It’s no secret: pickleball is getting faster. In the past, the general teaching had been to always hit the ball soft into the kitchen when you are in trouble.
In theory, this is a good strategy, because if it is executed perfectly, your opponents won’t be able to attack you, and you’ll be able to transition to the kitchen safely.
However, in practice, it is very difficult to successfully reset the ball when you are being attacked. Another option is to return your opponent’s slams with a drive. While you will not be able to transition back to the kitchen off of a drive alone, it is more likely to make your opponent’s next shot weaker and easier to drop (think third shot drive fifth shot drop strategy), even if you don’t hit it perfectly. If you mishit a drop, you are almost guaranteed to get slammed again.
This strategy is being used by the pros in today’s modern game! Next time you are in trouble, give it a shot, and see if it gives you an easier opportunity to get back up to the kitchen after being attacked.