There are a variety of games suitable to meet different tastes. Pickleball can be an indoor or outdoor game where 2 or 4 players use a racket to hit a perforated hollow ball over a net.
The pickleball court and the play mode are quite similar to tennis. The rules associated with the game are specific to pickleball.
Like every other sport, pickleball requires mental and physical understanding to ensure a successful outcome. Different pickleball tips can be implored to ensure that success is achieved.
If you are just getting started in Pickleball, here are our seven top easy tips to make the most progress quickly from beginner to intermediate player🎾 A list of tips for pickleball to help you improve your game!
Key Ideas For Pickleball tips
- Always serve from the centerline
- While playing a serve, aim to hit a deep shot
- The warmup is important no matter what level of player you are
- Analyze your opponent’s weaknesses and benefit by targeting them
- Keep your eyes, body, and paddle moving with the ball
- Play in a low position with your knees bent and your weight on the toes
- Improve your decision-making for good shot selection and positioning
- Practice and perfect your dink and drop game
Pickleball Serve Tips
When it comes to pickleball tips for serving, the important part is to land your serve in the appropriate service box and to make the return of serve difficult for your competitor on the pickleball court.
To do that, follow this pickleball serve tip: first, try targeting your opponent’s backhand side, which is most likely their weak side since most players tend to have strong forehand shots.
Secondly, you should aim for the service box by hitting deep, forcing your opponents to go beyond the baseline. This will make their return difficult and long to get into the ready position.
» Also Read: Pickleball Serving Rules
Pickleball Tips For Beginners
One major pickleball tip for beginners is to always include warm-up sessions in their regime. If your muscles aren’t warmed up, then you might end up tweaking your muscles during the game.
Warming up before playing pickleball helps increase blood flow to the muscles, reducing the risk of injury. It is also a good opportunity to practice your strokes and footwork. A simple warm-up routine could involve light jogging on the spot, followed by arm circles and leg swings.
After you serve, rush close to the kitchen line because the farthest you stand from the net, the harder it will be for you to control rallies. Also, practice your drop shots and try to perfect them at an early stage.
You should also practice hitting long and deep shots, which are essential to keep your opponents close to the baseline.
Pickleball Tips For Intermediate Players
Intermediate pickleball players should be focused enough to know what’s at stake. They should keep up with the score to know who served and who’s leading; this will let the other players know they’re focused and paying attention.
You also need to avoid being static and waiting for the last second to react; this will cause you to lose. Your eyes, body and the paddle should always be moving and adjusting with the direction of the ball.
Lastly, when you’re not actively hitting a shot, make sure to place your paddle near the center of your chest. This is the best position, where you can easily attack with your forehand and backhand.
Pickleball Tips For Advanced Players
Advanced pickleball players need to put a slight spin on their return of serve as it can help them make the shot difficult for their opponent.
When you make contact with the ball, try to brush up against it just enough to get a little spin. This will make the ball change directions slightly when it hits the ground on your opponent’s side, making it harder for them to control.
One famous pickleball tip is to focus on your strengths and exploit your opponent’s weaknesses.
Always keep your pickleball low. This will eventually prevent your opponents from hitting aggressive shots.
Lastly, pro players should always exercise patience. Going in too early with speed can end up becoming a mistake; you should let the point build and then attack the pickleball when the shot is there.
Pickleball Dinking Tips
The first pickleball dinking tip you should incorporate in your pickleball game is to loosen your grip on the paddle while dinking. If you measure it on a scale of 1-10. With 1 being the loosest and 10 being the tightest grip, you should be at about 3 or 4 when you are dinking.
Holding the paddle too tightly can cause the dinks to go too far or too high.
Another pickleball dinking tip you need to remember is when your opponent pulls you wide with a dink, and an around-the-post shot isn’t available for you, then your best shot is a short, lofted dink right into the middle of your opponent’s non-volley zone.
However, make sure that your contact point is right in front of your body when you’re doing a dink shot.
Pickleball Volley Tips
If you are a pickleball player or even just someone who enjoys watching pickleball, you must know about the continental grip. The continental grip is best for volleys, both backhand, and forehand, since it can provide a strong position from both sides.
This is essential since there’s so little time to change the grip when volleying. One most important pickleball volley tip is to stay low and make sure you’re in a squatting position with your knees bent and the weight on your toes. This will help you react quickly.
Pickleball Strategy Tips
Having strategic tricks up your sleeve can make you a good player.
Here are some pickleball strategy tips:
- Use a paddle that has good control.
- Don’t stay in the same spot for too long.
- Be aggressive when you can, and play defense when you need to.
- Try to mix up your shots so your opponent can’t predict what you’re going to do next.
- Communicate with your partner so you can both be on the same page.
Keep an upfront approach and face your opponent. This puts you in a much better position to return a shot to each side. Try to aim the shot at your opponent’s feet which will have them hit up on the ball. Hence they won’t be able to attack the ball.
However, decision-making and deciding beforehand where and how to shoot your shot is important. Play the percentages and go with one decision with your 100% instead of 50%. This will help you with good shot selection and deciding where to position yourself.
Pickleball Singles Tips
When in singles, make sure that you shoot your serve shot near the centerline so the server can cover both sides of the court when the serve is returned.
When playing with a weaker player, try to keep the game simple by not making too many unforced errors.
Furthermore, target the corners with a deep hitting force so that opponents usually won’t have time to prepare to take a shot.
This is one of the best pickleball tips that many players use since this gives them a chance to come to the non-volley line and hit a passing shot.
Pickleball Tips Doubles
When playing a double match, you should make sure to follow every serve to the non volley line. This will increase your chances of winning using this positioning. Plus, try to keep your partner near the baseline through deep shots, which will give you a major advantage.
In pickleball, drops are the most difficult shots to master. However if you perfect your drops, you can increase your chances of winning at pickleball doubles. Plus, make sure you stand at least 3 feet behind the baseline when you’re returning a serve.
This will provide you and your partner some space to step in when you return the serve, and you won’t be trapped.
To know more about Pickleball doubles, check out my detailed guide on Pickleball Rules Doubles
13 Pickleball Tips
Hitting high in the pickleball game requires critical strategic planning. The pickleball tips you are about to go through will carefully break down what you need to do and how to do it to get your desired result.
Position your feet and knees accurately
This is pretty simple considering what needs to be done but is nevertheless one of the most important pickleball tips. While going through the game, it is important to bend your knees and move your feet consistently. This way, you can easily execute your shot without missing.
When this position is achieved, you can hit a ball out in front of you. So, while playing, remember to bend your knees and move your feet. Your shot execution will be different.
Accurate shot selection
The beauty of the game lies in how accurately your shots are executed. When deciding on a shot, it is important to make your decision on your shot selection accurate. It is going to be a quick decision during the game, but it is an important decision that must be well thought out.
Select a good shot and commit to making the shot work out well. Once you have decided on the shot to take, there is no point in going back on this. The limited time will make it rather difficult to execute a shot accurately when changing within a short time.
Target your opponents’ weaknesses and play to your strength
One important pickleball tip is to understand your strengths early enough and identify your opponents’ weaknesses. Due to the different preferences associated with each individual when it comes to the game, looking out for your opponent’s weaknesses will help target your strategy toward the weakness.
While looking out for your opponents’ weaknesses, watch out for speed, power games, and game drive. Exploit your opponents’ weaknesses and get a chance to win the game flawlessly.
Keep the pickleball low
This is one of the most difficult things to do when playing pickleball. Its advantages, however, outweigh the difficulties encountered while trying to do this.
When the pickleball is low, it prevents your opponents from easily taking an aggressively offensive shot. To do this well enough, consider your racket angle and the level at which you hit the pickleball at different heights. You don’t know how significant this is until you try this while in the game.
Train your eyes to follow the ball and hit out in front
The visual position of the pickleball matters a lot when in the game. You get to analyze and confidently target your shot well enough when you can get the exact positioning of the pickleball. In doing this, it is important to keep your eyes focused on the pickleball every step of the way.
Watch the pickleball closely as it gradually hits your racket. At this point, ignore the sight of your opponent and other spectators around you so you can have an excellent shot.
Communicate
One essential pickleball tip is communication between your partners. In the pickleball game, you can have a partner playing side by side with a team of two opponents. Every strategy you have in mind should be shared and understood by your partner.
Your communication with your partner between points will help strengthen your strategy. You get to see where you guys are lacking and how you guys can position each other accurately and also encourage each other during the game.
When positivity is embedded in the game, it helps to strengthen the course of the game better than when players play individually without any form of encouragement.
Serve Deep, to Backhands & in the Court
The first shot of every pickleball rally is to serve excellently at first. The uniqueness of the game lies in its underhand serve. There is just an opportunity available to serve accurately in the correct area, unlike in other sports.
Practicing ensures a high standard of accuracy. The more you practice shooting on target, the better your chances of hitting the right spot when you get into the game. Another important aspect of serving shots is to target your opponent’s weak side of the game.
Your opponent needs to be unaware of your strategy, and your target has to be met in such a way that it creates an advantage for you. While making a return serve, it should be aimed at making it difficult for your opponent to give a great serve shot.
Therefore, hit your shot right in the service box and push your opponent back beyond the baseline, giving them a difficult return to handle. Be careful not to hit your shot out of bounds, which will give you an error in the game.
Swing to a rhythm
As simple as it sounds, it works magic. The game involves a flow from your leg coordination through your entire body. The consistency that comes with how you manage the flow of movement when serving pickleball is important in the game.
The stroke involves the entire body, but what matters the most is the rhythmic coordination associated with it.
Perfectly serve your 3rd shot
A rather neglected pickleball serving tip is the importance associated with the 3rd shot. The third shot happens to be the serving team’s second shot. There is always the energetic swing to hit the 3rd shot hard against the opponent.
As much as this is also important, your 3rd shot needs to be served without trying to force it. The main goal of the 3rd shot is to allow you to transition to the net. Therefore, ensure that your shot creates a good arc.
Practice hitting the 3rd shot in a way that throws your opponent off balance in the course of the game.
Loosen the grip on your Racket
A mistake off made is gripping the paddle so tight to get your firm shot. It often doesn’t work that way. Loosen up the grip on the paddle but still maintain flexible control of the paddle. This will help in giving the desired shot needed in the game.
A tight grip will most likely result in dinks or drops that will go a little too far and high.
Make use of the right grip
Apart from loosening your grip on the racket, you should also consider holding the paddle correctly. This is an important pickleball tip in the game.
The best grip associated with the game is the continental grip, also known as the handshake grip. This is done by holding out the paddle with your non-dominant hand and then shaking hands with the same paddle, which gives you the desired grip.
Always be in the “Pickleball Ready” Position
This is the ready position needed when you transition to the pickleball court. The position involves keeping your pickleball paddle up with feet and shoulder width apart, as well as your paddle facing forward and the paddle head up.
This pickleball tip keeps you in a smooth position to receive the ball from your opponent when a shot is aimed at you. The game happens fast as you move toward the pickleball net.
Do not let your guard down after giving a good shot serve, because the return of the ball can equally throw you off balance. This is why the Pickleball Ready position is important as you go through the game.
Be Patient
When in the pickleball game, exercising patience as a player is an essential part of the process. Speeding up the pickleball might help you lose points faster.
Stay focused on the ball and understand your opponent by getting to know the weaknesses associated with them. When taking a shot, ensure that the shot is there and needs to be taken at that point. There is no need to be in a hurry; stay calm and patient as you carefully serve your shots when necessary.
Attack the pickleball at the top of the pickleball net instead of serving below the net.
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The reality of the game is associated with a lot of strategies that require implantation and understanding. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, going through these strategies will help in adding more points to your team.
Team effort matters while going through the game, but more importantly, these pickleball tips are essential.
FAQs
The five common mistakes a beginner pickleball player makes are:
• Skipping warm-up sessions
• Hitting the ball too hard
• Rushing forward after the serve
• Going for the winning shot too early in the game
• Playing with a paddle that doesn’t suit their playing style
• Always keep your eye on the ball
• Learn to dink at an early stage
• Hit the opponent’s weaker side, such as their backhand
• Hit your serve deep
• Don’t try to hit fancy spin shots
• Always serve and return deep in the court
• Always analyze your opponent’s weaknesses and strengths and play accordingly
The two most important skills in pickleball are dinking and volleying. Dinking is important since it can off-throw your opponent and stop his/her high-powered game. Volleying is important since it gives your opponent less time to react.
Summing Up Key Ideas For Pickleball Tips
The tips on playing pickleball are followed by a lot of intermediate and recreational pickleball players consistently.
Just remember to remain in the centerline while you’re doing a serve shot and aim to hit it deep into the counter. Plus, never skip warm-up sessions; warming up is essential for your body to get into game mode.
If you want to get better at pickleball, you should learn and perfect your dink and drop game. Moreover, a helpful pickleball tip is always to be attentive and analyze your opponent’s weaknesses.
A pro pickleball player has a good shot selection and positioning and keeps their whole focus on the ball.
Pickleball might seem tricky, but don’t be afraid of the failures, and keep following these pickleball tips and tricks to improve your pickleball game.
Hey, fellow pickleball player!
My name is Ethan Josephson. I am a pickleball enthusiast who has been playing this fantastic game for more than 5 years. Before that I had almost 20-years-experience with tennis and table tennis, but pickleball fascinated me completely.
