David Zapatka
No man’s land, sometimes referred to as the transition area, aka the kitchen, is the area of the pickleball court between the non-volley zone line and the baseline. Think of it as a space 11 feet long and 20 feet wide; two feet behind the non-volley zone line and two feet inside the baseline.
Playing in this area of the court is challenging because opponents can hit the ball down at your feet causing errors and hitting winners.
We all want to avoid playing in this part of the court but inevitably, we have to hit shots from this area while transitioning from the back of the court to the non-volley zone line.
Here are some tips to help manage this area of the court:
1. Stay connected with your partner as if there is a taut rope tied from your waist to your partner’s waist. This connection means that you both stay at the same depth in the court. When one partner is in front of or behind the other partner, a gap is created. Wily opponents will purposely hit into this gap, exposing this weakness causing your side to hit errors or their side to hit winners.
2. Move forward with control. Rallies are won at the non-volley zone, the kitchen line. Move there as soon as possible but get there under control. If you are moving when the opponents hit the ball, you are error-prone. What this means is that if you are not yet at the non-volley zone line when the opponent hits the ball, split-step, position your feet below or slightly outside of your shoulders and stop moving in preparation to hit the next shot.
3. Bend your knees! Get low and position the paddle in front of you. Hold the paddle with a loose grip and use little to no backswing.
4. Once you’re comfortable, play in this area of the court with confidence. If you or your partner accidentally hit the ball up where your opponents can hit an offensive shot like an overhead, it is a good idea to take a step back off from the non-volley zone line to give yourself more time to react to a ball that is sped up. As stated above, when you step back from the non-volley zone line, stop moving when the opponents hit the ball so you are balanced with the paddle in front of you and ready to block the shot. This will reduce your unforced errors. Remember, only step back into no-man’s land when you’re sure you have the time.
5. Once you have returned the speed-up ball, immediately step back up to the kitchen line, where your chances of winning the rally are increased.
Have a question about pickleball? Want to know more about the sport, the rules, equipment or have some pickilicious news you would like to share with our pickleball community? Email David Zapatka at dzapatka@wbhsi.net.