- Pickleball Daily
- Posts
- How to counter attack
How to counter attack
Paul from Pickleball Daily
January 13, 2026
In partnership with
Stay One Scoop Ahead of the New Year
The new year is the perfect time to build healthy habits that actually stick. AG1 helps you stay one scoop ahead of the new year by supporting energy, gut health, and filling common nutrient gaps, all with a simple daily routine.
Instead of chasing resolutions that are hard to maintain, AG1 makes health easier. Just one scoop each morning supports digestive regularity, immune defense, and energy levels, making it one of the most effortless habits to keep all year long. A fresh year brings fresh momentum, and small daily habits can make a meaningful difference.
Start your mornings with AG1, the daily health drink with 75+ ingredients, including 5 probiotic strains, designed to replace a multivitamin, probiotics, and more, all in one scoop.
For a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1 subscription! Only while supplies last. Get started today.
Tip of the day
MLP Champion Michael Loyd breaks down the science of counter-attacking, shifting the focus from reaction time to court geometry and probability.
Effective counter-attacking is less about having naturally fast hands and more about being in the correct position before an attack even occurs.
By understanding court percentages, you can narrow your focus to only two possible attack zones at any given time.
When the ball is directly in front of you, your primary responsibility is covering your own body, followed by the middle gap.
As the ball moves wider toward the sideline, your priority must shift to protecting the line first and your body second.
Middle responsibility is shared between partners, but its importance changes based on how far wide the ball is pulled.
Counter-attacking with a two-handed backhand provides extra stability, which is essential for redirecting powerful speedups.
To maintain control during a fast exchange, keep your movements compact and avoid using large, unnecessary backswings.
A short, repeatable punching motion is far more effective and easier to time than a full swing when you are under pressure.
Key Points:
Position yourself based on where the ball is hit to anticipate the most likely attacking angles.
Focus on covering only two specific zones at a time to simplify your mental workload and reaction speed.
Use a two-handed backhand for counters to increase stability and better absorb high-velocity shots.
Shift your coverage toward the line as the ball moves wider to take away the opponent's most dangerous angle.
Trust your partner to cover the middle while you focus on protecting your body and the sideline during wide rallies.
One Scoop Ahead
AG1 is a daily health drink that supports gut health, helps fill common nutrient gaps, and supports steady energy. One scoop each morning makes it easy to build a habit that actually lasts. Try AG1 today.
Deal of the day
Meme of the day
Rage bait 🤣
That’s it for today! As always, thank you for reading. 🙏
If you’d like to support Pickleball Daily and want to read ad-free, please consider a premium membership.
Happy pickling,
Paul