Here are some specific phrases to use:
- “Great effort, let’s try to cover the middle next time.”
- “I think we can adjust our positioning to better cover the middle.”
- “Next time, let’s try to move towards the middle of the court to cover that shot.”
- “I think we can communicate better to avoid missing shots down the middle.”
- “Let’s work on anticipating shots down the middle and adjusting our positioning accordingly.”
- “I think we can improve our footwork to cover the middle more effectively.”
- “Next time, let’s try to hit a lower shot to avoid giving our opponents an opportunity to hit down the middle.”
- “I think we can work on our drop shots to better control the middle of the court.”
- “Let’s stay positive and keep working together to improve our game.”
- “Mistakes happen, let’s learn from this and focus on playing our best.”
The information in this blog post comes from my research and experience playing pickleball and can be found in my books — HOW TO GET STARTED PLAYING PICKLEBALL and HOW TO IMPROVE FROM BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE IN PICKLEBALL — both available on Amazon. I hope you learn something from this post that you can take onto the courts to help you improve your game. In addition, I have written other blog posts on the subject of playing the middle in pickleball. Here are two recent ones: Winning Together: The Importance of Teamwork and Communication in Pickleball and The Power of Hitting Down the Middle in Pickleball: A Strategy Guide.