Are you struggling as a beginner pickleball player?
If yes, then you have accurately arrived at the right place. Here we will help you to understand which pickleball tips a beginner needs to improve their game.
Without further ado, let us dive into knowing the 5 best pickleball tips for beginners.
5 Beginner Pickleball Tips
Follow the following 5 Pickleball strategies for beginner to improve your game:
1. Control the Speed of the Ball
Have you ever wondered how controlling the speed or pace of the ball can affect your pickleball play positively?
Yes! Speed has a great part to play in your pickleball. With its help, you can increase, decrease or do whatever changes you like. And that is why mastering the speed can even make you win many pickleball matches.
But how? Let us understand it from the given example.
If your opponent plays hard shots at you, you can block them easily by hitting them with a relatively shorter distance.
For instance, consider a situation when your opponent plays the hard shots from a distance of about 15 yards at you. Then in this scenario, you have to stand near the kitchen line and block these hard shots of your opponent.
You can easily block it by hitting that shot with a distance that ends in the non-volley zone of your opponent. Repeating this will let you know how to slow down the ball’s speed to make a win-win situation.
I want to give you a pro tip for improving your game: hold the grip of your paddle loose. It will help you use your paddle to block the shots instead of putting stress on your arms.
That is how a beginner can kick start their pickleball journey by following one of these 5 main pickleball tips.
Almost every sport needs you to be friendly, or someone with a cooperative mindset, and so is the case with pickleball.
Accordingly, if you want to earn a name in pickleball, you need to collaborate with likewise people as a beginner or even a pro player.
Try to attend some social parties or gatherings of pickleball and then engage with people there.
The more quality expansion of your social circle, the more your chances of getting expert advice and winning the game.
3. Try to Play Closer to the Kitchen Line
Why not increase your chances of winning extra points by accurately deciding your position concerning the court?
Yes! You have a good chance to do it conveniently.
So as a beginner, you may like to use the court’s baseline. If you are doing it, then you are making a mistake. Because for an effective play, you need to stay in a position closer to the kitchen line.
It is the area where most of your play goes on. And also the zone where you have a good opportunity to score some good points. So it would help if you tried to stand near the kitchen line and then answer your opponent’s shots.
For example, if the ball drops in the non-volley zone, hit it and move forward near the kitchen line to make the play competitive. Doing this helps volley the balls and cut off the angles in comparatively better positions.
4. Use Your Sharp Instincts to Play
Laziness may make you lose some of your favorite pickleball matches because it is a play of quick actions, and you do not like dull-minded players.
For instance, let us imagine a scenario when you and your opponent are up for the play in their respective positions on the court.
Your opponent starts hitting the ball on your side. But you need to return it with an active mindset. You are just waiting for the ball to drop on your side, and then you hit it. Then, in this case, you may lose the game due to your utmost carelessness.
That is why being a beginner, you are suggested to be as active as possible. You can achieve this skill along with the other 4 through daily drills.
You can do it easily by standing in your ready posture, expanding your legs, and bending your knees with your paddle up in your handle.
This posture indicates your activeness and control of the balls, enabling you to play peacefully. So you don’t have to be a lazy bird who repents on their lazy activities.
5. Modify Your Swing
Swing plays a major role in pickleball. As a beginner, you need to focus on improving it.
But the problem is that many beginners lose the games by avoiding a nice combo of follow through and backswing.
Comprising these two is where you must focus on excelling in your swing in pickleball.
I have experienced that at the beginning of the pickleball journey, you may not focus on the direction of your backswing and follow through. That is why you lead to give up the game.
Thus, to improve your pickleball swing, place a net or anything behind you on the pickleball court.
Then you need to bring the paddle back, touch that thing, and hit the ball to achieve an appreciable backswing.
In the same way, you have to bring the paddle forward in a comparatively suitable direction to hit the ball for making a good follow-through.
Besides the above tip discussing the swing, I suggest not twisting your wrist too much when striking the ball. Beginners often repeat this mistake and then repent upon the results.
Therefore, keep your arm in a balanced and relaxed posture.
Learn More About Pickleball Strategies for Beginners
Final Thoughts: Pickleball Tips for Beginners
Consequently, if you are a beginner, you need to improve your swing, stay closer to the kitchen line, avoid laziness and grow your social circle can help you kick-start pickleball effectively. It is easy to achieve these 5 tips by following the easiest guide above.
I am Michael Wanner, an experienced and educated expert in the field of pickleball. I hold a degree in Sports Science from Cleveland State University, Ohio, USA. My expertise lies in the technical aspects of pickleball and how to play it effectively. I have spent many years playing and coaching pickleball and have a wealth of knowledge to share with my readers. I am a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their pickleball skills and strategies.
