Tips from a pickleball pro: How to know when to speed up
Last Edited
Apr 14 2025
Category
Instruction
When teaching, players often ask how frequently they should speed up; however, the calculus of when to speed up changes with every match and frequency shouldn’t be the question -- because if you can win every point by speeding it up, by all means go for it.
When I think about when to speed up I break it into a two-part question:
Did my opponent give me an easy enough dink to attack?
Can I gain an advantage in the point by speeding up?
That advantage could simply be that I can get to neutral with the speed up and I have better hands than my opponent. If you can consistently execute smart speed-up shots and gain an advantage with them, you won't need to dink as much.
However, I've also played matches where I've had to hit 50 dinks before an opportunity to speed up presented itself.
What to look for before speeding up
When attacking out of the air, we are typically looking for a ball that's high enough to hit down on or drive straight through. It is also important that we are balanced as well when making contact, otherwise the shot won't be as effective.
Balls lower than the net are higher risk because you have to hit up on them and you need to generate topspin to keep the ball in the court and enough pace to prevent your opponent from getting an easy sitter.
There are exceptions and in professional play, you'll sometimes see players forsake keeping a low ball unattackable and just aim to hit their opponents chest. While this can be effective at the pro level, I wouldn't recommend it elsewhere, as there are many other ways to attack that we can still improve on.
Off the bounce, I'm looking for a ball that allows me to get my bodyweight into the shot and maintain a height of the ball around waist level on my opponents. Of course, there are times when I'll take a chance based on my opponent seeming a bit hesitant or if they are off balance. If the ball bounces high enough and I can get behind it quickly, I'll speed that ball up all day.
A key note on speed ups: You need to vary the location of your speed-up shots to prevent your opponent from anticipating your attacks.
Can I gain an advantage?
Determining whether I can gain an advantage is a simple concept.
First, if I can make them hit the ball up or catch them in a weird spot, I'll speed up.
Second, I consider whether I've been winning the prior hand battles. If so, and I can initiate a firefight in neutral, I will speed up.
But if I haven't been successful in hands battles, I'll be more patient and wait for a better opportunity.
Another way to gain an advantage is to recall the last time I sped up and consider if I learned anything about which side of the body my opponent naturally protects. If so, I'll attack the opposite side.
Conclusion
Speeding up, for me, is where the creativity in the sport comes into play. I love speeding up when I get the chance, and it's important to adjust and be tactical about when you do it.
But if you're winning when you speed up, keep doing it!
Connor Garnett is a PPA Tour pro and also teaches camps and clinics. Find more instructional content on his YouTube channel.
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