Pickleball Shots & Their NJ Spirit Animals

1. The Shot: Dink ---> The Animal: Golden Retriever

Granted, this first animal isn't quite one you would find in the wild, but it is an animal and it can definitely be found in New Jersey. Here's why we're linking it to the dink... it's reliable, patient, and attentive, but also nimble enough to move around -- all very important attributes of a good dinker.

2. The Shot: Volley ---> The Animal: Snake

Yes, there are snakes in New Jersey, and no, we're not going to disparage them. Sure, they're hard for us to relate to because they don't have limbs, but they've gotten a pretty bad rap over the years. Exhibit A: the bible. Anyway, a snake is long and flexible so it should have pretty good reach. Plus, it can stay still and patient until it sees its prey (or a high dink), and then suddenly springs forward and attacks!

3. The Shot: 3rd Shot Drop ---> The Animal: Deer

There are a ton of deer in New Jersey, just as there are a ton of 3rd shot drop opportunities and drops in general whenever you find yourself in the transition zone. When you hit a drop, you want to be calm, smooth, delicate and graceful, like a deer. (Just don't be a "deer in the headlights" and freeze up right before hitting your drop. 😄)

4. The Shot: Serve ---> The Animal: Black Bear

A bear is big and powerful, just like your serve should be. Granted, the sport has been imposing restrictions to reduce the strength of the serve, but within those rules, you want yours to be as powerful as possible. Why else is a serve like a bear? Well, if you're playing doubles, then in theory, you'll only be serving a quarter of the time. So for long stretches of the match, your serve is "hibernating." (OK, maybe that's a stretch, but just go with it. 😃)

5. The Shot: Return of Serve ---> The Animal: Woodpecker

Your serve should be solid and consistent -- just like a woodpecker's pecks. Sure, those pecks can be really annoying, but that's how your returns should be, annoying in their consistency. Just make sure to run up to the kitchen line as soon as you hit your return. 👍