Paddle grips are like habits—easy to get into and hard to change—and how you hold your paddle will certainly affect your pickleball play. If you have an odd paddle grip, trying to change your paddle grip later on can be difficult and frustrating. So, start your pickleball game with good habits an...

One of the most important concepts in pickleball, which is not taught or discussed enough, is the proper ready position on the pickleball court. There are essentially two types of ready positions, which include (1) “Tennis Ready”; and (2) “Pickleball Ready.”

Tennis Ready

Tennis Ready is the r...

The general rule of thumb on the pickleball courts is to work your way to the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line as soon as possible, as most points in pickleball are won at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line. So, when should you start moving in to the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line?

In pickleba...

A split stop (also known as a split step) is a power position that allows you to remain balanced, change direction, and react to the pickleball hit by your opponents. It is an athletic position where your knees are bent, your feet are shoulder width apart with your weight on the balls and insides...

With any shot in pickleball, it is imperative that you strike the pickleball out in front of you. One of the most common causes for a missed shot or a mistake is overrunning the pickleball and hitting the pickleball behind your body. To keep the pickleball out in front of you, make sure that you ...

As previously mentioned, most points in pickleball are won and lost at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line. As a result, it is so important to get to the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line, and then hold that line! Try to squeeze the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line as much as possible. In other word...

On the pickleball courts, it is imperative that you stay linked with your partner and work together as a team. You should imagine that a six- to eight-foot rope holds you and your partner together at all times. If you move right a few steps, your partner should move right a few steps. If your par...

Dinking is one of the cornerstones of the sport of pickleball, and a dink is one of the most important shots in pickleball, outside of the key third shot in any point. So, what is a dink? A dink is a pickleball shot that you want to hit into the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen on your opponents’ side ...

When you are dinking at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line, it is imperative that you are in the Pickleball Ready position. Make sure (1) your feet are shoulder width apart; (2) your knees are bent, your body is compressed, and your weight is on the balls of your feet; (3) your paddle is in the ...

As a reminder, when you are at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line, you should be in Pickleball Ready. If you are not in the Pickleball Ready position, then you are not ready to dink.

Now that you are in your Pickleball Ready position and ready to dink, here are the basics to mastering the art ...

When dinking, try to keep your body parallel to the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line. If you need to reach for a dink, take a lateral step with your foot closest to the pickleball, rather than a crossover step. A crossover step will take you out of the important Pickleball Ready position, so that ...

When playing doubles in pickleball, you must work with your partner as a team. If you do not work with your partner as a team, then you will not win.

When you and your partner are dinking at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line, you and your partner will follow the pickleball in tandem. Generall...

By now, you may be thinking what type of dink is “attackable?” Think about attackable versus unattackable dinks like a reverse stoplight:

· A dink by your opponents that is at or below the net is in the “red zone.” Like a red light at an intersection, put on the brakes, be patient and sta...

The old saying, “patience is a virtue,” holds true in pickleball. If you come out of the dink too early and try to speed up the point, you will likely lose the point. You must remain patient in your mind and in your body. Wait for the attackable dink that is too high, and attack! Otherwise, stay ...

When dinking, it is important to have a strategy and to dink with a purpose. In this lesson, we breakdown some key considerations for strategizing in the dink.

Crosscourt Dinks

As a reminder, a good dink is an unattackable shot that is used to stay in the point until a player hits an attackab...

As a reminder, crosscourt dinks should probably make up 70% to 80% of your dinks. However, not every dink should be crosscourt. This is especially true because continuously going crosscourt may put extra pressure on you to be better and better on every successive shot, including when your opponen...

A “let cord” is a shot where the pickleball hits the tape or the top of the pickleball net. A let cord shot is generally a difficult shot because the tape or pickleball net misdirects the pickleball.

Imagine a pickleball hits the top of the pickleball net and dribbles over to the other side and...

Pickleball players will often make the same mistakes over and over when dinking. The most common mistakes when dinking, and some tips to avoid making them, include:

1. Failing to Be Ready – Remember to stay in Pickleball Ready (with your paddle out front in the 10 o’clock (or 2 o’clock for ...

Now that you have all of this dinking knowledge, it is time to put it to work. Whether you are a 2.0 player or a 5.0 player, you are never too good to work on your basic dink. Drilling is the key to mastering pickleball skills. A few drills to master your basic dinking skills include:

1. Ba...

Each pickleball point generally follows a particular sequence, which goes as follows: (1) a player serves the pickleball for the first shot; (2) an opponent returns the serve for the second shot; and (3) the serving team either drives the pickleball (to be discussed later in this e-book) or drops...

As a reminder, a drop is similar to a long dink. However, the length of the pickleball court that you need to hit a drop (in particular, a third shot drop), as compared to a dink, is much longer and could be as long as the length of your entire side of the pickleball court. As a result, some of t...

As a reminder, a drop is similar to a long dink. However, the length of the pickleball court that you need to hit a drop (in particular, a third shot drop), as compared to a dink, is much longer and could be as long as the length of your entire side of the pickleball court. As a result, some of t...

Where should you target your placement for a drop? Placement of a drop can be important to give yourself an advantage in achieving your goal of neutralizing your opponents. Here are some basic strategies to improve your placement of your drop:

1. Look Crosscourt – Try targeting your drops c...

After a drop, you want move in to the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line. However, you can only move in if you deserve to be there by hitting a quality drop.

If you hit a poor drop, you should (1) communicate and warn your partner that you hit a poor drop by shouting “Heads up!” or “Watch out!”; a...

Once you hit a quality drop, make sure you move in to the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line and take advantage of your successful shot. You do not want to be forced to continue to hit quality drops on your successive shots—for instance, third, fifth, seventh, and ninth shots. Again, once you hit a ...

Avoid these most common mistakes when hitting a drop:

1. Keeping Your Feet Planted – Proper preparation of your body is essential to a quality drop. Move your feet to get yourself behind the pickleball, bend your knees, and stay compressed to be in a balanced, well-prepared position.

2. ...

The decision to hit a third shot drive or a third shot drop may come down to your individual style of pickleball play, your strengths as a pickleball player, and the effectiveness of the shot against your particular opponents. However, some instances where a third shot drive may be a better decis...

Drilling is essential to improving your pickleball skills, especially your ability to consistently hit quality drops. A few drills to master your basic drop skills include:

1. Drop Throws – You can practice your drop by yourself. Take a few pickleballs and stand in No-Man’s Land or the Tran...

A drive is a shot to send a fastball at your opponents and is similar to a drive in the sport of tennis. Like most other shots in pickleball, a drive is usually more consistent and hit with more power as a forehand shot (rather than as a backhand shot). To hit a forehand drive:

1. Start fro...

Most pickleball players will acquiesce that their backhand drive is not quite as good as their forehand drive. Although the backhand drive may not be your best shot (kudos to those that it is!), the backhand drive does not need to be your enemy either.

Generally speaking, move your feet to run ...

Placement of your drive will be dependent on what opportunities you have on the pickleball court. However, consider the following to determine the best placement for your drive:

1. Down the Middle – Down the middle usually “solves the riddle” of your opponents because the middle part of the...

Sometimes on the pickleball courts, the pickleball will come so fast and so deep that you do not have enough time to do exactly what you want with it. In particular, sometimes when you are about to hit a drive, you are not able to hit the drive with the perfect mechanics. Nevertheless, do as many...

After you hit a great drive, remember to move in toward the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line. Move in as much as you can, while remaining under control with your feet and your body. Once your opponents are about to strike the pickleball, perform your split step and get in the Pickleball Ready posi...

As pickleball players, we have a few options to drive the pickleball other than a flat forehand or backhand groundstroke. One such option is a forehand slice. A forehand slice will generate backspin on the pickleball. This backspin will cause the pickleball to be slower than your basic forehand d...

Similar to a forehand slice, a backhand slice will generate backspin on the pickleball. This backspin will cause the pickleball to be slower than your basic backhand drive, tend to cause the pickleball to lift or rise a little in the air, and could cause the pickleball to skip upon contact with t...

A top spin forehand drive is an advanced specialty forehand drive that generates spin over the top of the pickleball (in other words, the opposite of a slice, which generates backspin). Top spin generally causes the pickleball to pull down and take a nose dive out of the air (again, this is the o...

An inside out forehand is an advanced specialty forehand drive that generates spin on the side of the pickleball (to note, a right-handed inside out forehand will generate clockwise sideways spin, while a left-handed inside out forehand will generate counterclockwise sideways spin). This spin is ...

Imagine you are in a pushing match with someone. Your strongest pushing position would be an athletic position with your arms slightly bent, pushing out in front of your body. In contrast, a weaker pushing position would be one with your arms near your shoulders or behind you. Similar to your str...

When you are playing against players that like to drive the pickleball, be on the lookout out balls. Duck and dodge out balls. Do not help your opponents stay in the point. To improve your detection of out balls, consider the following:

1. Communicate with Your Partner – Two heads are bette...

Avoid these common mistakes when hitting a drive:

1. Overplaying the Pickleball – Too often, pickleball players will overplay and try to do too much with the pickleball. This is especially true when hitting drives. Remember to keep it simple and, above all, keep the pickleball over the net ...

We are about to take a deep dive into volleys. A volley is a shot in pickleball where you hit the pickleball before it bounces. Although some volleys will occur in the Transition Area, the majority of volleys will occur at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line. As a result, it is imperative that yo...

Generally speaking, there are three types of volleys on the pickleball court: (1) a block volley; (2) a punch volley; and (3) a swing volley. A block volley is a shot you will use when you do not have much reaction time and you are trying to absorb the speed or power of the pickleball. A punch vo...

When preparing for a basic forehand block volley, you generally should start in the Pickleball Ready position. You will use your basic forehand block volley when the pickleball is hit hard at you on your paddle side of your body. This could be a body shot or a pickleball that sits relatively low ...

Generally, you will use the block volley when the pickleball is coming at you at a high rate of speed. A block volley can be either a forehand or a backhand; however, the block volley will probably be hit as a backhand most of the time because, if the pickleball is coming at you quickly, you will...

As a reminder, when you are at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line, be in Pickleball Ready with your paddle facing forward or facing 10 or 11 o’clock (or, for a lefty, the 2 or 1 o’clock position). In other words, you should generally be in a backhand paddle position. This is because a backhand s...

A punch volley is a shot where you may have more time or more room to attack a pickleball, but you probably should not be too aggressive and overplay the pickleball. This shot will be very similar to a block volley (including that most punch volleys will probably be hit with a backhand). However,...

A swing volley is a shot where you see you have a clear put away on a pickleball that is attackable. This is essentially a kill shot, as you are trying to win the point.

For a swing volley, you should have an elongated paddle swing of about four to six feet. You should have both a longer backsw...

Imagine you are in a pushing match with someone. Your strongest pushing position would be an athletic position with your arms slightly bent, pushing out in front of your body. In contrast, a weaker pushing position would be one with your arms near your shoulders or behind you.

Similar to your s...

When a pickleball is hit directly at you, you should move your feet to hit a volley. By moving your feet, you will put yourself in an offensive position to hit a volley, rather than a blocking defensive position where you may not even be able to see the pickleball. However, sometimes you may not ...

Imagine you are ready to hit a volley; where do you hit it? You have a lot of options on placement when you are striking a volley (or any other shot). These include hitting the volley:

1. Down the middle;

2. Right at either of your opponents for a body shot;

3. At either of your...

When your opponents come at you with power when you are at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line, you generally have one of two options: (1) hit back with more power; or (2) reset the point with a soft shot. Like the decision to drive versus drop the third shot, the decision generally comes down to...

A drop volley is a soft shot off of a drive from your opponents that lands into your opponents’ side of the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen and is designed to (1) take advantage of an open short court (in other words, the court closest to you and your partner is open); and (2) invite your opponents in...

Pay attention to your paddle angle and your paddle face. The more you open your paddle face toward the sky, the more height you will get when you strike the pickleball. The more you close your paddle face so that your paddle face is parallel to the net, the less height you will get when you strik...

Imagine that your opponents just hit a quality third shot drop that you are trying to volley out of the air, or that your opponents hit a quality dink that you are trying to volley before the bounce. Since your opponents hit a quality shot, it will be unattackable. Your best shot may be to reach ...

When you are dinking at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line, as long as you are hitting quality, unattackable dinks, you can stay low and keep your paddle slightly down around your belly button in the 10 o’clock position (or, if you are a lefty, the 2 o’clock position), as your opponents will be ...

One tip when you are drilling is to consider slowing down your shot in order to really focus and work on your technique. With that in mind, a few drills to master your volley skills include:

1. Partner Toss – Have your partner stand across from you at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line on ...

Before you serve the pickleball (or even return of serve), find your routine to make sure you are both mentally and physically ready for the point. Pre-serve (or pre-return-of-serve) routines can also help you improve your timing. Find your own routine, so you are ready to play and win the point!...

To improve your volley, avoid these common mistakes on the pickleball court:

1. Breaking Your Wrist – Remember to strike each volley with a stable wrist. You should not be flicking or breaking your wrist on contact with the pickleball.

2. Pulling Up Too Quickly – Remember to stay comp...

A general rule of thumb for positioning on the pickleball court is to follow the flight of the pickleball. By following the flight of the pickleball, you will (1) create angles of attack for you; and (2) minimize angles of attack for your opponents.

If you hit the pickleball down the line, move...

Pickleball uses an underhand serve (unlike tennis, which has an overhand serve). The rules of pickleball require the serve to be hit below your belly button with, at the point of contact, (1) your paddle moving in an upward direction; (2) your paddle head in a downward position; and (3) your padd...

A driving serve is a simple serve that stays relatively low above the net and can generate some speed and power against your opponents. To hit a driving serve:

1. Hold your paddle by your pocket.

2. Stand a step behind the baseline with your feet together.

3. Take a step with yo...

A lot of players seem to love to hit the low, powerful driving serve. However, another great option to have in your serve repertoire is a high, deep lob serve. The benefits of a high, deep lob serve include (1) pushing your opponents back on their side of the court (a) making it more difficult fo...

There are two key strategies on the serve. The first is to target your serve to your opponents’ backhands. This is because, in most cases, your opponents’ backhand shots will be weaker than their forehand shots. Targeting your opponents’ backhands causes your opponents to either (1) hit a weaker ...

Be aware of your conditions, which include the wind conditions. All four players on the pickleball court will be dealing with the same conditions, so try to use the wind to your advantage and to your opponents’ disadvantage.

When serving, consider whether you should adjust your strategy or tech...

After you hit your serve, revert to the proper ready position, which should be Tennis Ready at the baseline looking to hit your third shot. As a reminder, Tennis Ready consists of the following:

1. Feet shoulder width apart;

2. Knees bent and your weight on the balls of your feet;

3...

Remember to start in Tennis Ready, which is the proper ready position when you are at the baseline to receive the serve. As a reminder, Tennis Ready consists of the following:

1. Feet shoulder width apart;

2. Knees bent and your weight on the balls of your feet;

3. Paddle facing...

To quickly improve your serve, avoid these common mistakes on the pickleball court:

1. Flicking the Wrist – On a pickleball serve, keep your wrist firm and stable. Avoid the temptation to flick your wrist.

2. Bending Your Elbow – The motion on a pickleball serve is pendulum swing from...

Before your opponents hit the serve, make sure you (1) are in Tennis Ready; (2) are in the proper position a step behind the baseline; and (3) do a small split step to prepare to react and move to hit the return of serve. At first, keep your return of serves simple (in other words, use a short ba...

Similar to a driving serve and a lob serve, there are a few key differences between a driving return of serve and a lob return of serve:

1. Contact Point – For a driving return of serve, you will strike the pickleball more behind the ball. In contrast, for a lob return of serve, you will st...

After you hit your return of serve, you should be working in toward the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line. You should strive to get as close as possible to the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line (hopefully, all the way there!). Depending on how far you get into the pickleball court before your opponen...

To quickly improve your return of serve, avoid these common mistakes on the pickleball court:

1. Failing to Be Ready – Be in Tennis Ready!

2. Taking Your Eyes Off of the Pickleball – Watch the pickleball hit your opponent’s paddle.

3. Failing to Prepare Your Paddle – Before you ...

You have a lot of options when striking your return of serve. A couple of key strategies to keep in mind when returning a serve include:

1. The majority of returns of serve should be played deep and back through the middle. Oftentimes, the phrase “down the middle solves the riddle” proves t...

Imagine that the pickleball sails into the air on a lob. You and your partner need to make a quick assessment on whether you or your partner will strike the pickleball as an overhead, or let the pickleball bounce and strike the pickleball off the bounce. If you decide to strike the pickleball as ...

If you cannot get your body around the pickleball to hit an overhead between 12 and 2 o’clock (or 10 and 12 o’clock if you are a lefty), then you should prepare yourself for a high backhand. Most of the time, this shot will only be designed to keep you in the point, rather than to put away the po...

If you are struggling to reach the pickleball, do not have much time to react, or generally out of position before striking an overhead shot, then you should strive to simply hit the pickleball back to your opponents safely between the lines on the pickleball court (think middle of the pickleball...

When you have the opportunity to strike an overhead, hopefully you hit a quality overhead that is not returnable by your opponents. However, you should always anticipate a return shot by your opponents just in case in the pickleball comes back.

After you strike an overhead, quickly evaluate you...

One of the biggest mistakes that players make is overplaying shots, including overplaying overheads. Remember, you do not need to hit the overhead as hard as you can. Rather, focus on placement and consistency, which will help you either win points or, at least, regain control over points.

Also...

Eliminate these common mistakes on the overhead to quickly improve this skill:

1. Lacking Preparation – Quickly recognize when the pickleball is sent into the air on a lob or other high shot. Upon recognition, prepare the paddle, point your finger, rotate your feet and upper body, and quick...

As more tennis players convert to pickleball, you may see more two-handed backhand drives, which are common in tennis. The downside of hitting a two-handed backhand drive compared to a one-handed backhand drive is that the two-handed backhand drive limits your reach with your paddle. However, the...

The general rule is that you want to work your way to the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line with your partner as soon as possible during the point. However, you must earn the right to be at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line by hitting quality shots and hustling your feet. Sometimes, it may take m...

Try these basic drills to master your drives:

1. Partner Toss – Stand near the baseline. Have your partner stand across from you at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line on the opposite side of the pickleball court. Then, have your partner toss you pickleballs at the baseline or in the Transi...

A top spin forehand or backhand volley is an advanced shot that allows you to attack a pickleball that is otherwise unattackable. In other words, a top spin forehand or backhand volley allows you to hit a pickleball that is below the top of the net, or otherwise in the “red zone.” This shot gener...

There are a lot of shot options on the pickleball court. Other than hitting a reactive block volley when your opponents hit a hard shot when all four players are at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line, consider trying a block volley when you are playing opponents that like to hit drives from the ...

Oftentimes, your opponents will hit a drop volley when you and your partner are back at the baseline preparing to defend against an overhead shot. If your opponents hit a drop volley, you and your partner will be racing up the court to slide your paddle under the pickleball to hit a dink and stay...

Pickleball uses an underhand serve (unlike tennis, which has an overhand serve). The rules of pickleball require the serve to be hit below your belly button with, at the point of contact, (1) your paddle moving in an upward direction; (2) your paddle head in a downward position; and (3) your padd...

Before you start working on any serving drills, consider placing targets on the pickleball court for you to hit. These targets can be cones, sidewalk chalk lines, or even your water bottle. Place your targets deep, to your opponents’ backhand area, and two to three feet within the inside of the l...

Before you start working on any return of serve drills, consider placing targets on the pickleball court for you to hit. These targets can be cones, sidewalk chalk lines, or even your water bottle. Place your targets deep, down the middle of the pickleball court, to your opponents’ backhand area,...

Imagine that the pickleball sails into the air on a lob. You and your partner need to make a quick assessment on whether you or your partner will strike the pickleball as an overhead, or let the pickleball bounce and strike the pickleball off the bounce. If you decide to strike the pickleball as ...

My Pro Pickleball Coach is a platform created by Pickler to help you play your best pickleball. Pickler has teamed up with pickleball pro and pickleball coach, Steve Kennedy, to bring you My Pro Pickleball Coach, which features a compilation of over 140 videos, as well as this corresponding e-boo...

Why should you not go directly into practice play or into a pickleball tournament? It is because you are in a stressful, high-speed situation. Things tend to break down in stressful, high-speed situations, such as your pickleball mechanics. Practice your pickleball mechanics in a non-stressful en...

One of the biggest mistakes that players make is overplaying shots, including overplaying overheads. This is especially true when you may be slightly compromised or not have as much time as would like to strike the overhead.

When you feel compromised on the overhead:

1. Go with the natura...

If you are having issue generating power on your overheads, focus on:

1. Contact Point – Make sure your contact point on your overhead shot is out in front of your body in the 1 o’clock position (or 11 o’clock position if you are a lefty) if you imagine that you are facing a clock. By makin...

To improve your overhead, try these basic drills.

1. Basic Overheads – Start at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line. Have your drill partner (who should be directly across the net from you) toss pickleballs in the air above your body. Give yourself time in between each toss to reset and get...

A lob can be an effective tool on the pickleball courts. Try the following lob strategies to use the lob in the right circumstances and avoid setting your opponents up for too many overheads:

1. Where You Are on the Pickleball Court – Try to use the lob when you are at the Non-Volley Zone o...

A lob is a shot in pickleball where you will put some height on the trajectory of the pickleball and send the pickleball relatively high into the air. In pickleball, there are two types of lobs that you can take advantage of:

1. A Defensive Lob – A defensive lob is a lob with much more arch...

Pay attention to your opponents’ movements, including their footwork, backswings, and paddle angles, which can often telegraph various shots. For instance, if your opponents compress and take a low backswing with a relatively flat paddle angle, be ready for the lob. Once you recognize that your o...

You need to spend a little time drilling on each stroke. There are a lot of strokes to work on and perfect in the game of pickleball, including the lob. So, isolate the lob and try these basic drills to improve your lob:

1. Basic Lob Toss – Have your drill partner stand across the picklebal...

Whether you are hitting a defensive or an offensive lob, avoid these common mistakes to hit the perfect lob:

1. Allowing the Pickleball to Drop Too Low – To hit a strong lob, you must really get under the pickleball with your body and your paddle. If you let the pickleball drop too low, you...

There are three basic paddle grips in pickleball.

1. Eastern Grip – All beginner and intermediate players should be using the basic Eastern paddle grip on the pickleball courts. This is because the basic Eastern paddle grip is universal or neutral, as this paddle grip allows you to hit both...

One of the best drills in pickleball is skinny singles. Skinny singles only requires you and one other player. You can play skinny singles straight on or crosscourt (be sure to try all directional combinations!), but the key is that you will only play in half of the court on each side of the pick...

Work on being a good pickleball player from all over the pickleball court. You could find yourself in any position and in any location on the pickleball court, so work on shots from every such position and location.

One good drill to work on hitting from every spot on the court is to start at t...

When you are playing at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line, some points may come down to which team has better eye-paddle coordination and paddle speed to track down and reset the fastballs. To work on your eye-paddle coordination and improve your paddle speed, try the following drills:

1. ...

Pickleball is a different game than tennis. Pickleball is its own sport, with its own rules and nuances. The basic pickleball shots include the serve, return of serve, third shot drop or drive, and dink. After the third shot drop or drive, all four pickleball players should generally be at the ne...

Drilling is so imperative to improving your pickleball game. Drill, drill, drill. Playing game after game without drilling will not improve your skills as effectively.

When drilling, find a partner that is a good feeder. A good feeder is one that hits consistent balls to you so that you can wor...

Pickleball is addicting and, like the United States Postal Service, “[n]either snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night” will keep you from drilling and playing pickleball. Even if you are stuck in the house, you can work on your pickleball game with the following drill ideas (and, of course, co...

Although My Pro Pickleball Coach focuses on the strategy of pickleball, much of this collection is dedicated to the physical side of the game and the proper mechanics and fundamentals. Nevertheless, do not forget to focus on your mental game on the pickleball courts, which can be just as importan...

If you want to play your best pickleball, focus on these seven keys to the game:

1. Set Realistic Goals – Set goals, but be realistic. Set attainable goals based on your abilities and potential.

2. Drill and Play with a Purpose – Give 110% on every shot, even in practice and recreatio...

The key to disguising your shot is to hit the pickleball out in front of your body. If you let the pickleball get behind you, your shot selection will be very limited. As a result, your opponents will know exactly what you will do. You will not have any options. So, keep the pickleball out in fro...

When it comes to pickleball strategy, heed this advice from Coach Steve:

1. Have a Plan, Work a Plan – Communicate with your partner and create a strategy together. Make sure both you and your partner are on the same page and have bought into the same strategy.

2. If the Strategy Is N...

Singles pickleball is a very different game than doubles pickleball, as the strategy of the game is much different. Every shot is up to you, as you are alone on your side of the pickleball court, and every shot is a one-yard race between you and your opponent.

If you decide you are ready for a ...

As you may know, pickleball may be played both outdoors and indoors. There are some key differences between outdoor and indoor play, which include the following:

1. The Different Type of Pickleball Causes a Slower, Higher Game – In outdoor play, you will find a lot of players using the Dura...

Have you ever been three or more points into a pickleball game and suddenly realized that one of your opponents is a lefty? Be sure to identify whether you are playing a lefty before the beginning of the game, as a lefty will have opposite forehands and backhands as compared to a righty (duh, rig...

If your opponents decide to target and isolate you, try the following strategies:

1. Engage your partner in more shots. For instance, consider having your partner cover 60% or more of the court or encourage your partner to poach more shots.

2. Make play a little more confusing for you...

If your opponents decide to target and isolate your partner, insert yourself into the point. Creep into your partner’s side of the court if necessary. You may even need to cover 60% or more of the court. As you creep into your partner’s side of the court, you will leave part of your court open, w...

Whether you are hitting a dink, volley, or overhead at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line, try hitting the pickleball down toward your opponents’ socks, especially on their respective backhand side. Shots at your opponents’ socks will be more difficult for your opponents to dig out and keep the ...

Whether you are the serving team or the receiving team, there are a few things that need to happen before the pickleball is served:

1. Go Through Your Routine – Pre-serve and pre-return of serve routines are essential to your game. These routines, whether you realize it or not, get both you...

When you are dinking at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line, you may feel the pressure. Take deep breath. Dinking often comes down to how you can handle the pressure. Remember the following tips to try to relieve some of the pressure of the dink:

1. Dink with a Purpose – Use the dink to mak...

If you or your partner have popped the pickleball up so that your opponents are able to hit an offensive shot, immediately prepare yourself to dig out a “put away” shot from your opponents by:

1. Taking a step back off of the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line to buy yourself a fraction more r...

The basic, most rudimentary strategy in pickleball is to keep the pickleball in play—keep your serve in play, keep your return of serve in play, strike a solid third shot drop or drive, and get passed the first few shots of a point. Work on your shots and drill to a point where you can execute va...

Before you step onto the pickleball court, have a plan in place with your partner on how you are going to attack your opponents. Discuss your opponents’ strengths and weaknesses and create a plan of attack. It is very important to figure out your opponents’ strengths and weaknesses quickly becaus...

We have all played against the stereotypical banger on the pickleball court. To defeat the banger, try the following strategies:

1. Always Be Ready – As with any shot, always be compressed in the ready position, whether it be Pickleball Ready or Tennis Ready. This is especially true with ba...

Imagine you are playing against a team that has learned to be a wall. They are blockers. To defeat the blockers, try the following strategies:

1. Be Patient – Blockers will generally not hurt you, meaning they will not have many winners. However, they will generally stay in the point and hi...

Dinking is the cornerstone of pickleball. Embrace playing the dinkers and, when playing the formidable dinkers, try to break them down with the following strategies:

1. Be Patient – Dinkers are generally trying to (a) move the pickleball around the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen to create openi...

Imagine you are playing that dreaded team that lobs, lobs, and lobs some more. To defeat the lobbers, try the following strategies:

1. Good Communication – Have a good game plan with your partner. Communication is key. Know whether you are, or your partner is, going to go and get the lob be...

If your opponents have poor mobility, then this is a weakness that you and your partner can exploit. Make your opponents move on the pickleball court. This does not mean you have to hit lines on the court. However, work on moving the pickleball around the court by (1) taking advantage of some ang...

As you may know, poachers are players that like to intercept pickleballs on their partner’s half of the court. Poaching is more commonly done by the player with the forehand toward the middle of the court. If you find yourself struggling with a player that is poaching often, try the following str...

Players with fast feet are tough opponents because they have an ability to track down most shots. However, quick picklers usually have some weaknesses in their mechanics, strokes, shot selection, or some other skill set because they can rely on their fast feet to keep them in the point. To defeat...

Imagine you are playing someone with a lot of spin. For instance, a player that loves the slice or chip backhand return of serve or the inside out drive or volley. To overcome the tough spin, try the following strategies:

1. Treat Your Game Like a Windy Day – On a windy day, the pickleball ...

An around the post shot, also known as an “ATP,” is a specialty shot in pickleball where you hit the pickleball under the top of the pickleball net and around the post of the pickleball net. An ATP typically happens when a player hits “too good” of a shot, meaning that a player hits a shot with a...

An ATP shot can be difficult to defend against given the typical low trajectory and angle of the pickleball. To defend against an ATP, try the following:

1. If your opponents are successfully and consistently hitting the ATP, avoid hitting shots with sharp angles that give your opponents an...

As mentioned in an earlier lesson, the basic Eastern grip (possibly, with a smidge toward the Continental grip) is the proper paddle grip. Grips are important because grips can determine where the pickleball will go and how you are able to reset for the next shot.

At the higher skill levels, pi...

The governing body for the rules of the sport of pickleball is the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA). The full set of rules can be found at: https://www.usapa.org/docs/ifp/USAPA-Rulebook.pdf

There are quite a few rules that make pickleball unique, and quite a few rules that come into question ...

A poach is where a player crosses over the center line of the court to hit a pickleball on his or her partner’s side of the court. A poach is an aggressive move that can really put pressure on your opponents if executed properly.

When to Poach

Try poaching in the following circumstances:

1....

If your opponents have decided to stack, try to make their stacking strategy as difficult as possible. This is easier when your opponents are the receiving team, rather than the serving team, as a serving team that is stacking only has a step or two to switch sides. However, the same cannot be sa...

Like the ATP, an Erne is a specialty shot on the pickleball court and is named after Erne Perry, who first invented the shot. The Erne is a shot where you hit the pickleball either (1) in the air as you are jumping around the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen; or (2) after you run around or through the ...

To defend against the Erne, try the following:

1. Stay relaxed. Shots like the Erne and the poach are effective because they are aggressive and add pressure on the opposing team. So, remain calm and focus on making your best shot.

2. Keep your eyes on the pickleball. Resist the urge t...

A misdirection shot is a shot hit in the opposite direction of what is natural or what the setup of the shot looks like. In other words, imagine a right-handed player on the even/right-hand side of the pickleball court. The player lifts up the paddle, looking like he or she is about to hit the pi...

Misdirection shots are advanced shots that are not often used by the average pickleball player. However, every now and then you may come across a player that uses the misdirection shot more often than as a “dessert.” To defend against misdirection shots, it is important to first and foremost reco...

Stacking is a strategy that can be used to keep you and your partner on the same side of the pickleball court throughout the game. In other words, you and your partner avoid switching sides of the court on every point won. Stacking is popular in the following circumstances:

1. When your par...

If you have mastered your driving and lob serves, then you may be ready to add another advanced serve to your skill set. An inside out serve is an effective serve that generates horizontal spin on the pickleball. This spin will cause the pickleball to hook or curve—similar to your inside out driv...

There are several types of dinks when you are at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line. You have non-purposeful dinks, which are simple dinks to get the pickleball back over the net. You also have purposeful dinks, where you are trying to be more aggressive and put pressure on your opponents. These...

If you have mastered your driving and lob return of serves, you may be ready to take it up a notch and try two advanced return of serves: (1) the slice or chip return of serve; and (2) the inside out return of serve. These return of serves will make your opponents’ third shot even more difficult,...

If you have mastered your basic drop shot, then you may be ready to add two other drop shots to your skill set—(1) the inside out drop and (2) the top spin drop. An inside out drop is an effective shot that generates horizontal spin on the pickleball. This spin will cause the pickleball to hook o...

Another way to hit more purposeful dinks is to focus on your dink placement. Like any other shot on the pickleball courts, you want to try to find the open court. There will always be open court space, even if your opponents are working in tandem on the pickleball court. You goal will be to find ...