​Hey Reader,​

Here's what's happening at the kitchen line while you think nothing is.

Your opponent has the ball. He's not going to hit it at you. You're the Blocker, you're right there, he'd be hitting straight into your coverage. So instead he's waiting for his moment to hit it to your partner's feet, keep her back, and grind out the point.

He has a plan. And right now, you're letting him execute it.

Here's what Helle teaches: when the ball isn't coming to you, that's not downtime. That's your window.

The Blocker's job isn't just to stand at the net and defend what comes her way. It's to be a constant problem for the opponent in front of her... faking, moving, threatening... so that the easy shot he's planning suddenly doesn't look so easy anymore.

This is poaching. And the way Helle breaks it down, it's less about athleticism than most players think.

The read comes first.

When your opponent's paddle drops low, he's not attacking — he can't. That's your signal. He's about to try to keep your partner back. You know what's coming before he hits it.

The timing is everything.

Helle's cue: watch for when his head goes down, ready to strike. That's the moment to go. Go too early and he sees you. Then he'll go behind you and you've given him a free point. Go at the right moment and you're already moving as the ball leaves his paddle.

The fake is just as valuable as the poach itself.

Move early on purpose. Let him see you. Then step back. You've just drawn him into hitting the ball right to you, exactly where you want it. As Helle puts it: "Do not be a statue. You are never just standing there."

A Blocker who doesn't move is handing their opponent a free target. A Blocker who fakes, steps, and threatens, even without touching the ball, is making the opponent second-guess every shot. That hesitation is worth points.

Try this in your next match. Pick one rally where you're the Blocker and the ball isn't coming to you. Instead of watching, take one deliberate step toward the middle. See what your opponent does. You'll be surprised how much that one step changes his decision.

This is one of the things that separates players who plateau at 3.5 from players who keep climbing. The technical skills are close.

​> Learn the full Blocker-Workhorse system — get Dynamite Doubles​

(30-day money-back guarantee · Lifetime access · Live Q&As with Helle & Trey)

See you on the courts,

Trey

P.S. Helle also covers what happens after the poach. Because once you've gone for it, you and your partner are out of position. Knowing how to recover, and what your partner should be doing the moment you move, is the part most players never think about. It's all in the course. Get Dynamite Doubles →​

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