How to predict the speed up like a pro
The Prince of Pickleball short is brief but complete: “Hold your ground when your opponent’s power face begins to close. Take the ball early when your opponent’s power face begins to open.” That is the whole lesson — a paddle-face tell for predicting the speed-up.
Closed power face → they are less likely to rip; hold your ground / stay ready. Opening power face → speed-up is coming; take it early. Use this in dink battles and hands exchanges where players telegraph with the face before the swing. Keep it simple: the power-face open/close read is the point, so don’t clutter it with extra tells.
Key takeaways:
- Watch the opponent’s power face in the kitchen
- Face closing → hold your ground
- Face opening → take the ball early
- Anticipate the speed-up before the swing finishes
- Keep the read simple: opening or closing face
Action items:
- Warm-up dinks: partner deliberately closes vs opens the face; you call “hold” or “early” before contact
- Hands drill: only counter when you correctly read an opening face
- Film opponent paddle face in a practice game; review one rally in slow-mo
- Partner telegraph drill: exaggerate open/close for 5 minutes, then go subtle
- Live rule: if you flinch on a closed face, that speed-up attempt was bait — note it
- Next session: 10 minutes of read-only (call the face) before any counters allowed
- Combine with Richard Pickleball’s bump defense (Handle the tough dinks!) when the speed-up never comes and you’re jammed
- Track false jumps (moving on closed faces) for one practice week