How to Play the Conditions: Indoors
Much like my tips on transitioning from indoor to outdoor, here are some things to think about when playing indoors. If you have any more to add, post a comment.
How to Play the Indoor Environment
Shiny floors, florescent lights, various wall colors… Just being able to SEE the ball on an indoor court is usually the biggest challenge.
- Get a High-Contrast Ball: I’ve played at a place on Vancouver Island where they dyed the balls dark green, almost black, just to be able to see them against light beige walls. I’ve heard that recently a variety of different colored Jugs balls are now available, however I haven’t come across them in my quick internet search. (Post a comment below if you know where they are available in colors other than the white and lime green.)
- Get ready for the ball to slide & skid. Without the gritty surface of most outdoor courts, one an indoor court, the ball has a tendency to travel much further horizontally on a bounce.
- Indoors, a put-away is never a put-away and a winning shot is sometimes just one more shot in an incredibly long rally. It’s just the way it is. On average, indoor rallies last much, much longer than outdoors. Because the ball is moving slower and the bounce is higher, your opponent has more time to recover & return your “put-away” shot. So don’t be over-confident. Always be ready for the next shot, and don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Because, honestly, who HASN’T found themselves standing there, in awe of the glorious shot they just hit, only to be shocked that their opponent not only returned it but won the point?