As you walk into the pickleball court pumped up, you devise a strategy to confuse the opposing team and wonder what is the most aggressive shot in pickleball?

Pickleball is a game loved and enjoyed by everyone, irrespective of their age, athletic abilities, and whether they are newbies or pros. It is a game that has more to do with strategy than physical abilities.

The most aggressive shot in pickleball is the overhead smash. It lets you smash the ball into your opponents' court at high speed and a steep angle, making it difficult to play or counter. Your opponent will have very little time to react and will most likely miss or net the ball.

Pickleball is about how much pressure you can put on the opposing team. A player under pressure is more likely to make mistakes than a relaxed one playing with a focused mind.

Many seasoned pickleball players believe that the overhead smash is one of the most challenging shots to counter. The best way to counter an overhead smash is not to let it happen in the first place. The shot puts everything from gravity, force, trajectory, and speed into the favor of the player playing the shot and will most likely win them a point.

The Most Aggressive Pickleball Shots

There are several shots that you can use to astonish your opponents when enjoying a game of pickleball. All shots come with their own pros and cons, and some are more strategic, while others are aggressive.

If you are pumped up and ready to play, adding a small amount of intensity to the game can go a long way. However, it is essential to remember that aggressiveness in pickleball is not all about strength; it requires strategy and the proper technique to be executed well.

To fully benefit from your aggressive stance, you need to know which shots are the most aggressive and how to execute them. We have selected three shots from the several that we believe are the most aggressive ones in the game.

However, we would like to mention here that there is no hard and fast rule for picking the most aggressive shots, and in the end, it all comes to your preference and which shots you are comfortable with.

The Lob – The Third Most Aggressive Shot

The lob requires quick reaction and significant arm strength. Although it might not be the first shot that comes to your mind when discussing aggressive shots, we think it is still worth mentioning because it is an effective and intense strategy.

As the ball is being played towards you, your goal will be to swing the paddle as hard as you can and "lob" the ball into the air. If done correctly, it will send the ball high and deep into the opponent's court. You can use it to startle your opponent and force them to move back to the baseline. This shot can also be used as a defensive tactic to buy yourself time to get ready for an aggressive shot.  

An excellent example of an aggressive lob would be to play the unexpected lob from the kitchen line and over your opponent's head when they are running towards the net or standing at the kitchen line in their court.

As a defensive tactic, you can use it to buy yourself time to move close to the no volley zone in preparation for another aggressive shot. However, the lob can be countered with other aggressive shots, and you should be prepared for them. One aggressive counter is the overhead smash.

To play this shot, you will need to take a backswing and make contact with the ball with the face of the paddle open to send the ball high up and follow through with the shot, which means the momentum in your hand should take the paddle at least head-high.

Your goal will be to give the ball a higher and longer trajectory and get it to land near the baseline on the other side of the net. This shot is an excellent response to a dink by the opponent, as it can surprise them.

 Pros of the Lob

• You can use the lob to slow the game down if your opponent has persistently played aggressive shots or seems too quick to handle.
• The shot has a simple technique and can quickly be learned and practiced.
• Hitting the ball high up limits the shots that your opponent can play. Startling them with the lob can cause them to either miss or hit a shot that lands into the net or out of bounds.

Cons of the Lob

• The shot is risky, and if the ball does not rise high enough, you are setting yourself for an overhead smash from the opponent.
• Hitting the ball too hard can cause it to land out of bounds.
• Overusing the lob will make your opponent accustomed to it, and the shot will lose its element of surprise.

The Backhand Punch – The Second Most Aggressive Shot

This shot appears to be relatively straightforward but isn't. It requires significant amounts of precision. If you are a newbie, we recommend that you practice this shot well before you try to use it during a game. Poor execution of this shot can make it look clumsy.

However, the effort you put in learning and practicing the backhand punch will be worth it. The shot is an excellent aggressive strategy and, when appropriately executed, gives your opponent little chance to counter it.

To play the backhand punch, you will, as the name implies, have to place your paddle In the backhand position. As the ball comes your way, most probably from a high dink, or any other defensive shot, you will need to move your fist to punch the air aggressively. If you put the correct amount of force into the punch, you will send the ball flying back towards your opponent at high speed. This will give them very little time to react, and they will miss or hit a poor shot into the net.

We cannot help but mention how impressive this shot looks when executed correctly.

Pros of the Backhand Punch

• The shot is to the point, crisp, and straightforward.
• Repeated practice will adapt your wrist to the movement required for this shot, and you will find that the shot becomes more powerful and easier to execute.
• This shot will not push the ball to the baseline but startle the opponent with its force and speed.

Cons of the Backhand Punch

• The shot requires lots of practice and preparation to perfect.
• There is a high risk of punching the ball into the net using this shot because it does not send the ball too high and focuses on moving the ball in a straight line.
• Force and precision need to be in good balance when executing this shot. This means that it requires a lot of practice, and even then, there are chances for it to go wrong.

The Overhead Smash – The Most Aggressive Shot

The name says it all. The overhead smash is the most aggressive shot in pickleball. Your objective is to go at a high ball and smash it right into the ground on the opposite side of the net. If played correctly, this shot is very difficult for the opposing team to return.

The overhead smash is usually played against a lob by the opponent when the ball bounces high or whenever the opponent returns the ball high. It uses force to direct the ball down and into the opponents' court.

To play this shot, you will need to extend the paddle over your head to the maximum height you can achieve. Remember to keep your elbow straight. Aim towards an open area in the court or your opponent's feet. Your objective is to hit the ground as fast and hard as possible.

When positioning for an overhead smash, either turn around and run backward or shuffle sideways to the point. Backpedaling on the court can be dangerous and cause you to lose your balance and trip.

When in position, keep your eyes on the ball and point towards it with your empty hand. Your aim here is to contact the ball at the highest point possible. Play the shot while the ball is in front of you and not above your head. You will want to shift your weight from your rear foot to the front as you contact the ball and swing downward aggressively. Adding a flex of the wrist will give you an added advantage.

If you are playing the smash with a backhand, you will have to flex your wrist backward. A backhand smash is often more challenging to play and requires a lot of practice before attempting it on the court.

The key to this technique is timing and quick judgment. If you go at the ball that is too low, you will risk smashing it into the net. But when executed correctly, your opponent will have a very narrow window of time to react, often resulting in hitting the net or missing the ball.

The efficacy of this shot makes it very tempting to play it against every ball coming towards you. However, remember that winning a game of pickleball requires strategy, and knowing when to play which shot is a crucial part of the strategy.

Pros of the Overhead Smash

• When playing this aggressive shot, you will use the ball's trajectory, force, and gravity, all to your benefit.
• A ball hit low and at a very high speed will give your opponent very little time to adjust and react. They have a high chance of netting or missing the ball.
• Aiming for the overhead smash is simple – you have to aim for the ground.

Cons of the Overhead Smash

• The shot relies on the opposing team to make a mistake and serve the ball at the correct height. If they play the ball too high or too low, you will not be able to execute this shot properly.
• The shot is quite common, so you might not be able to surprise your opponents with this one. Professional players will often see it coming.
• Shorter people will have a more challenging time pulling off the overhead smash.

A Few Tips for Aggressive Play – Bonus Points

As discussed above, pickleball is a game of strategy. Part of your strategy should be to make your opponents so uncomfortable that they are forced to make mistakes. Uncomfortable players are less likely to hit aggressive shots and more likely to play defensively. This gives you more room to flex your pickleball muscles and come at them with various shots.

To make your opponents uncomfortable, you will need to play aggressively. By aggressively, we do not mean going at every ball with force and hitting back with full speed. All you need is an aggressive strategy, which you can accomplish using the following tips.

Add Some Spin

If you have been playing pickleball for a while, you will probably know how spin can distort your judgment of the ball. There are several types of spin shots, such as

• Topspin, in which the ball bounces higher than expected
• A slice shot, also known as the underspin, causes the ball to bounce lower than your opponent expects.
• Sidespin, which can change the direction of the ball after it bounces

A shot can contain a combination of side and topspin, and similarly, a slice shot can also have some sidespin. These shots make the bounce of the ball pretty unpredictable and challenging to play.

As you would expect, spinning requires a lot of practice, and it is best to do it outside of competitions. Trying to spin every shot will cause this skill to lose its novelty.

Use Speed to Your Benefit

Hitting back every shot back towards your opponent with speed is not a good idea. It is essential to judge the ball's trajectory before going at it with full force. For instance, if you attempt to speed up a ball below the net, you will hit the net.

Remember, pickleball is not about force; it is about precision. If you are planning to speed up the ball, aim for your opponent's feet, middle of the body, or the shoulder for the hand holding the pedal. These are the three most difficult areas to play a ball with speed.