Pickleball has really taken off across the country, and every year, we welcome more enthusiastic newbies to the game that has stolen our hearts. Now, with an influx of players throughout the USA, this means more opportunities for some friendly competition. But with that being said, it may be time to up your game should you want to be nothing short of a winner. Luckily, we’re here to help.
Playing Pickleball Like a Pro: Why the Learning Never Stops
Whether you’re someone who wants to get higher up on the competitive ladder, or you just like to play a game or two with your friends, it’s likely that your only goal during a pickleball game is beating your opponent. And, it’s in our nature as humans to want to continually improve at something we’re passionate about. That’s why anyone who really loves pickleball should always strive to refine their technique, develop new skills, and build upon their repertoire of moves.
Besides that, learning new pickleball tips and skills will help keep things interesting so that the game never gets mundane. A simple change in how you grip your paddle, or a new volleying style can keep your mind stimulated, so that playing every week doesn’t start to feel too routine.
To go a bit more in-depth here, there are several key reasons why the road to playing pickleball like a pro is a continuous process and why the learning never stops.
Reason #1: Evolution of the Game
Pickleball is a dynamic and evolving sport. New techniques, strategies, and equipment are constantly being developed. Staying updated with these changes is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. Professional players are always on the lookout for new ways to improve their game, whether through adopting innovative shot techniques or experimenting with the latest paddles and balls designed for better performance. Exploring options like High-Spin Pickleball Paddles can elevate your spin game significantly.
Reason #2: Mastering the Fundamentals
Even for seasoned players, the fundamentals of pickleball (i.e., proper grip, stance, and footwork) are areas that require regular refinement. Consistently practicing and honing these basic skills can lead to more effective and efficient gameplay. Pros often revisit the basics to ensure their foundation is solid, allowing them to execute advanced moves with greater precision.
Reason #3: Mental Toughness and Strategy
Pickleball is as much a mental game as it is a physical one. Developing strategic thinking and mental resilience is an ongoing process. Professionals spend considerable time analyzing their own play as well as their opponents’. This involves studying game footage, understanding patterns, and planning counter-strategies. The mental aspect of the game evolves with experience and continuous learning.
Reason #4: Physical Fitness and Conditioning
Maintaining peak physical condition is essential for playing pickleball at a professional level. This includes not just cardiovascular fitness, but also agility, strength, and flexibility. Players must continuously engage in fitness routines and conditioning exercises to keep their bodies in top shape. As the body ages, adapting workouts to prevent injuries and maintain performance levels becomes increasingly important.
Reason #5: Adaptability and Versatility
The best pickleball players are those who can adapt to various playing styles and conditions. Whether it's playing indoors versus outdoors, on different types of court surfaces, or adjusting to the unique styles of different opponents, adaptability is key. Continuous learning allows players to remain versatile and capable of handling any situation that arises during a match.
Reason #6: Feedback and Coaching
Even professional players benefit from feedback and coaching. Having a coach or a mentor can provide valuable insights and perspectives that a player might overlook. Regular feedback helps identify areas of improvement and reinforces positive habits. Engaging in clinics, workshops, and one-on-one coaching sessions is a common practice among pros who are committed to their growth.
Reason #7: Community and Competition
Being part of the pickleball community provides opportunities for learning and growth. Competing in tournaments, participating in local leagues, and networking with other players exposes professionals to a wide range of playing styles and strategies. The shared knowledge and camaraderie within the community foster an environment of continuous improvement.
Reason #8: Technology and Analytics
Modern technology offers tools that can significantly enhance a player’s learning curve. Video analysis software, performance tracking apps, and advanced equipment allow players to analyze their game in detail. Utilizing these technologies helps players understand their strengths and weaknesses, and even develop targeted training programs.
How Long Does it Take for Someone to Sharpen Their Pickleball Skills?
Sharpening pickleball skills can vary greatly depending on a person's starting point, dedication to practice, and natural athletic ability. Generally, improvement in pickleball skills can be noticeable within a few weeks to a few months of consistent practice. Beginners often experience rapid improvements in their understanding of the game, technique, and strategy, and selecting the right beginner pickleball paddle could be a great way to start.
However, achieving a high level of proficiency, such as competing at a competitive level, may take several months to a few years of focused practice and game experience. Regular practice sessions, learning from experienced players, and participating in competitive play can all contribute significantly to skill development in pickleball.
10 Tips for Upping Your Pickleball Game
Now, without further ado, let’s dive into our absolute favorite tips for sharpening those pickleball skills, based on the words of experts and amateurs alike.
Pickleball Pro Tip #1: Bring Some Variety to Your Shots
We’ve all been there: we figured out a way to hit the ball that seems to be the most effective at scoring a point, and we stick with it, because we know that it’s our best chance at success. The muscle memory eventually then works its magic, and before we know it, we’re doing the same exact repeatedly.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with really developing a single technique so that it feels almost failproof. And so, in those moments where you’ve only a split second to think, going with old reliable can make a lot of sense.
But if you want to keep your opponents on their toes, do what advanced players do: master a variety of shot styles. This way, they never know what’s coming, and you’re far more likely to catch them off-guard. Consider switching things up when it comes to the height at which you hit, how hard you hit it (which affects how far it’s going to travel), and the angle you choose.
Pickleball Pro Tip #2: Master the Art of Footwork
Footwork is maybe the most overlooked part of being a pickleball player. But watch a game played by pros, and you will see that they’re doing things with their feet, intentionally, the entire time.
If you have never practiced footwork off the court, then you’re missing out on an opportunity to really gain an upper hand – or foot, if you will. There are all kinds of exercises you can find online that are meant to build up this very important aspect of playing any court-based game, which can greatly improve balance, speed, agility, and momentum.
When practicing footwork, make a point to keep your feet parallel to one another, as this is how you maintain the right center of gravity. This way, while running around the court, you will be able to move more quickly, as you’re not trying to remember to stay balanced at the same time. Plus, if you’re practicing at home with a ball and a wall, aim to always have your feet moving no matter what, to train those muscles to stay sharp and busy.
Pickleball Pro Tip #3: Create the Dream Team Through Communication
Lots of novice players show up with their friend to the court, and just hope for the best. But if you’re trying to create a winning team, you will need to do a little bit more than that.
While it should seem like common sense, the reality is that communication with your pickleball partner is everything. This means talking to your friend before you get there, to go over strategies, and talk about one another’s strengths and weaknesses. In any sport, it’s important to regularly talk with your teammates about what went wrong and what went right after each game, to establish a good sense of what needs to change for next time, and what skills you should continue to cultivate.
Communicating during the game is another critical factor that is often underestimated. We know that when that ball is flying, it’s easy to go nonverbal with your partner. But subtle cues can be established ahead of time, like small hand motions that you can signal to your partner so that both of you are totally in sync throughout the game. Just these subtle improvements in communication before, during, and after the game can make a huge difference to your team’s success.
Pickleball Pro Tip #4: Research Specific Strategies
Looking to amp things up? Spend some of your free time researching specific strategies, by watching videos on YouTube, reading up on the Pickleball subReddit, and so on. Find out what specific moves and plays will catch your opponent by surprise, and which ones require some extra skill that you can develop while off the court. Trust us when we say that having some surprising strategies in your back pocket can really come in handy when the score is just a little too close for comfort.
Develop new spin techniques, drop shot methods, and other pickleball power moves that can make or break the game, and practice them until they feel like second nature before you debut them, so that they are successful and catch your opponent off guard.
Pickleball Pro Tip #5: Pay Attention to Your Opponent’s Go-To’s
One very good strategy is to take note of your opponent from the beginning of the game until the end. Notice if they have a very specific serving, or volleying style that they use more frequently than not. That way, you can anticipate it and prepare accordingly in terms of where you’re going to go, and how hard you’re going to hit back. Pay attention to their weaknesses. For instances:
- Are they a slow runner?
- Are they worse at returning the ball when it goes high.
- Are they weaker right of their body rather than their left?
This may seem like an obvious suggestion, but so many of us become so focused on our own role in the game that we’re barely paying attention to the opponent themselves - just the ball that’s going back and forth. This is a technique that pro athletes of all federations employ, to figure out how to win based on the other team or player’s shortcomings.
Pickleball Pro Tip #6: Get Comfortable with the Kitchen Line
If you watch hardcore pickleball games among advanced players, notice how a lot of times, they get as close as they can to the kitchen line before shooting their shot. And naturally, this may intimidate beginners who are afraid of going over the line. Practice getting as close as possible without your toes actually crossing over, and then see just how effective your volleys are.
Now, if both players remain at the kitchen line, notice how much faster the game goes by. If speed is a strength of yours, you can really use this technique to your advantage. Just notice that you will need to be much more on the defensive and offensive if going this route, since the ball will be flying by at top speed and could very well hit you in the face. Be aware of how you position your paddle accordingly, too.
Pickleball Pro Tip #7: Practice with a New Paddle Off the Court
Should you decide to switch to a new paddle, whether it be a change in size, material, or style, get acquainted with it off the court before taking it to the game is crucial. Yes, subtle changes in weight, feel, or size can actually throw you off quite a bit during the adjustment phase. So, rather than debut it when you’re in the middle of a match, practice with it at home by bouncing a ball off the wall. Pay attention to how your wrist feels, and how you grip your new pickleball paddle, until it becomes muscle memory, like your new paddle is just an extension of your arm.
There is another benefit to practicing with a new paddle ahead of time. Just like you should wear a new pair of shoes around the house before wearing them to work, playing with your paddle at home means you will know with confidence that your hand isn’t going to cramp up mid-game, and that you’re not going to end up with uncomfortable blisters that impede your skills.
Pickleball Pro Tip #8: Practice Your “Ready” Stance
Believe it or not, how your body is positioned before the ball is served to you can make a massive difference. Not being in the right position can mean it’s simply hard to turn your body as needed depending on which direction the ball goes, or hard to get the right momentum should you have to quickly run to a different side or corner.
So, what is the best “ready” position? Stand on the balls of your feet, with your feet parallel, as this will make sure that your center of gravity enables you to switch to either foot instantly. Have your knees slightly bent so you can jump into action in a split second, and make sure your head is forward and alert.
Pickleball Pro Tip #9: Really Get into Those Warmups
When it comes to any physical activity, whether it be Pilates at home, a long walk around town, an intensive gym workout, or a hike, you want to warm up your body properly beforehand. And, that’s true of pickleball too. We really underestimate just how much we’re pushing our range of motion when we’re playing, and how many quick turns we’re taking to stay on top of our game. If our joints are a little sluggish or tight, it can take longer for our bodies to respond to what our minds are telling them to.
So, make an effort to really stretch before starting out, and consider researching the best stretches and warmup exercises for pickleball in particular. This will get your body loose and responsive so you can be totally ready for whatever comes your way.
Pickleball Pro Tip #10: Treat Your Body Right Off the Court
Obviously, just like any athlete, pickleball players will benefit from taking care of their bodies so that they’re in peak performance. In fact, pickleball has motivated many people to get healthier, so that they can become better players, which is just one of the many benefits of the game.
Make sure you’re getting adequate sleep each night, staying hydrated, and eating clean and healthy meals. Consider introducing pickleball hydration and supplements into your daily routine, as these can boost physical performance, stamina, focus, and mood, all of which can make you a much better player.
Become a Pickleball Master in No Time!
Playing pickleball like a pro is not a destination but a journey of perpetual learning and growth. The sport’s evolving nature, coupled with the need for constant improvement in skills, strategy, fitness, and adaptability, ensures that there is always something new to learn. Embracing this continuous learning mindset is what separates good players from great ones, making the pursuit of excellence in pickleball an exciting and lifelong endeavor.
Again, pickleball can be a leisurely activity or a highly competitive sport, depending on how you look at it. So, whatever your approach to the game may be, there’s never a good reason to stay stagnant when it comes to your skills. Improvement and growth are a necessary part of anything we do, and improving your pickleball game with these awesome tips can make you feel more confident and prouder when you’re out there on the court.