Anna Leigh Waters may be known for her aggressive playing style, but that doesn’t stop with offense. She is also particularly adept at counter attacking.

In a recent video, pro pickleball player and content creator, Kyle Koszuta, had the opportunity to learn the funamentals of counter attacking from Waters and her mom, Leigh.

“If you’re a player like Gabe Tardio who stands on the line and your opponent speeds it up and you just know where to hit it, he’s not backing up or moving his feet around. But for me, my feet are always moving. I’m never just standing there waiting for somebody to speed it up,” explained Anna Leigh. “I’m not saying run around the court, but move your feet to be ready for the attack.” 

The 18-year-old superstar even split steps every time the ball is hit.

“If I don’t split step, I’m just standing there, so I split step so I’m ready for a speed up,” she added.

Leigh added male pickleball players can generate more power with shots like a backhand flick, so they don’t have to move as much.

On the other hand, Anna Leigh has to move her whole body to generate more power to hit a forehand drive. 

“The days of staying on the line are gone, and that’s due to the paddles. You couldn’t speed up from anywhere back then, but now you can speed up from anywhere if you know what you’re doing,” noted Leigh. “My advice to an amateur who doesn’t know what to do when a speed up comes at you is to imagine that every single ball that’s coming at you is a speed up and you’re never surprised that way. Just know that the game is changed and the ball is coming. If not, it’s so easy to dink back. But, this helps you be ready for the attack.” 

Anna Leigh also recommended holding your paddle at a neutral position right in front of you instead of favoring your forehand or backhand. Then, once you assess your opponent and their tendencies, you can favor one side or the other. 

“A lot of people think that if you speed it up and get burned, you shouldn’t speed it up at all anymore, but I don’t believe that at all,” mentioned Leigh. “I think you should keep trying and keep switching up your spot. There’s a tipping point that happens when you’re being relentlessly attacked. It starts to create errors. Something we focus on at the beginning of a match is to shut down all the attacks. Aggression is a big part of the game now.”

And with good reason.

Being successful at America's fastest-growing sport - especially at the professional level - mandates it.

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