Ok, here’s the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JuA0PItgvM
The first thing you’ll see is the power of the spin serve … going away in 2023 as I understand.
Here’s the shot chart … the team that wins Gold is called “Pink Shirt” … the spin serve guy is called “Black Shirt”.
Black Shirt Team won 7 serves without a return, and won 2 serves where the ball did not make it back over the net. On third shots, Black Shirt Team had advantages due to the power of the guy’s serve. In total, Black Shirt Team won 14 points while Pink Shirt Team won 9 points on the first three shots.
On Shots 4-6, Pink Shirt Team has a huge advantage, outscoring Black Shirt Team 17-5. Seventeen to Five! The guy in the pink shirt had nice 3rd shot drives that he could parlay into good 5th shots … causing errors on 4th/6th shots. Watching the match, it’s easy to see how critical it is to put pressure on the opposition on 3rds/5ths … it’s not just important for Ben Johns, it’s important for Pink Shirt Guy as well!
If points went beyond a 9th shot, Black Shirt Team performed better, holding a 5-2 advantage.
Overall, Pink Shirt Team held a 32-28 winning advantage. Take out the nasty serve that Black Shirt guy had, and Pink Shirt Team held a commanding 23-14 edge.
Rally Length Analysis continually suggests the importance of the 3rd/5th vs. 4th/6th strategy. Teams that control the 3rd/4th/5th/6th shots have an advantage, based on the analyses I’ve conducted.
Pickleball Analytics! 