You're in a good rally, working your way to the kitchen, when your opponent winds up and hammers the ball straight at your body. You scramble, pop it up, and they do it again.

Playing against a banger can disrupt your rhythm. But power players are actually one of the more manageable opponent types once you know the right adjustments. Pro player and coach Ava Ignatowich breaks down exactly what those are in her video "Bangers Are EASY to Beat If You Do This" on Youtube, and her five fixes are simpler than you'd expect.

Why bangers feel harder to beat than they actually are

The most common mistake against a banger is trying to match their power. You speed up, they speed up, and suddenly you're in a war you didn't plan for and probably won't win.

Bangers rely on one thing: getting you to react instead of think. When you're in reaction mode, your shot quality drops, your positioning breaks down, and you hand them the chaotic game they want.

The fix is straightforward. Stop playing their game and start playing yours. If you want a broader look at how to approach points more strategically, DUPR's breakdown of top pickleball strategies is a solid starting point.

The 5 adjustments Ava recommends

1. Raise your ready position

Most players hold their paddle low by default. Against a banger, that's too slow. Raise your ready position higher so you're already prepared to handle a fast, chest-level shot before it arrives. The extra reaction time it buys you is small but significant when the ball is coming at full pace.

Rushing toward the kitchen against a banger is also a trap. Stay back until you have a ball you can actually handle. Understanding drive vs. drop can help you make smarter decisions in exactly these moments.

2. Block, don't swing

When a hard ball is coming at you, swinging back harder is almost never the answer. Use a compact, firm-wristed block. Absorb the pace, redirect the ball, and keep it low. You're not generating power; you're borrowing theirs and sending it somewhere they can't attack.

One key detail: make contact as far out in front of you as possible. Hitting the ball early gives you more control over where it goes and stops you from getting jammed, which is when blocks go wrong.

Think of it less like a return and more like a redirect. This is almost like a reset, and it's one of the most underrated skills in pickleball. DUPR's guide on the reset shot walks through the mechanics if you want to drill it properly.

3. Aim for their feet

The easiest way to neutralize a banger is to take away their space. A ball dropped right at their feet cuts off their backswing and forces a rushed, uncomfortable shot from a position they can't attack from. And if they do manage to get to it, a ball at the feet is almost impossible to hit hard without popping it up, so you get an easy ball back either way.

Aim there consistently and their big swings start to fall apart.

4. Let it go

Not every hard shot needs a response. Most bangers overhit, and a lot of those balls are sailing out if you just let them. Before you react, take a quick read of the trajectory. If it's coming in high and fast with no arc dropping it in, step aside and watch it land out.

This is one of the easiest free points in pickleball against a power player, and most players swing at everything out of instinct and give away a free point .

5. Use slice, not topspin

Against a banger, topspin works against you. It keeps the ball in their strike zone and gives them pace to work with. Slice does the opposite. A sliced shot stays low, skids through the kitchen, and produces a ball that's genuinely difficult to drive hard. It also naturally absorbs some of their incoming pace, which makes your shot more controlled even when you're under pressure.

The lower the ball sits after it bounces, the less a banger can do with it.

‍The mindset shift that ties it all together

What Ava's advice really comes down to is this: stop trying to win the point and focus on not losing it. Against a banger, patience, the ability to let it go, and slowing down the ball are your biggest assets.

Most bangers haven't developed a soft game. The moment you take pace off the ball and force them to play a controlled point, you've already won the mental battle. Want to keep building on this? Start with the third-shot drop, the single shot that bridges the gap between reacting and controlling.

If you want more tips like these, follow Ava on YouTube and Instagram for regular coaching content. And for ratings, tournaments, and everything else going on in the pickleball community, follow DUPR on Instagram too.