Outwitting your opponents to win a point
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can select the right shots to dominate rallies and win points.
Key learning points
- Move: hitting the ball away from your opponent increases winning opportunities.
- Think: hitting into space or at your opponent's backhand increases winning opportunities.
- Think: if you win the point then you serve the next point.
- Feel: to win points you need to have self-belief and play to your strengths.
- Connect: handling disagreements constructively requires you to find fair solutions.
Keywords
Cross-court - hitting diagonally across the net
Dink - a soft shot that lands just over the net in the opponent's “kitchen”
Slice/chop - a shot with backspin
Common misconception
Pupils think the best way to win is to hit ithe ball harder.
Sometimes just keeping the ball in and waiting for your opposition to make a mistake is the best way to win points, but it is also helpful to disrupt the rhythm by varying pace/spin, breaking the angle or using disguise to wrong foot your opposition.
Teacher tip
Establish doubles pairings carefully that add a social dimension/challenge to the situation and ensure a focus of getting on and solving problems as a pair is as much of a focus in the lesson as the skill development for pickleball success. Introduce officials and analysts if not enough courts.
Equipment
1 paddle per pupil; 1 pickleball per pupil; badminton/tennis nets
Content guidance
Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which shot should be hit with very little swing?
Q2.When playing a double handed backhand, where should your dominant hand be on the grip?
Q3.When playing doubles, if you have one player forward and the other behind the baseline, what is this?
Q4.Which of the following is not achieved when you play to your strengths?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which of the following is not a way to disrupt your opponents rhythm?
Q2.If you serve and win the point, who serves next?
Q3.What is a common mistake made by players to try to win the point?
Q4.Swinging from high to low as you contact the ball will create which sort of spin?
To help you plan your 7 physical education lesson on: Outwitting your opponents to win a point, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 physical education lesson on: Outwitting your opponents to win a point, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom.
Explore more key stage 3 physical education lessons from the Net and wall games: maintain and win a rally through pickleball unit, dive into the full secondary physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.