Top Blunders Tennis Players Make in Pickleball
Many tennis players have been dipping their toes in the world of pickleball. In case you’re unfamiliar with this sport, pickleball combines tennis, badminton, and ping pong. It’s played on a court that looks like a tennis court but is smaller, and it uses paddles and a plastic ball. While its gameplay is simple enough, tennis players make some critical mistakes when they start playing pickleball.
Not Reducing Their Power
One key factor of pickleball that some tennis players might struggle with initially is the smaller court size. Roughly four pickleball courts can fit inside a single tennis court.
Because you have much less room when playing pickleball, you can’t afford to give your swings as much power as you would in a tennis match. This applies to both singles and doubles matches.
The ball hasn’t as much room to travel as in tennis, so bear this in mind when you play. You can still smash the ball, just don’t focus on distance. With pickleball, there’s much more emphasis on technique and strategic manoeuvring than brute force.
Keeping Their Swing Too Big
Another mistake tennis players make is taking the same approach to swinging their rackets. This should be changed, again, because of the smaller court size. Because pickleball courts are much smaller, there’s a lot less time between hitting the ball and the ball coming back to you.
In tennis, you can easily make a giant swing and have enough time to prepare for hitting the ball again. However, pickleball doesn’t always offer this same luxury. While you have a bit of time between hits, it’s not as long as tennis. Therefore, you should reduce your swing to be fully prepared to make the next hit.
Playing As If They’re Using a Tennis Racket
When you’ve been playing a particular sport for a while, you’ll be used to using whatever equipment the sport requires. If you start playing pickleball after spending a lot of time on tennis, you shouldn’t treat the paddle in the same way as a tennis racket. The two are different, plus the games themselves are different.
You have to learn a new way to handle and play with the paddle when playing pickleball. You shouldn’t keep the head of it up; instead, it’s best to keep it down, ideally below your hand. This is the optimal way to hold your paddle. It may take some time, but it will benefit your pickleball skills in the long run.
Not Mastering the Footwork
With pickleball, you have considerably less room to move around than you do when playing tennis. Some tennis players don’t take the time to think about this and find it too hard to stay within the pickleball court’s boundaries. Before you start playing, you should focus on adjusting to the smaller court size. When it comes to playing pickleball, you’re only going to be used to the smaller playing area if you keep on top of your footwork.
You’ll already be used to thinking about footwork as a tennis player. When you start playing pickleball, it’s a good idea to not push yourself too much too soon. Focus on less aggressive gameplay and agree with your partner that neither of you won’t hit the ball too hard. If the ball travels a bit more slowly, this should give you a bit of extra time to work on your footwork and decide what best suits you.
Not Practising
If you want to become a good pickleball player, you can’t just assume you’ll be good because you’re a tennis player and the two sports are similar. While playing tennis can help you, it won’t do everything for you. Practise pickleball not just by playing matches but also by developing techniques, watching tutorials and thinking about how you could improve your performance when you play.
Practice can help you with all sorts of things. If you’re into casino games, practising for free can help you become familiar with the rules and master strategies. When you come to select a suitable real money online casino, you’ll be confident enough to gamble correctly.
Rushing Whenever They Serve
It’s common practice for tennis players to rush whenever they serve. More often than not, they have the time and space to do this, plus it doesn’t always affect the game negatively, so there’s a reason to do it. However, in pickleball, you shouldn’t necessarily rush when it comes to serving.
When playing pickleball, you should refrain from rushing as much as possible, no matter what level you're at. Given the fast-paced nature of the game, it can be tempting to rush. However, you’ll be a much better and more consistent player if you maintain a calm composure. Stay focused, and don’t give in to the temptation to rush.
Ignoring the Middle of the Court
The seven-foot zone on either side of the pickleball net is the kitchen or the non-volley zone. Simply put, you’re not allowed to volley here. Tennis players might ignore this part of the court, but they shouldn’t. You must maintain control over the kitchen to prevent your opponent from gaining an advantage.
You can be in the kitchen at any time except when volleying. It’s a good idea; a general recommendation is to spend a lot of time standing on the kitchen line. By doing this, you’ll be well-prepared for moving into the kitchen to make a shot.
