»RUSTY: Welcome to Pickleball 411. I'm Rusty, and this show
from Pickleball Channel is all about providing helpful information about the
sport of pickleball. In this episode, we're going to talk about how you can improve your game
by working on your soft return. So, let's learn and play.
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♪♪ upbeat music ♪♪ »ANNOUNCER: Pickleball 411
is powered by Hyland's Leg Cramps, proud supporter of pickleball players everywhere.
»RUSTY: This week on Pickleball 411, I'm happy to be here with Bob Youngren
and Gail Dacey. Thank you guys so much for being here. They are two really great 5.0
players. They've helped people improve their games. They've competed in lots of tournaments.
And they're going to help us understand more about the soft return. We're going to talk about what it
is, why it's important, and how you can improve it. Gail, why do you like
this shot? »GAIL: I like the soft return and I use it all the time as do
most of my competitors. It's also great for beginners and
intermediate players. »RUSTY: And, Bob, how about you? »BOB: Well, in all my years of teaching,
I think this is probably the easiest shot to learn, and it improves
your game just tremendously. »RUSTY: So, let's break it down.
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»BOB: All right, the soft return is nothing more than, some people would call it a
lob. But it's just a very high arching shot. And
if you can get it deep, it would be perfect.
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»BOB: A very common mistake to make on your service returns,
normally the ball is hit hard and kind of hit semi-
in the middle there (too short). And it doesn't allow you to get up to the kitchen line.
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♪♪ playful ukulele music ♪♪ »BOB: The benefit of this shot is
that you'll have more time to get from the base line up to the
non-volley zone and not be rushed. You have all the time to get up there
and be ready. ♪♪ playful ukulele music ♪♪
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♪♪ playful ukulele music ♪♪ »BOB: Another benefit to that shot
is that when you hit that soft shot back to the server
again, they're going to have to use the third shot. And that, again,
it becomes very difficult with a ball that has no pace. Now they have to
create their own pace, meaning that they have to hit the ball very hard
versus blocking a shot that's just hit to them.
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»GAIL: As you work on your soft return, focus on getting it toward the
back three feet of the base line. This will give you time for you
to get up to the non-volley zone, and it will keep your opponent stuck
in the back court. It's always an advantage for you to be at the non-volley zone
and your opponents are back. You have the whole court in which you can place the ball.
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♪♪ playful ukulele music ♪♪ »RUSTY: So, that's our Pickleball 411 for today. Bob,
thanks for not screwing it up. Gail, thanks for being here. No, thank you
to both of you. We really hope this has been helpful, and now there's only one thing left to do,
and that's go play! ♪♪ upbeat music ♪♪
»ANNOUNCER: If there's something you think Pickleball 411 should cover, we'd
love to hear from you. All you have to do is send us an email and tell us your idea.
This episode of Pickleball 411 has been brought to you by
Hyland's Leg Cramps, America's #1 over-the-counter leg cramp medicine.
For more information, go to Hylands.com
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