067: How to Beat Bangers with Pro Linda Thompson

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When Linda Thompson first started playing Pickleball, she was called one of the Original Banger Sisters. Fast forward a few years, and she is now a top senior pro with a well-rounded Pickleball game including the soft shots. She even won a double gold in Cincinnati and a gold and silver in Atlanta, since we taped the podcast, during recent pro stops. We talk about how to beat bangers and also how the professional game is becoming more aggressive so her natural attacking style is also serving her well.

Show Notes

In this episode we discuss:

Linda’s results from the U.S. Open in April, 2021
Her background in tennis and platform tennis and why she had to stop playing
Which skills from platform tennis transferred to Pickleball and how they give her an advantage
Why Linda was what she called a terrible Pickleball player when she first started in the game
What she worked on after getting rated as a 5.0 player
Tips for how to beat bangers and a drill you can do to learn whether a hard shot is going to land outside the court
The advantages of hitting a volley from the air rather than letting it bounce first
Why a drop shot may not be that effective against bangers