Pro pickleball player and content creator Kyle Koszuta had the opportunity to learn from World No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters and her mom and coach Leigh Waters.

With that in mind, grab your pen and paper because we’re about to learn from the best in the business.

Today’s lesson is about attacking. ALW’s aggressive style helped her reach the top of the ranks, and this specific tip can make a major difference for you, too.

How does Anna Leigh decide when to attack and when not to attack at the kitchen line?

“If your opponent is dinking and moving around, that’s a great time to attack them because they’re off balance,” she said. 

When your opponent is shifting their weight and they’re off balance, that’s a perfect time to attack the ball. But if they’re steady with their feet planted, that’s not the best time because they’ll be ready for a counter. 

The same principal works if you're deciding to speed up and you are off balance, too. 

“If you have to take a step back to speed up, you probably shouldn’t be speeding it up because it’s a good dink,” explained Waters. 

So don’t get too eager to speed up the ball. Be patient and wait for the right moment, reading your positioning and your opponent's positioning as well. 

A higher and loftier ball is also the ideal ball to attack. And if your opponents are both moving, that’s the ideal ball to attack. 

“Because both opponents are moving, wherever you hit the ball, someone was going to be off balance,” demonstrated Waters. 

This video is a masterclass from young superstar, so Koszuta asked, how did Anna Leigh know what ball to hit and anticipate while also being cognizant of what her partner was doing, and noticing her opponent’s movements all at the same time?

“If you’re the speed up partner, I don’t think you need to be paying attention because your main priority is to watch the ball. But if you’re the other partner, you should be paying attention because you have to be ready when they speed it up in case the counter is coming right towards you,” said Anna Leigh.

“For example, Anna Leigh needs to look at her partner because she needs to know if they’re going to speed it up because when the opponent hits it back, it’s likely going straight to her and she needs to be ready to counter,” added Leigh. 

But despite these tips, Anna Leigh noted that you can speed up any kind of ball. 

“You can speed up any ball if you get low enough and get enough spin. It might not be the right decision, but I don’t think you should be waiting around for the perfect ball,” she mentioned. “Change your mentality to – Can I attack this ball and have it go where I want it to? That’s when you know to speed up.”

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