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Pace Dictation & Style Control

Strategy & TacticsLevel 3 — Advanced

Prerequisites

Block Volley / Reset ShotCross-Court Dinking

Unlocks

Attack Timing & Decision Framework

What It Is

The ability to control whether a match is played at a fast or slow pace. Whichever team wins the battle to decide the pace of play often wins the game. If the soft game is your forte, force opponents to play soft. If power is your advantage, don't let them slow you down.

Correct Execution

Assess early: is your team better at the soft game or the power game compared to your opponents? If soft: use block volleys to neutralize drives, force dink rallies, play the fourth ball drop to bring bangers to the kitchen. If power: use hard serves, third shot drives, aggressive transition play. Test opponent movement with block volleys — force them to cover the court at singles-level speed. The team that plays on their terms wins.

Progression Levels

Diagnostic Tree

Coaching Cues

  • "Very often whichever team wins the battle to decide the pace of play wins the game." — pace importance, Morgan Evans (2021)
  • "If the soft game is your forte, force your opponents to play that style and you'll have a much greater chance of success." — dictation, Morgan Evans (2021)
  • "Test your opponent's movement — block volleys force them to move at singles speed." — testing, Morgan Evans (2021)
  • "To take is a mistake — just because you can attack doesn't mean you should." — Ben Johns (2025)
  • "Every single shot is a setup shot except an overhead. Stop trying to hit winners." — Ben Johns strategy (2026)
  • "Develop the point before you attack — earn the right to attack." — Ben Johns (2026)

Common Errors

  1. Matching opponent pace: Playing their game → Force your preferred pace
  2. No pace-changing tools: Can only play one way → Develop both block volleys and drives
  3. Giving up pace control mid-rally: Starting soft then getting pulled into a bang fest → Commit to the pace

Edges

⚡ Conventional Wisdom Is Wrong

To Take Is a Mistake

strategypace-dictation →

Ben Johns: just because a ball is attackable doesn't mean you should attack it. With advancing paddle technology and improving counter-attacks, attacking any slightly high ball usually results in loss of positional control — you're off-balance, obvious, and out of position. The counter-attack era means the ball comes back harder and more accurately than ever.

What most people do
Attack every ball that's slightly above net height. "It was high, I had to take it."
What the best do
Set up the attack first: pull opponents off court with a dink, THEN attack the resulting popup. Every shot except an overhead is a setup shot.
Why it's an edge: In a sport where everyone is learning to attack, the edge shifts to those who know when NOT to. Restraint is harder to learn than aggression — and more valuable.
How to exploit: In your next match, count how many attacks you hit where you felt off-balance or rushed. For every one of those, you should have hit one more setup dink instead. Track the conversion rate difference.
Ben Johns, "5 Step Strategy" (2025-11-03)
🔑 Hidden Causal Lever

One Winning Strategy Is Enough

strategypace-dictation →

Ben Johns: "All it takes is one winning strategy that you stick to throughout the entire match in order to win that match." You don't need 10 tactics. Find ONE thing that works against THIS specific opponent and commit to it relentlessly. Most players change strategies every few points, never giving any strategy enough time to compound.

What most people do
Try multiple strategies each game, switching after 2-3 points, never committing.
What the best do
Identify one winning play early and hammer it until the opponent proves they can solve it. Only switch if it stops working.
Why it's an edge: Strategy commitment compounds — opponents get increasingly uncomfortable as the same pattern exploits the same weakness repeatedly. Switching resets that compounding to zero.
How to exploit: Before your next match, pick ONE strategy (e.g., "return to the aggressive player"). Commit to it for the entire first game. Only change if you lose 11-3 or worse with that strategy. Track what happens.
Ben Johns, "5 Step Strategy" (2025-11-03)
🔑 Hidden Causal Lever

The Pressure Ramp

strategypace-dictation →

Cincola's three-phase attack framework: Phase 1 = hit offensive dinks (low trajectory, deep in kitchen) to get opponent into a DEFENSIVE position (reaching, half-volleying, ball outside foot lines). Phase 2 = take the NEXT ball out of the air — this removes recovery time and creates the threat of attack. Phase 3 = pull the trigger on the actual attack. Most players skip to Phase 3 from a NEUTRAL position — attacking a ball that's slightly high but with the opponent fully set and ready.

What most people do
See a slightly high ball and attack immediately from neutral — opponent is ready and counters easily.
What the best do
Systematically ramp pressure across 3 phases before attacking. By Phase 3, the opponent is already stretched, off-balance, or half-volleying — the attack becomes a finishing blow, not an opening gambit.
Why it's an edge: Transforms attacking from a gamble (attack from neutral = coin flip) into a system (Phase 1 → 2 → 3 = high-percentage finish). The patience to set up through phases is what separates controlled aggression from reckless aggression.
How to exploit: In your next match, before any attack ask: "Is my opponent in a defensive position?" If not, hit one more offensive dink (low, deep). Only attack when they're visibly stretched, reaching, or half-volleying.
John Cincola, "What Smart Dinks Actually Look Like" (2025-05-01)
🔑 Hidden Causal Lever

Dead Dinks Are the Banger's Fuel

strategypace-dictation →

Cincola: bangers need exactly TWO ball types to dominate: (1) dead dinks — loopy arc that sits up nicely on the bounce, and (2) balls out of the air above knee height. If you eliminate both, you cut their offense in HALF. Force them to hit below-knee volleys (hard to generate power) or flat-trajectory balls that move through the court quickly (no time to let them sit up).

What most people do
Dink with loopy arcs and hit blocks above knee height — feeding the banger exactly what they want.
What the best do
Keep dinks LOW trajectory (not high-arc), and keep blocks flat and below knee height. Remove the two ball types that fuel power play.
Why it's an edge: Instead of "how do I defend against bangers" (reactive), this is "how do I starve bangers" (proactive). You're removing their fuel source rather than trying to survive their attacks.
How to exploit: Against a banger, track: which of your dinks do they attack? Almost always the loopy ones that sit up. Flatten your dink trajectory and watch their attack opportunities disappear.
John Cincola, "How to Beat Bangers" (2024-03-23)
🔑 Hidden Causal Lever

Six Markers of Defense

strategypace-dictation →

Cincola: six observable cues that tell you you're on defense — if ANY one exists, you should be resetting, not attacking: (1) Court position — opponents closer to kitchen. (2) Off balance. (3) Poor contact point — jammed, stretched, behind you. (4) Half volley. (5) Giving opponent a ball they can take out of the air. (6) Dead dink. If any ONE of these is true, you're defensive. The response is always: create space + make the next ball bounce.

What most people do
Try to attack from defensive positions because the ball "looks" hittable. Miss the contextual cues.
What the best do
Check the six markers before any shot decision. Any marker present = reset. Zero markers = consider attacking.
Why it's an edge: Replaces vague "feel" about when to attack with a concrete six-point checklist. Eliminates low-percentage attacks from defensive positions.
How to exploit: Memorize the six markers. Before every attack attempt, run through them: Am I balanced? Is the contact in front? Am I at the kitchen? Is the ball below their volley zone? If any fails, reset instead.
John Cincola, "Game-Changing Pickleball Strategies" (2023-05-18)
🔑 Hidden Causal Lever

Net Strap Height Is the Binary Decision

strategypace-dictation →

Cincola: the entire game theory of pickleball reduces to ONE binary: is the ball above or below net strap height at contact? Below = unattackable (must hit UP, therefore hit SOFT, land in kitchen). Above = attackable (can hit DOWN, therefore hit HARD, attack). The soft game forces opponents below net strap = they must hit soft back. If you hit too hard, the ball stays on plane without dipping = opponents get a higher, attackable ball. This binary replaces all complex shot-selection thinking.

What most people do
Make shot decisions based on feel, court position, opponent, multiple factors — decision fatigue.
What the best do
One check: is my contact above or below the net strap? Below = unattackable, play soft. Above = attackable, play aggressive. Simple binary, correct every time.
Why it's an edge: Reduces a complex multi-variable decision to a single binary check. Eliminates decision fatigue and produces correct shot selection regardless of other factors.
How to exploit: In your next match, before every contact ask: am I above or below the strap? Below = soft into kitchen. Above = attack. Don't overthink it. This one check will produce better decisions than any complex framework.
John Cincola, "Pickleball tips: 3 Simple Steps" (2024-01-28)

Sources

  • Morgan Evans, "Dealing With Bangers" (2021-06-30) — neutralizing power, testing movement, dictating match style
  • Morgan Evans, "Morgan's two-pronged approach" (2020-09-18) — play to opponent weakness, style forcing
  • Ben Johns, "5 Step Strategy" (2025-11-03) — "to take is a mistake", develop the point, setup mentality
  • Ben Johns, "10 Simple Rules to Win" (2026-03-02) — every shot is setup, earn the attack, recover and hover