Every pickleball player has experienced it. You start a match feeling confident. Your serves are effective, your third shots are working, and you’re finding ways to create pressure. Then, somewhere in the middle of the match, everything changes.
Your opponents start anticipating your shots. The patterns that were winning you points suddenly stop working. You feel like you’re constantly defending, and the harder you try, the more mistakes you make.
So, what happened?
Your opponents have started figuring out your game.
The good news? That doesn’t mean you need to completely change how you play. It means you need to recognize what’s happening and make adjustments before the match gets away from you.
1. Recognize When Your Opponent Has Made an Adjustment
One of the biggest mistakes players make is assuming that when their game stops working, they’re simply playing poorly. Sometimes that’s true. But often, your opponent has recognized a pattern and started making adjustments.
Look for these signs:
- Your opponent starts moving toward your favorite shot before you hit it.
- Your crosscourt dink that was creating opportunities is now being attacked.
- Your third-shot drops are being taken out of the air more frequently.
- Your opponent is consistently targeting the same player or area of the court.
- You’re being forced into defensive positions more often.
- Your usual attacking shots are coming back faster or into open space.
These are clues that your opponent has identified something predictable about your game.
The first adjustment isn’t physical. It’s awareness.
Instead of thinking, “Why can’t I hit my shots anymore?” ask yourself, “What has my opponent changed?” That question shifts your attention from frustration to problem-solving.
2. Figure Out What’s Actually Not Working
Before making changes, identify the problem. I like to break mid-match adjustments into three categories: positioning, patterns, and shot selection.
Positioning: Are You Giving Away Too Much Space?
Sometimes your shots aren’t the problem. Your court positioning is.
Maybe your opponent has discovered that you tend to lean toward the middle, leaving the sideline open. Or perhaps you’re moving forward too aggressively after a third shot, allowing your opponent to catch you off balance.
Ask yourself:
- Am I recovering to a position that allows me to cover the next ball?
- Am I moving too early and giving away my intentions?
- Am I getting caught in transition because I’m rushing forward?
- Am I leaving predictable openings?
Small adjustment: Focus on your balance and recovery before changing your shots. Sometimes being one step better positioned is all it takes to turn a defensive rally back into an offensive opportunity.
Patterns: Have You Become Too Predictable?
We all develop patterns that feel comfortable. Maybe you consistently dink crosscourt. Perhaps you always drive your third shot when the return is short. Or maybe every time you receive a high ball, you attack the same opponent.
There’s nothing wrong with having favorite patterns. In fact, strong players develop reliable patterns they can execute under pressure. The problem comes when your opponent knows what’s coming.
For example, if you’ve been hitting every third-shot drive hard through the middle, your opponents may start preparing their paddles earlier and positioning themselves to counter. You don’t necessarily need to stop driving.
Small adjustment: Change the location, speed, or timing of the drive.
Try driving toward the outside hip, taking a little pace off, or mixing in a drop to force your opponents to make a different decision. You’re still using your strength. You’re simply making it less predictable.
Shot Selection: Are You Choosing the Right Ball?
One of the most common mid-match problems is trying to force shots that are no longer available. Perhaps your opponent has started keeping their dinks lower, but you’re still trying to speed up the same ball you were attacking earlier. Or maybe they’ve adjusted their court positioning, making your favorite angle less effective.
Instead of trying to execute a more difficult version of the same shot, reconsider whether it’s still the right shot.
Ask yourself:
- Is the ball actually attackable?
- Am I balanced enough to execute the shot?
- Where is my opponent positioned?
- What response am I likely to get?
Small adjustment: Be more selective about when you attack. Sometimes one additional neutral dink or a well-placed reset creates a much better opportunity than forcing an attack too early.
3. Use the Five Ball Controls to Make Small Changes
One of the reasons I teach the Five Ball Controls—height, depth, speed, spin, and direction—is that they give players a simple way to make adjustments without rebuilding their entire game.
When something stops working, you don’t necessarily need a new shot. You may only need to change one characteristic of the ball.
Here’s how:
Height: If your opponents are attacking your dinks, lower the trajectory, or add height when you need more margin to reset and regain control.
Depth: If your opponent is comfortable at the kitchen, move them with deeper balls when the situation allows. If they’re handling your deep returns easily, experiment with placement that changes their movement and contact point.
Speed: If your attacks are being countered effectively, change the pace. A slower, more controlled ball can sometimes create more discomfort than another hard shot.
Spin: Varying topspin and slice can change the bounce and contact your opponent expects.
Direction: If your opponent is sitting on your crosscourt pattern, occasionally change direction when you’re balanced and the ball allows it.
The important thing is to avoid changing everything at once.
Make one adjustment, observe the response, and then decide what to do next.
That’s how you make smart changes without losing confidence in your game.
4. Don’t Abandon Your Pickleball Strength Mid-Match
When players realize their strategy isn’t working, they often overreact. They start attempting shots they rarely practice, changing their entire playing style, or trying to hit bigger winners. This usually creates more problems.
Remember, your strengths are still your strengths.
If you’re an excellent dinker, you don’t need to suddenly become a power player because your opponent has figured out your crosscourt dink. Instead, use your dinking ability to create different situations.
Maybe you change the depth of your dink. Maybe you disguise your change of direction a little longer. Maybe you use a middle dink to reduce your opponent’s angles.
The goal isn’t to become a different player.
The goal is to make your opponent uncomfortable again while continuing to use the skills you trust.
5. Think About the Shot Before the Shot
One of my favorite concepts in pickleball is understanding that the shot that wins the point is often created by the shot before it.
When your opponent starts reading your game, you may need to do a better job setting up your favorite shots. For example, if your crosscourt speedup has become predictable, don’t abandon it immediately. Instead, use a few neutral dinks to change your opponent’s positioning. Move them slightly wider or force them to reach for a ball.
Now, when the right opportunity appears, your speedup may be effective again.
You’re not changing your weapon. You’re changing how you create the opportunity to use it. This is where patience becomes a tactical advantage.
6. Have a Simple Mid-Match Pickleball Adjustment Plan
When you feel the momentum shifting, you don’t need ten different strategies running through your head. You need a simple process.
I recommend three steps:
Step 1: Identify the pattern. What is your opponent doing differently? Are they anticipating your direction, attacking your shots, or exploiting your positioning?
Step 2: Change one variable. Choose one adjustment in positioning, shot selection, or one of the Five Ball Controls.
Step 3: Evaluate the response. Give yourself a few appropriate opportunities to see whether the adjustment is working. Are you creating more neutral balls? Are your opponents moving more? Are you regaining control of the rally?
If the adjustment works, stay with it until your opponent responds. If it doesn’t, reassess.
This process keeps you focused on solutions instead of the scoreboard.
7. Remember That Your Opponent Is Adjusting Too
One of the most important things to understand about competitive pickleball is that strategy isn’t something you decide before the match and follow for two hours.
It’s an ongoing conversation between you and your opponent.
You make a decision. They respond. You adjust. They adjust again. The better you become at recognizing these changes, the less likely you are to get stuck playing a strategy that no longer works.
And sometimes the best adjustment is doing less. Becoming more patient, improving your positioning, or making your opponent hit one additional ball can be enough to shift the momentum.
Adjust Without Abandoning Your Pickleball Game
When your opponent figures out your pickleball game, don’t panic. It doesn’t mean your strategy was wrong or your skills have disappeared. It means your opponent has adapted, and now it’s your turn.
Recognize what’s changing. Identify whether the problem is positioning, patterns, or shot selection. Make one small adjustment and evaluate the result.
Most importantly, trust the strengths you’ve developed.
Great pickleball players aren’t successful because their first strategy always works. They’re successful because they recognize when it’s time to adjust.
The next time your opponent seems to have all the answers, stop trying to hit better versions of the same predictable shots.
Start asking better questions.
Because sometimes the smallest adjustment makes the biggest difference.
About the Author: Sarah Ansboury is a professional pickleball coach, educator, and commentator who has been part of the sport since 2014. A former professional player and U.S. Open champion, she now provides commentary for the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball and is a co-founder of Global Pickleball Academy. She also serves as a Strategic Advisor for Empower Pickleball.
