed you feel moving forward (no panic)
• Where you are when the next ball comes back (at the line, not in Transition Zone)
• How many volleys you're able to handle (because you're ready)

If you're playing against younger players who hit hard, this is your equalizer. They have speed and power. You have positioning and patience.

And here's the thing: This isn't just for players with mobility challenges. This is smart pickleball. Pros do this all the time. They trade pace for position because they know positioning wins points, not one hard return.

Want to know what to do once you get to that kitchen line? How to know which balls to take, when to let your partner handle it, and how to maintain your positioning through the entire rally?

That's the Blocker-Workhorse system we teach in Dynamite Doubles and it's designed to help you play smarter, not harder.

👉 Learn the Blocker-Workhorse system in Dynamite Doubles​

See you on the courts,

Trey

P.S. - Remember, you don't need to get faster. You need to hit the right return that gives you time.

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