To improve your pickleball game, you need to learn self-control. Pickleball is not about defeating your two opponents, rather it's about slowing down and placing shots carefully.
Learn how to place your shots without swinging, only by blocking.
Try to place the ball down the middle of the court, the net is only 34 inches high in the middle but on the sides it's 36 inches. You also have 10 feet in each direction to make a mistake. Placing the ball in the middle causes confusion between your two opponents.
An important pickleball strategy is to hit to the weakest player's weakest shot. A player's backhand is usually their weakest shot.
Placing your shot to the toes of your opponents is better than shots at waist level or higher. When you shoot at their toes, they have a tendency to defensively pop the ball up, then you can finish the rally on the next shot.
It is preferable to hit to the middle of the court towards the left opponent's left foot.
When you have an opportunity to put the ball away to end the rally, hit with 80% power. Restrain yourself!
The most common mistakes that intermediate players make is over-hitting the ball. Placement is always more important than power.
On ground strokes, keep your head down, let the ball hit the middle of the paddle. Count to one or two before raising your head, remember the ball has 44 feet before it drops on the other side, there's no rush to look up.
Don't change the ball trajectory by moving your shoulders in an upward motion, stay down.
Watch the ball come off your opponent's paddle. Watch it hit the middle of your paddle and keep your head down.
Think about where you're going to place every ball you hit. Plan for it even before the ball comes at you over the net.
Over-hitting the ball is the biggest factor to keep yourself from becoming a better player.
Be nice to other players. We all start somewhere so you should be helping others with a lower skill level than yourself.
Learn how to place your shots without swinging, only by blocking.
Try to place the ball down the middle of the court, the net is only 34 inches high in the middle but on the sides it's 36 inches. You also have 10 feet in each direction to make a mistake. Placing the ball in the middle causes confusion between your two opponents.
An important pickleball strategy is to hit to the weakest player's weakest shot. A player's backhand is usually their weakest shot.
Placing your shot to the toes of your opponents is better than shots at waist level or higher. When you shoot at their toes, they have a tendency to defensively pop the ball up, then you can finish the rally on the next shot.
It is preferable to hit to the middle of the court towards the left opponent's left foot.
When you have an opportunity to put the ball away to end the rally, hit with 80% power. Restrain yourself!
The most common mistakes that intermediate players make is over-hitting the ball. Placement is always more important than power.
On ground strokes, keep your head down, let the ball hit the middle of the paddle. Count to one or two before raising your head, remember the ball has 44 feet before it drops on the other side, there's no rush to look up.
Don't change the ball trajectory by moving your shoulders in an upward motion, stay down.
Watch the ball come off your opponent's paddle. Watch it hit the middle of your paddle and keep your head down.
Think about where you're going to place every ball you hit. Plan for it even before the ball comes at you over the net.
Over-hitting the ball is the biggest factor to keep yourself from becoming a better player.
Be nice to other players. We all start somewhere so you should be helping others with a lower skill level than yourself.
