You’ve found your local court, got some gear, and played your first few sessions. Now what? These ten tips will help you skip the frustrating intermediate plateau and start playing smarter, sooner.
1. Get to the Kitchen Line — and Stay There
The number one mistake beginners make is hanging back near the baseline. In pickleball, the kitchen line is where points are won.
After the return of serve bounces (the double-bounce rule), move forward to the non-volley zone line as quickly as possible. Players who control the kitchen control the rally. Being back at the baseline puts you in a reactive position where you’re always defending.
Work on your transition game — moving from the baseline to the kitchen line safely and in a ready position.
2. Master the Dink Before Anything Else
The dink — a soft, controlled shot that arcs just over the net and lands in the kitchen — is the foundation of advanced pickleball. It looks boring. It’s not.
A well-executed dink forces your opponent to hit up on the ball, preventing them from attacking. It creates the conditions for errors or for you to set up a winning shot.
Practice dinking cross-court (the longer, safer shot) and straight ahead. Aim to land the ball in the kitchen, close to the net. Consistency over power.
3. Let the Ball Come to You (Stop Running Around Shots)
New players instinctively chase balls wide and late, contorting their bodies into awkward positions. The result: mishits, no power, and weird spin.
Whenever possible, move into position first, then swing. Your footwork sets up your shot. Short, quick steps — not lunging — are what good court movement looks like.
4. Hit to the Middle in Doubles
When you’re unsure where to hit, aim for the middle of the court. This targets the area between your two opponents and:
- Creates confusion about who should take the ball
- Eliminates the angle for sharp cross-court winners
- Reduces your margin of error (the net is lowest in the middle)
It’s not glamorous, but it’s remarkably effective at the club level.
5. Use the Third Shot Drop
The third shot — the serving team’s response to the return of serve — is one of the most important and most misunderstood shots in pickleball.
After you serve, your opponents will return from the baseline and likely rush the net. You’re back at your baseline, they’re at the kitchen. What do you do?
Drive it hard? No — they’ll block it back at your feet.
The answer is the third shot drop: a soft, arcing shot that lands in the kitchen, forcing your opponents to hit up rather than attack. This shot buys you time to advance to the kitchen line yourselves.
It takes practice, but developing a reliable third shot drop will dramatically improve your game.
6. Stop Trying to Hit Winners All the Time
Pickleball at the recreational level is won by consistency, not winners. Most points are decided by unforced errors — balls hit into the net, hit wide, or popped up for easy put-aways.
Give yourself margin on every shot. Don’t aim for the line — aim for a metre inside the line. Don’t try to rip a ball at full pace — control the pace. The player who makes fewer mistakes wins.
As your skill improves, you’ll earn the right to be aggressive. Until then, steady beats spectacular.
7. Grip Pressure: Lighter Than You Think
Most beginners grip the paddle far too tightly. A death grip causes tension in the arm, reduces wrist flexibility, and kills feel on soft shots.
A useful cue: imagine you’re holding a small bird — firm enough that it can’t escape, gentle enough that you’re not crushing it. A relaxed grip creates faster hands, better touch, and less arm fatigue.
If you find yourself white-knuckling the paddle under pressure (in tight moments, most people do), actively remind yourself to loosen up.
8. Watch the Ball, Not Your Opponent
This sounds obvious, but most recreational players watch their opponent’s body rather than tracking the ball all the way to the paddle. Watch the ball from your opponent’s paddle, through the flight, all the way to your own paddle face on contact.
Good ball tracking improves contact point consistency immediately. It’s one of the simplest adjustments with the biggest payoff.
9. Find a Playing Partner Who Challenges You
The fastest way to improve in pickleball is to play against people who are better than you. Playing only against beginners confirms bad habits.
Most clubs actively mix ability levels in open-play sessions precisely for this reason. Don’t be shy about asking more experienced players for feedback — the pickleball community is unusually generous with advice.
10. Record Yourself Playing
This sounds uncomfortable. Do it anyway. Watching yourself play — even just a short phone video from behind the court — reveals things you’d never notice from inside the game.
Common things beginners see when they first watch themselves:
- Standing too far back from the kitchen line
- Not moving their feet before swinging
- Oversized backswings on soft shots
- Popping up on dinks instead of keeping the paddle flat
Five minutes of footage is worth a month of playing without feedback.
One More Thing: Have Fun With It
Pickleball is one of the most enjoyable sports to learn because progress is fast and the community is welcoming. Every session you’ll try something new and notice something improve.
Get the right gear, get on court, and play differently.