Timothy Nelson is a professional Pickleball player who is globally known for his antics on the Pickleball court. He is known for his characteristic puppet celebration, earning him the pseudonym, “The Puppet Master.” He is also known as the inventor of the Nasty Nelson shot in Pickleball.
The Nasty Nelson is sly technique used by the server in Pickleball in the doubles format. In order to execute the Nasty Nelson, the returning doubles team has to be at a very specific position. The non-returning player has to be close to the centre line. The Nasty Nelson is a shot where the server directs the serve at the non-returning player. If the player is not attentive enough, they will respond by making contact with the serve, thereby committing a fault.
The trap of Nasty Nelson is a tricky one as the direction of the serve follows a trajectory where the non-returning player stands in line of the legal serve many times. Attentiveness is one aspect by which the Nasty Nelson can be avoided. A better alternative would be to not stand as close to the centre line.
Nasty Nelson can be controversial many times and is often considered not to be in the spirit of the game. A major reason for this is the speed at which it is targeted towards the player near the net. Moreover, the point is lost by the returning side even before the ball bounces.
Nasty Nelson continues to be a feature in Pickleball tournaments. While it might not be in the spirit of the game, it is well within the laws of the game. The server simply has to be smart enough to execute the shot whenever the opportunity arises.
