Pickleball Tactics:

If you want to improve your pickleball game and win more matches, you need to learn some effective pickleball tactics and techniques. In this article, we will share with you 15 best tips and tricks that will help you master the pickleball court and beat your opponents. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced player, these pickleball strategies will give you an edge over the competition.

1. Consistently Serve Deep, to Backhands & in the Court

The serve is the first shot of every pickleball rally, and it is the only shot that you have complete control over. Therefore, you should make the most of it and use it to your advantage. A good serve can set the tone for the rally and put pressure on your opponents.

One of the best pickleball tactics for serving is to hit the ball deep into the service box, close to the baseline, but within the court. This will push your opponents back and make it harder for them to return the ball. It will also give you more time to get to the net and prepare for the next shot.

Another tip is to target your opponents’ weaker side, which is usually their backhand side. Most pickleball players have stronger forehand shots than backhand shots, so hitting to their backhand will force them to use their less dominant stroke. This will increase the chances of them making errors or hitting weak returns.

However, while a deep serve is preferable, you should also avoid hitting your serve out of bounds or into the net. You only have one chance to serve in pickleball, so you don’t want to waste it by giving away easy points. Therefore, you should aim for consistency and accuracy over power and speed.

2. Return Deep, to Backhands & to the Opponent with a Weaker Third Shot

The return of serve is the second shot of every pickleball rally, and it is also very important. The return of serve can determine whether you gain or lose the advantage in the rally. A good return of serve can put your opponents on the defensive and allow you to get to the net faster.

Similar to the serve, one of the best pickleball tactics for returning is to hit the ball deep into your opponents’ side of the court, close to the baseline, but within the court. This will make it difficult for them to hit an aggressive third shot and force them to lift the ball over the net. It will also give you more time to move forward and get into position at the no-volley zone (NVZ) line.

Another tip is to hit your return of serve to your opponents’ weaker side, which is usually their backhand side. This will make them use their less comfortable stroke and reduce their options for hitting a good third shot. It will also create an opening for you to exploit on their forehand side.

However, like the serve, while a deep return is desirable, you should also avoid hitting your return out of bounds or into the net. You don’t want to give up points by making unforced errors or hitting weak returns. Therefore, you should aim for consistency and accuracy over power and spin.

3. Move Your Feet & Bend Your Knees

Pickleball is a dynamic sport that requires a lot of movement and agility. You need to be able to move quickly and efficiently around the court, change directions, adjust your position, and react to different shots. Therefore, one of the most essential pickleball techniques is footwork.

Footwork is the foundation of good pickleball play. It allows you to get into optimal position for every shot, balance yourself, generate power, control direction, and prevent injuries. Without good footwork, you will struggle to keep up with the pace of the game and hit effective shots.

One of the best tips for improving your footwork is to move your feet constantly and bend your knees slightly. This will keep you ready for any situation and help you move faster and smoother. You should avoid standing still or flat-footed on the court, as this will make you slow and stiff.

Another tip is to use small steps instead of big leaps when moving around the court. This will help you maintain balance and stability, as well as accuracy and precision. You should also use lateral steps instead of crossing your feet when moving sideways, as this will help you cover more ground and avoid tripping.

4. Watch the Pickleball & Hit the Pickleball Out in Front

One of the most common mistakes that pickleball players make is not watching the ball closely enough. They tend to look away from the ball before they hit it, or they take their eyes off the ball after they hit it. This can lead to missing the ball, hitting the ball out of bounds, or hitting the ball into the net.

Therefore, one of the most important pickleball techniques is to watch the ball at all times. You should keep your eyes on the ball from the moment it leaves your opponent’s paddle until it bounces on your side of the court. You should also watch the ball as you swing your paddle and hit it, and follow its trajectory until it lands on your opponent’s side of the court.

Watching the ball will help you judge its speed, spin, direction, and bounce. It will also help you time your swing and hit the ball at the right moment. This will improve your accuracy, consistency, and power.

Another tip is to hit the ball out in front of your body, not behind or beside it. This will allow you to hit the ball with more force and control. It will also prevent you from hitting the ball too late or too early, which can cause errors or weak shots.

5. Be in “Pickleball Ready” with Your Pickleball Paddle Up

Pickleball is a fast and unpredictable sport that requires quick reactions and adjustments. You never know what kind of shot your opponent will hit next, or where the ball will go. Therefore, you need to be prepared for anything and ready to respond.

One of the best pickleball tactics for being ready is to adopt a “pickleball ready” position when you are not hitting the ball. This means standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent, your weight on the balls of your feet, and your paddle up in front of your chest.

This position will help you move faster and easier in any direction, as well as balance yourself better. It will also help you reach for any shot that comes your way, as well as swing your paddle faster and smoother.

Another tip is to keep your paddle up at all times, especially when you are at the net. This will help you block or volley any balls that come at you quickly or unexpectedly. It will also help you hit more offensive shots and put pressure on your opponents.

6. Learn a Compact Stroke

Pickleball is a sport that requires a lot of finesse and touch, not just brute force and speed. You need to be able to hit different types of shots with different angles, spins, and trajectories. You also need to be able to adapt to different situations and conditions on the court.

Therefore, one of the most useful pickleball techniques is to learn a compact stroke. A compact stroke is a short and simple swing that allows you to hit the ball with more control and accuracy. It also allows you to hit the ball faster and easier, as well as recover quicker for the next shot.

A compact stroke involves keeping your paddle close to your body, moving it back slightly before hitting the ball, and following through slightly after hitting the ball. You should avoid swinging your paddle too far back or too far forward, as this will make you lose control and power.

A compact stroke is especially effective for hitting dinks, drop shots, volleys, and drives. It is also useful for hitting shots in tight spaces or under pressure.

7. Make a Decision on Shot Selection & Commit to It

Pickleball is a sport that requires a lot of decision making and strategy. You need to choose what kind of shot to hit, where to hit it, how hard to hit it, and when to hit it. You also need to consider what your opponent is doing, what your partner is doing, what the score is, what the wind is doing, etc.

Therefore, one of the most important pickleball tactics is to make a decision on shot selection and commit to it. You should have a clear idea of what you want to do with each shot before you hit it. You should also stick with your decision and execute it with confidence and conviction.

Making a decision on shot selection will help you focus on your shot and avoid hesitation or doubt. It will also help you hit more effective shots and avoid errors or weak shots.

Committing to your decision will help you follow through with your shot and avoid changing your mind at the last second. It will also help you avoid confusion or miscommunication with your partner.

8. Play to Your Strengths & Your Opponents’ Weaknesses

Pickleball is a sport that involves a lot of skill and technique, but also a lot of psychology and tactics. You need to know not only how to play well yourself, but also how to play against your opponents. You need to exploit their weaknesses and avoid their strengths.

Therefore, one of the best pickleball strategies is to play to your strengths and your opponents’ weaknesses. You should identify what you are good at and what your opponents are bad at, and use that to your advantage.

For example, if you have a strong serve and your opponent has a weak return, you should serve aggressively and put pressure on their return. If you have a good forehand and your opponent has a weak backhand, you should hit to their backhand side and force them to use their weaker stroke. If you have a good dink game and your opponent is impatient or clumsy, you should engage them in a dink rally and wait for them to make a mistake.

Playing to your strengths and your opponents’ weaknesses will help you win more points and games. It will also help you boost your confidence and lower your opponents’ morale.

9. Keep the Pickleball Low

Pickleball is a sport that favors the team or player that controls the net. The net is the most advantageous position on the court, as it allows you to hit more offensive shots and put pressure on your opponents. Therefore, one of the best pickleball tactics is to keep the ball low over the net.

Keeping the ball low over the net will make it harder for your opponents to hit a good shot. It will force them to hit the ball up, which will give you an opportunity to attack or volley. It will also increase the chances of them hitting the ball into the net or out of bounds.

Keeping the ball low over the net can be done by using different types of shots, such as dinks, drop shots, drives, slices, or topspins. You should avoid hitting the ball high over the net, as this will give your opponent’s more time and options to hit a good shot.

Keeping the ball low over the net will help you gain or maintain the net position and dominate the rally.

10. Communicate, Move together with your partner

Pickleball is a sport that requires a lot of teamwork and coordination, especially when playing doubles. You need to work well with your partner, communicate effectively, and move together as a unit. Therefore, one of the most essential pickleball techniques is communication and movement.

Communication and movement are key to playing good pickleball doubles. They help you avoid confusion or collisions with your partner, cover more court area, create more angles, and hit better shots.

Communication involves talking to your partner before, during, and after each point. You should discuss your strategy, call out shots, encourage each other, and give feedback. You should use clear and simple words or phrases, such as “mine”, “yours”, “switch”, “no”, “go”, etc.

Movement involves moving in sync with your partner on the court. You should move forward or backward, left or right, together as a team. You should also adjust your position according to the situation and your partner’s position. You should avoid staying too far apart or too close together, as this will create gaps or overlaps on the court.

Communication and movement will help you play better pickleball doubles and have more fun with your partner.

11. Let the Out Balls Go

Pickleball is a sport that requires a lot of concentration and judgment. You need to be able to tell whether a ball is in or out of bounds, and whether to hit it or let it go. Therefore, one of the most important pickleball tactics is to let the out balls go.

Letting the out balls go means not hitting balls that are clearly going out of bounds or into the net. This will save you energy and time, as well as prevent you from making errors or weak shots. It will also give you points or serve opportunities if your opponent hits an out ball.

Letting the out balls go can be done by using your eyesight, hearing, and intuition. You should watch the ball closely as it travels through the air and bounces on the court. You should listen for any sounds that indicate an out ball, such as a thud or a whistle. You should also trust your gut feeling if you are unsure about the ball.

Letting the out balls go will help you play smarter pickleball and avoid unnecessary risks.

12. Dink Crosscourt (Most of the Time)

Pickleball is a sport that requires a lot of skill and strategy. You need to be able to hit different types of shots with different purposes and effects. One of the most common and effective shots in pickleball is the dink.

The dink is a soft shot that barely clears the net and lands in the no-volley zone (NVZ) on your opponent’s side of the court. The dink is used to neutralize your opponent’s attack, extend the rally, create openings, or set up for a kill shot.

One of the best pickleball techniques for hitting dinks is to hit them Crosscourt (Most of the Time) This means that you should hit a soft shot that barely clears the net and lands in the no-volley zone (NVZ) on your opponent’s side of the court, and that you should aim for the diagonal corner of the court most of the time. This will give you more margin for error, make your opponent move more, and expose their weaker side.

13. Aim behind your opponent

This means that you should hit the ball to where your opponent is coming from, not where they are going to. This will catch them off guard and make them change direction or stop abruptly. It will also make them lose momentum and balance, as well as waste energy.

14. Over the Pickleball Net, Between the Lines & Mostly Down the Middle

This means that you should avoid hitting the ball into the net or out of bounds, and that you should hit the ball to the center of the court or between your opponents in doubles most of the time. This will prevent you from giving away easy points or giving your opponent an easy shot. It will also create confusion and miscommunication between your opponents in doubles.

15. Be Patient: 

This means that you should not hit every ball hard or try to end every rally quickly, and that you should not get frustrated or angry when things don’t go your way. Instead, you should play smart and steady pickleball, hitting soft shots when necessary, extending rallies when possible, and looking for openings when available.

FAQs 

How can you gain an edge over your opponents with your serve and return of serve? 

One way to gain an edge over your opponents with your serve and return of serve is to hit the ball deep and to their backhand side. This will force them to move back and use their weaker stroke. It will also give you more time to get to the net and hit a better third shot. To hit the ball deep and to their backhand side, you need to use different types of shots such as drives, slices, or topspins that make the ball dip or skid after crossing the net.

What are some mental aspects of pickleball that you need to consider? 

Some mental aspects of pickleball that you need to consider are your strategy, psychology, and decision making. You need to choose what kind of shot to hit, where to hit it, how hard to hit it, and when to hit it. You also need to consider what your opponent is doing, what your partner is doing, what the score is, what the wind is doing, etc. You need to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses and avoid their strengths. You need to anticipate their movements and intentions, and also deceive them on your own.

What is a simple rule that can help you win more points in pickleball? 

A simple rule that can help you win more points in pickleball is: “When in doubt, dink.” This means that if you are not sure what shot to hit or where to hit it, you should hit a soft shot that barely clears the net and lands in the no-volley zone (NVZ) on your opponent’s side of the court. This will neutralize your opponent’s attack, extend the rally, create openings, or set up for a kill shot. Dinking is one of the most important skills in pickleball, as it allows you to control the pace and direction of the game.

What are some skills and qualities that you need to dominate pickleball? 

Some skills and qualities that you need to dominate in pickleball are your serve and return of serve, your stroke, your footwork and balance, your eye and timing, and your repertoire of shots. You also need your strategy, your decision making, your mindset, your communication and coordination with your partner, and your attitude towards your opponents. You need to have a consistent and accurate serve and return of serve, a compact and powerful stroke, good footwork and balance, a keen eye and timing, and a versatile repertoire of shots. You also need a smart and steady strategy, a clear and confident decision making, a strong and positive mindset, good communication and coordination with your partner, and a fun and respectful attitude towards your opponents.