Hold the Speed-Up: Prep Early So They Can’t Sit on You

Summary

Richard Pickleball explains why opponents sit on your speed-ups: you swing too soon and telegraph the line. Once you earn a dead ball, get the paddle prepped early — then hold.

From that hold you can rip DTL, cross, or into the body, or change pace with an off-speed dink. The pause forces a guess; the early prep keeps every option alive.

Key takeaways

• Dead ball → prep early, then hold before you commit
• Hold opens DTL / cross / body / soft dink
• Swinging wild without a hold is why they sit on you

Action items

• One kitchen game: freeze 0.5s in the hold before every speed-up
• Partner calls “sit” — if they guessed your line, you didn’t hold long enough