It’s an exciting time to be a fan of the sport, to watch these players show off, not just their physical abilities, but their ability to theorycraft the game. In this week's video, we dive deep into the mindset of pro pickleball player Tyler Loong, to see how he understands the game.
As a left handed athlete, Tyler has an opportunity to work with partners in creative ways. He employs a rarely seen tactic called switching. It is a version of stacking (check out our video on stacking to learn more about that) however, instead of stacking both players to one side, they simply switch sides after the serve is returned.
Tyler tells us all about the advantages which include: their team has to move less to get into position, it forces the opponents to attempt more difficult shots, and they have the opportunity to not switch if the situation calls for it.
In speaking with Tyler, he seems very confident in this style, and it is hard to argue with his results. It is not uncommon to see Tyler Loong’s name at the top of many of the big tournaments and Onix saw something in him when they picked him up. Perhaps Tyler and his partners are crafting the next must try strategy, or maybe it’s just a quirky play style that only works for him. Either way, it is great fun for fans of the sport who get to witness the evolution of this great game!
Want to see this switching strategy in action? Watch Tyler’s matches from the 2018 Las Vegas Pickleball Open, then let us know what you think of switching and Tyler’s read on the game by commenting below.
If you want to see more exciting pickleball videos, visit http://www.pickleballchannel.com.
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