If you’re a 5.0+ DUPR player and still getting countered at the kitchen line, it’s probably not your technique.

It’s your predictability.

At higher levels of pickleball, everyone can dink, reset, and counter. What separates top-tier players in pickleball rankings is their ability to disguise shots, control tempo, and keep opponents guessing.

In DUPR’s Beyond The Baseline YouTube Series, we break down two simple but deadly ways to add variety to your kitchen game  without swinging harder or forcing shots.

Let’s get into it.

Tip #1: Change Your Pace to Win More Speed-Ups

When you speed up from the kitchen, most players think about where they’re attacking.

But elite players focus on how fast.

Why pace matters at the kitchen line

When defending a speed-up, the hardest thing for your opponent to read isn’t direction, it's timing.

If every speed-up comes at the same pace:

• Your opponent settles into rhythm
• Counters get cleaner
• You lose the element of surprise

By varying pace, you force hesitation and hesitation wins points.

How to apply it

• Hit one speed-up at normal pace
• Follow it with a slightly softer or delayed attack
• Let your opponent guess instead of react

That split-second misread is often the difference between a clean counter and a pop-up you can finish.

Pro takeaway:
Changing pace doesn’t mean hitting weaker shots, it means disrupting expectations.

Tip #2: Hold the Ball Longer to Disguise Direction

Want to instantly level up your kitchen game?

Hold the ball on your side just a fraction longer.

Why this works

When you rush contact:

• Your body gives away your shot
• Your paddle path becomes readable
• Defenders move early

By delaying contact, you force your opponent to anticipate instead of react and that’s where mistakes happen.

The sneaky part

Holding the ball allows you to:

• Sell movement in one direction
• Pull the ball against your body momentum
• Redirect speed-ups at the last moment

Your opponent commits early… and suddenly they’re wrong-footed.

Kitchen truth:
Disguise beats power every time at higher DUPR levels.

Why This Matters for Pickleball Ratings & Rankings

Adding pace variation and disguise to your game makes you:

• Harder to scout
• Tougher to counter
• More effective in competitive pickleball tournaments

And that translates directly to stronger pickleball ratings and rankings.

Follow These Steps 

Improving your kitchen game is step one.
Proving it on the court is step two.

Use the DUPR app to:

• Track your pickleball rating
• Compete against accurately rated players
• Enter the pickleball tournaments that you want

Then take what you’ve learned, add variety in the kitchen, and let your results do the talking.

See you on the baseline and in the kitchen 🏓