The 3 Times You SHOULD Split Step in Pickleball
Summary
In Selkirk TV Episode 9, Coach Matthew Haley tells tennis converts that the full tennis split step doesn’t fit every pickleball moment — the court is smaller and the ball is faster — but it still earns a place in three situations: on the return of serve, when a short lob is about to be smashed, and when you’re crashing the net and need to plant right before the opponent contacts the ball.
At the non-volley zone there’s rarely time for a full split, so he teaches a micro bounce: a small engagement of toes, calves, knees and hips timed to the opponent’s contact. It keeps you balanced for dinks and 60% balls without wasting time in fast hands exchanges.
Key takeaways
- Use a full split step on the return, vs a short lob, and when closing hard
- Time the close split for the opponent’s contact
- At the NVZ use a micro bounce, not a tennis hop
- Fast hands exchanges don’t leave time for a full split
Action items
- On returns, start behind the baseline and split as the serve arrives
- During dinks, bounce lightly on the opponent’s contact and freeze to check balance