Okay, I’ll admit it. My boyfriend is better at pickleball than me, but it’s really only because he spends more time actually drilling, while I mostly write about drilling. 

Now, we're at the point where the gap between our skill sets has widened so much that a fair match is almost impossible. I’d be lucky if I registered even a single point.

To help bridge that gap and even the playing field a bit, there are a few strategies we could implement moving forward.

Start with an imbalanced score  

Depending on how large the skill gap is, start with a scoreline of something like 5-0 in your favor, so you already have a notable lead from the opening serve.

It gives you a solid boost right away, and he needs to battle back to win.

With a couple of lucky shots here and there, you might just secure the victory.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Annaleza Leichtnam (@annaleza_)

The stronger player plays with their non-dominant hand

Ben Johns used this strategy against John Isner at the Pickle ‘N Pucks Celebrity Pro-Am last month.

He needed to hit the majority of his shots with his left hand to even things up. 

This kind of handicap will obviously put the stronger player at a disadvantage, and generate some laughs in the process.

Play with different paddles

When you’ve been playing with a specific paddle for a while, you get used to how it feels and you know exactly where to hit the ball just right.

Changing paddles can be a major disadvantage. 

Take this a step further and give the stronger player an old-school wooden paddle that doesn’t have the usual power and finesse, and provide the other player with a new JOOLA paddle that instantly takes their power game to the next level. 

Distract, distract, distract

I’m a big fan of this strategy. The art of distraction is an underrated skill on the court.

Some tennis players grunt as a genuine distraction tool, so maybe take up grunting? 

Maybe wear a wonderfully distracting outfit? Or bring a speaker and play music a little too loud so they just can’t focus. Get creative.

Master the ace

If your serve is so sharp that it's basically unreturnable, you’ll win for sure.

It might not be a very enjoyable match, but at least you’ll get to celebrate.

Wear outfits to match the pickleball 

This one's sneaky and a little cruel, but desperate times call for desperate measures. 

Find a bold, bright neon colored shirt or shorts that perfectly match the color of the pickleball so that the stronger player won't be able to see the ball as you’re hitting it towards them.

It’s devious, but it could work.

Start training on the down-low

Keep playing poorly against the stronger member of the team when you go head-to-head, but sneak away in the morning before he wakes up to practice. 

Although, if you get too sneaky, he might think you’re doing something else when you’re just developing your pickleball skills. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Christina Chin (@pickleballonice)

Once you’re convinced that your game has improved, play him full out and impress.

Do you have any game-winning strategies to defeat the stronger partner on the court? Let us know on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).