Dear Eric - Nasty or Nice?

During open play last week I pulled off something I had never done before. I hit a nasty nelson.

It was in a fun rec game with friends. I served at the returner’s partner at the kitchen line when he was sort of spacing out. The serve hit him clean. Point over. A couple players laughed. One guy said “nice shot.”But another player told me that was kind of a cheap way to win a point in a friendly game.

Now I’m wondering if I crossed some kind of pickleball etiquette line. For what it’s worth, we were all smiling and nobody seemed upset in the moment. But it did make me curious about what people think.

Is the nasty nelson fair play? Or is it something you should avoid during casual open play?

Curious what you think. - Jim

Jim, first, congratulations. The nasty nelson is actually a pretty difficult shot, the player is a relatively small target, and if they are mobile, it’s pretty easy to avoid the ball.

Second, it is completely legal.

That said, context matters. In a tournament, it is absolutely fair game. In a relaxed open play match with friends, most players treat it as more of a playful surprise than a strategy. The key thing here is to know your audience so to speak. Is the targeted player a competitive high strung guy who’s likely to get angry? Or will he appreciate the tactic with good humor? Also, if he’s the weakest player on the court, it might seem like you are picking on him, which no one likes. 

You used it once, everyone laughed, and the game moved on. That sounds like exactly the right balance.

Just don’t make it a habit.