If you have never played pickleball before, then you have no idea what you are missing out on. This fantastic hybrid sport is a whole lot of fun, it gets you moving, and it’s not too difficult to play.
Pickleball is a sport that everybody and anybody can play, both men and women, young and old, inexperienced and seasoned veterans alike.
With that being said, there are some things that you need to know about pickleball in order to be successful. Although this is a fairly new sport, there are some pretty big leagues out there, and they can be quite competitive.
If you want to get good at pickleball, there are some tips that you need to follow, especially if you plan on winning some games, or even winning some tournaments.
Therefore, today, we’re going to provide you some great pickleball tips for beginners. However, before we do that, we are going to talk about what exactly pickleball is, how it’s played, and who it’s best for. We will then get to all of the best tips that you need to know to be successful at pickleball.
What is Pickleball?
Before we start giving you tips on how to play pickleball, let’s first talk about what it actually is. So, most people would say that pickleball is like a hybrid combination of table tennis, tennis, and badminton. Pickleball is played on a court, just like tennis, and there is a net in the center as well.
The main goal of pickleball is to hit that ball over the net in the center in such a way that the opponents can then not return it, just like with other games played on a court. However, pickleball is played on a court that is somewhat smaller than other games such as badminton and tennis.
Therefore, you don’t need to move as much in pickleball, especially when it comes to running back and forth, like in tennis. For this reason, pickleball is ideal for a greater number of people than something like tennis, because even people with limited mobility can play it.
In terms of scoring, players need to reach 11 points in order to win the game, although to win the game, you have to have at least two more points than your opponent, which means that you may sometimes reach scores higher than eleven.
Moreover, this game can be played one-on-one or two-on-two, or in other words you can play both singles and doubles style. Although this game was not invented until 1965, there are currently tens of thousands of people in the USA Pickleball Association.
Who is Pickleball For?
Pickleball is generally ideal for everybody. One of the reasons why pickleball is so popular is because it doesn’t require all that much scale or movement. It’s kind of like tennis, but much easier.
If you are somebody who has limited mobility or is just starting out with court games, then pickleball makes for a good option. Pickleball is an ideal game for both young and old, men and women, and for people of all experience levels.
Pickleball Tips for Beginners
Now that you know what pickleball is and who it’s best played by, let’s take a closer look at some of the best pickleball tips for beginners that will have you running games in no time.
1. Play in a Controlled Manner
One of the biggest mistakes that so many beginner pickleball players make is to start playing in an uncontrolled and aggressive manner. One of the best ways to win a game of pickleball, especially against other beginners, is to stay calm, play in a controlled manner, be conservative, and play gently.
You don’t need to use full power every time and smash that ball across the net. Chances are pretty big that if you use all of your power, your shots are going to be very inaccurate and you’re going to end up losing just because of your own mistakes.
It’s much better if you play gently, calmly, and in a collective manner. Simply not making mistakes is often more than enough to beat your opponents. On that note, if you play in a very conservative manner, other players may become overconfident and start making mistakes, which will lead to them losing.
2. Always Warm Up
Although you might not think that pickleball is overly intensive in terms of physical exercise, there is a good deal of movement required. More than just movement, you need to have fast reactions. So, if your muscles aren’t warmed up yet and you try to move really quickly, chances are that you might pull a muscle.
Therefore, it is a good idea to get yourself warmed up first. You don’t have to do anything too extreme, but stretching out your arms legs, back, and neck, is a good idea. This will help your muscles warm up and will prevent you from pulling a muscle. It will also get you a bit more limber and ready to return that serve.
3. Always Be in the Ready Position
Sure, pickleball is a relatively friendly game, but you still want to win, which is why you always want to be ready to hit that ball. Therefore, just like in tennis and other such sports, you always want to be in the ready position.
This means that you want to have your arms slightly bent at the elbows with your paddle up in the air. You also want to have your knees slightly bent, with a bit of a spring in your step.
You then always want to make sure that you watch the ball as you hit it with your paddle, and always try to hit the ball when it is in front of your body.
4. Wearing the Right Gear Helps
Although you obviously don’t need quite as much gear for pickleball as you do for other sports like football or hockey, wearing the right clothing does matter.
Some good running shoes that have decent traction on the bottom will help. You also want shoes that have a bit of ankle support and arch support, just to keep you comfortable.
Then, wearing flexible shorts and a flexible top is also recommended. You need to be speedy to play this game, so wearing restrictive clothing is definitely not a good idea.
5. Patience Matters
Especially as a beginner, you want to be patient. You don’t need to worry about what others think of your game. Your aim with pickleball is to have fun. After all, just look at the name of the game. It’s called pickleball. You want to just have fun, not take things too seriously, and just have a good day.
On that note, you also want to play with other people who are going to make it fun for you, which often means playing with people that are either at the same skill level, or if you are playing with professionals, making sure that they don’t go too hard on you.
Just like you need to be patient with your own game, it helps if other people are patient with you too.
6. Making That Big Serve
Another big tip is to master that big serve. When you serve, you want to aim that ball deep into the back of the opponent’s court, generally to their backhand side. You should also try doing this when you are returning the ball.
Now, if you are a beginner and your shots aren’t very controlled, try aiming more for the middle of the court than for the back of the court. If you don’t have the best accuracy and you aim for the back of the court, you may hit the ball out. Again, it’s better to play in a controlled manner than to try and get fancy.
7. Mastering the Dink
One of the most important shots that you need to master for pickleball is the dink shot. Instead of smashing the ball super hard into your opponent’s court, the point here is to just give the ball a little tap. You want to get the ball just over the net, right into the kitchen area.
Your opponent is going to be expecting a super hard strike, but will be met with a ball that barely makes it over the net, therefore causing them to really run for it.
8. Control the Kitchen
If you can control the kitchen of the court, which is the 7-foot space on either side of the net, then you are going to be in very good shape. The more you can keep the other players away from this space, the more successful you will be.
Pickleball Tips – Final Thoughts
If you follow all of the tips that we have listed above, being successful in the game of pickleball should not be too difficult.
Of course, you are going to have to practice to get better, but with the tips listed above, this shouldn’t be much of an issue.
I hail from the picturesque landscapes of Denver, Colorado, where the pickleball scene is as vibrant as our city's sunsets. The game has changed my life in ways I never thought a sport could. You see, before I got hooked, my closest encounter with a racket was a fly swatter.
As far as my coaching credentials go, well, it's a classic underdog story. I was once the guy who couldn't tell a pickleball paddle from a pizza peel, and now I'm proudly sporting the title of Master Teaching Professional from the IPTPA. If that doesn't give hope to all my fellow klutzes, I don't know what will!
My love for pickleball goes far beyond the court. I run the In2Pickle YouTube channel, which is a blend of pickleball tactics, bloopers (mostly mine), and heartfelt stories from players whose lives have been touched by the sport. If you're more into listening than watching, you can catch me chatting about everything pickleball-related on my Pickleball Therapy podcast. And if that isn't enough, I've also penned a book titled "Play Pickleball", where I share everything from basic rules to advanced strategies, and of course, anecdotes of my own hilarious mishaps.
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