5 Pickleball Tricks to Dominate Your Next Game
Like many sports, once you understand pickleball rules and learn how to swing your pickleball paddle properly, the most important part of improving your game is what goes on between your ears. Pickleball is no different! This game may seem simple and easy for new players, but advancing your skill level and reaching the next level requires the right mindset and pickleball strategy (not to mention practice).
In today’s article, we discuss five pickleball tips and tricks that will help you dominate your next pickleball game and become a better player.
#1 - Focus on Footwork, Not Your Technique
Technique, meaning how you hit the ball or grip the paddle, is important. But you should already have your technique down before you step into your next match. Instead of thinking about your technique during your next match, focus on your footwork.
By focusing on your footwork, such as the split step and shuffle step, you can let your skills and technique happen naturally. Advanced players can tell you that if you’re too busy worrying about how you’re going to hit the ball or how you should be holding your paddle, then your reaction time will be slower. Getting yourself (and your feet) into the ready position is something you can control at the moment to enhance your overall game.
The ready position is standing with your feet a shoulder’s width apart, balancing on the balls of your feet, with your paddle in front of your body. This position will allow you to move backward towards the baseline or spring forward towards the kitchen line or side of the court and make a powerful return of serve. The ready position should be your go-to position at the start of every point and can be helpful during intense volley exchanges.
#2 - Don’t Let the Score Affect Your Effort
We’ve all been there. You have a big lead in a match due to your unstoppable third shot drop, and your soft game has never looked better. You lose focus. The next thing you know, it’s all tied up, or you’ve just given up the winning point. What a letdown!
The opposite can be true as well. Let’s say you’re down 7-0 because your dink shots just aren’t landing in the NVZ. Many of us will begin to make mistakes and force shots. Instead, focus on shot selection a playing it smart. Sometimes in the game of pickleball, you need to have patience. You never know when your opponent will relax and give you the opportunity to get back into the game.
#3 - Adapt to Survive
Everyone has their favorite style of play and favorite pickleball shots. Some players have a killer forehand or backhand, while others excel at lob shots. Most players will prefer either a power game or a finesse game.
However, sometimes we get so caught up in how we play that we forget the importance of figuring out how our opponents like to play and adjust accordingly. This is especially true if your normal game style doesn’t seem to work in your current match.
For example, let’s say you’re a banger, but your opponent keeps giving you finesse shots you can’t seem to get a good drive on. Try to adjust your game (slightly) to counteract theirs. It doesn’t do you much good if your shots keep going into the net.
Of course, you don’t want to change up your game too much, especially if you don’t feel confident playing another way. Making subtle changes throughout a match to outwit and outplay your opponent will give you a higher chance of winning games and make you an overall better pickleball player.
One thing to look keep an eye on is your opponent’s feet. The feet are a dead giveaway for the intended direction and sometimes the type of shot that is coming up. Be proactive instead of reactive, and watch how many points you win!
#4 - Get a Good Warm-Up
Like a golfer needs to warm up by taking a few shots and putts before getting onto the course, pickleball players need to warm up by hitting a few shots themselves. So often, we see players hop straight onto the court without a proper warmup, and they haphazardly start hitting the ball all over the place. An improper warmup can lead to a series of bad shots, frustrations, and lost points that didn’t need to happen.
Practice warm up drills, and stretch your body before you get out on the court. Players who warm up make fewer mistakes and reduce their chances of injury.
#5 - Be Patient
Everyone loves the big shots. Those are what you remember the most, making the highlight reels in our heads. But 75-80% of our play on the pickleball court should involve shots to set up those big moments. You'll lose more often if you’re going for a score or putaway on every shot. Instead, remind yourself to be patient and look for the key opportunities to take those shots.
Oftentimes, the difference between the winning and losing team isn’t who makes the biggest shots, but who is the most patient and makes the fewest unforced errors.
That’s it! Take these five tips and practice them the next time you play a pickleball match. We’re confident that you’ll be set up for success and dominate your next game.
Check out the following video from Enhance Pickleball for more great strategies and info.
