Now gone are the days when dinks or drop shots were in fame. Yes, they exist but not in high demand. Meanwhile, some violent players called bangers have come into the scene, avoiding these shots.
What is a banger?
A banger is a player who continuously makes hard shots in varying angles, has a frown face, and specifically avoids playing drop or dink shots.
They really make the play challenging. But don’t fret about how to win against the bangers in pickleball. Because you can easily defeat them by getting ready in advance, making shots on their weak side, keeping them back at the baseline, and treating them softly. Now let’s move ahead to these strategies described below in detail.
7 Best Ways To Beat Bangers in Pickleball
After in-depth research, we picked the best 7 strategies required for defeating the bangers. Using the given 7 strategies, you can win easily against the bangers in pickleball.
1. Be Ready
You know the bangers will always somehow avoid dinks or drop shots. That is why to avoid any inconvenience later on; you should be ready in advance to face them accurately.
Be conscious enough as to how to tackle the arriving shot from the banger.
Like I would recommend you be active at the kitchen line with your paddle in front of you in a proper position.
You have to put a keen eye on and be sharp, assuming the banger shot from any direction.
2. Don’t Get Frustrated By the Banger
When a banger comes out to be your opponent player then it is quite natural to get frustrated by their playing method.
Meanwhile, you may also want to compete with their belligerent nature and start playing in their way.
If there is something like it, then you are pushing yourself towards loss in the game.
Therefore, you should focus on playing pickleball in your soft method, rather than following the bangers to win the game.
3. Try a Shot on Their Weak Side
Do you know that most of the players in general and the bangers specifically have some chink in their armor regarding the play?
Yes, many bangers have a backhand shot as their chink in the armor. So what you have to do is to hit the ball energetically on their backhand and see if they can handle it.
If they fail to control the backhand shot then it is one of the good ways for you to win against the bangers in pickleball.
4. Carry Out Block Shots
In simple words, the block shot means to block the powerful shots of your opponent.
You carry out the block shots by holding a paddle in front of yourself and then letting the powerful shot impact your paddle. As a result, it then falls to the other side of the net.
You can master this type of shot by practicing it with your friends off the court. As you get good at this shot then you are making a really good way to defend yourself against the bangers.
5. Don’t Give Them Opportunities
Bangers look for every possible chance to bang the ball. But you have to avoid the possibility of any such situation for them.
In most cases try to keep your balls low. So that they can’t even pass over the net. Hence your opponent being the banger will miss a chance.
Moreover, sometimes it’s difficult to smash the ball passing over you rapidly. You can defeat them by allowing the ball to escape the boundaries.
6. Keep the Bangers Back at the Baseline
If you shot in a way that urges bangers to the back of their foot (back to the baseline) then you can let them make a bad shot and you will win against them.
Also, try to avoid making shots near their non-volley zone. Because in this situation they have a good chance of taking a decisive shot.
Instead make short shots, which are unable for the bangers to accomplish.
7. Treat them softly
Besides the above 6 strategies to win against the bangers, the last one is to treat them softly.
You can use the energy of the aggressive bangers against them. You can do it conveniently by just giving a little touch to the shots, making them hardly pass the net.
In this way, you have a good chance to vanish their aggressive nature. Hence you can play peacefully nag win against the bangers in pickleball.
Final Thoughts: How to Win Against Pickleball Bangers?
When it comes to summing up, I would say it is easy to win against the bangers because they mostly pursue the limited methods of playing pickleball.
Hence you can defeat the bangers by getting prepared for their shots in advance, making block shots, and backhand shots, mixing up the play, keeping them at the baseline, and finally treating their aggressive nature with your soft tender.
I am Michael Wanner, an experienced and educated expert in the field of pickleball. I hold a degree in Sports Science from Cleveland State University, Ohio, USA. My expertise lies in the technical aspects of pickleball and how to play it effectively. I have spent many years playing and coaching pickleball and have a wealth of knowledge to share with my readers. I am a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their pickleball skills and strategies.
