Experienced pickleball players play attacking shots from basically anywhere. New players can’t help but wonder one thing in pickleball: when to move up to attack.

Pickleball is a game more about placement than power. Although power is an aspect that everyone loves, it does not comply well with most pickleball shots as the ball is light, and a powerful shot without precision and control can either land out of bounds or in a comfortable position for your opponent to hit back easily and even win a point. So, when can you actually attack in pickleball?

Attacking in pickleball requires strategy and quick assessment. It is best to move up the court and attack when you see the ball bouncing above your waist. It gives you enough room to stretch your body and play an attacking shot while moving forward. Utilizing the bounce is necessary when attacking.

Pickleball recently had its 50th anniversary as an officially recognized game. Even though it is comparatively newer than other century-old games, players and pickleball coaches have well probed into the sport’s tactics and strategies.

Being pickleball enthusiasts for over a decade, we have mastered the art of attacking in pickleball after trying various experiments ourselves and losing numerous times. We have put together this guide to help aspiring pickleball players understand the science of attacking in pIckleball.

The Three Zones of Pickleball

The ball is played all over the pickleball court as the game progresses. Depending on who made the serve, one team can have an advantage over the other to first take on the attacking position to win the rally. As per the pickleball rules, both sides have to observe the two-bounce rule, which means both teams have to let the ball bounce on their side of the court before moving up to the non-volley zone to play a more attacking game.

This means both teams have a fair chance to attack, but how to know when to attack? Pickleball players and coaches use a three-zone mechanism to analyze whether the player can attack or if it is better to hold off and defend. These are virtual zones set as standards to categorize the incoming shot’s height to know if they can attack or not.

The Red Zone

The red zone is the height from your feet to your knees. When you see a red light while driving, you have to stop. Crossing the red line is dangerous and can lead to accidents. The same concept is applied to pickleball, as players should not attack the ball if it falls within the red zone or below the knees as it poses a difficult angle for the player to play an attacking shot.

When you try to play a shot from the red zone, you will have to bend and scoop the ball from below to send it over the net. Whether you are incredibly close or a bit farther from the net, you have a high probability of hitting the net when playing from the red zone due to a low contact point.

Secondly, if you choose to attack the ball from the red zone and successfully lift it over the net, you will still be prone to hitting the ball out of bounds. Fortunately, this does not mean you are prohibited from attacking the ball in the red zone. If you want to be successful in it, you will have to:

1. either generate tremendous topspin on the ball
2. or hit the ball very slowly

If you hit the ball very slowly, it will give your opponent ample reaction time to hit back the ball with power and a downward angle, making it difficult for you to return the shot. Moreover, whenever you are playing the ball from a lower angle, usually the red zone, your ball trajectory will be upwards and offer the opponent the upper hand at returning the ball down to your feet.

So if you are at a disadvantage every time the ball lands in the red zone, how can you tackle it to tip the scales in your favor? The best way to play a shot from the red zone is to play a neutral shot that resets the game. A drop shot with enough power to send the ball over the net but keeping the bounce less will force your opponent to have a low contact point so they can’t hurt you with their shot.

The Yellow Zone

The red zone is where it is best not to move up and attack. Now that we have understood that, let’s move on to areas you can strategically attack - the Yellow Zone. The second light on the signal is the yellow light, which tells us to be cautious or slow down. For Pickleball particularly, the yellow zone means being cautious.

The yellow zone ranges the height from your knees to your waist. When the ball comes into the yellow zone, your decision-making skills will make or break the game. You can either attack or hit a neutral ball. The ball in the yellow zone is often awkward, so the player needs to be cautious and make smart decisions when returning it.

Depending on the height of the ball in the yellow zone, you can use your positioning to make contact with the ball slightly below the net and hit it with power using a topspin. When hitting the ball in the yellow zone, you are doing one of the two things mentioned below:

1. Surprising the opponent by defeating their reaction time
2. Forcing your opponent to have a weak contact point

When playing a shot from the yellow zone, your ball trajectory will not be as low to high as attacking from the red zone, although you will still have to hit with an upward-facing paddle. Due to this, you must be cautious of the counterattack. Players with great hands and excellent volley skills can counterattack your initial attack from the yellow zone. Therefore, you have to be very picky on when to attack from the waist to the knee area.

If the ball falls in the yellow zone, you have to carefully select your move by assessing your chances quickly against the ball’s height. If the ball has sufficient height and is closer to your waist than the knees, you have better odds of moving up and attacking the ball. However, if the ball’s height is insufficient and closer to the knees, you can play a neutral shot to reset it and wait for a better opportunity.

The Green Zone

The green zone is everyone’s favorite. It includes all the area above your waist, with the sky being its only limit. You receive the ball above the net level, allowing you to hit it down with power. The green zone allows us to turn a leaf on our traffic light analogy. You should not hold back anymore and attack the ball in the green zone as the green light means go.

When you are hitting the ball in the green zone, you will hit it above net level with a straight trajectory that usually targets the opponent’s body directly, making them feel tight and leave with an awkward shot. If they are within the no-volley zone, they will lose the point due to being unable to hit a volley. You may even be hit with a downward angle and place it in the opponent’s red zone. If your shot is well placed, they will hit a neutral or defensive shot or miss the ball.

There are three things you should consider to increase the effectiveness of your attack from the green zone.

• Placement
• Pace
• Low Contact Point

Placement

As we mentioned earlier, pickleball is a game of placement instead of power. Placement of the ball is a key factor when attacking the ball. You should make your opponent stretch and reach instead of delivering the ball straight to their paddle. A skilled opponent can easily defend the shot by putting up their paddle.

Pace

The pace is also essential when attacking in pickleball. The faster you play the shot, the less reaction time your opponent will have. However, you should play a powerful shot carefully, as a poorly measured shot can send the ball out of the bounds or fail to make good contact with the paddle.

Low Contact Point

The last thing that makes a great attack is forcing your opponent to hit a low contact point. If you consistently make your opponent hit the low contact point, specifically in the red zone, you have a better chance of winning the rally each time. Even if you have to take the pace off the shot to force the ball at the opponent’s feet, you should do that as it is more effective. Getting the ball down to your opponent’s red zone is better than attacking with more pace and getting into their yellow or green zone.

Move Up Your Attack

Before learning how to attack the ball, players need to understand the game and learn the attributes to handle various situations. Some players have a defensive mindset, while others like to take the challenge to their opponent. While both schools of thought are valuable, you should know both skills to be the master of this game. You should only move up in pickleball and attack when the ball is well above your knee or in the yellow zone. But if it falls in the green zone, use quick feet to position yourself perfectly and play a downward trajectory shot aimed at your opponent’s feet. Practice these techniques so you can surprise your friends the next time you play them.