The Pickleball game is growing worldwide. So with time, you have to level up your skills, strategy and some playing methods. To level up and compete with your opponent you should follow some given tips. We have researched and found some best tips for players.
However, it’s much more than that. Interested in stepping up your pickleball game? If you have been playing pickleball for a while now. If so, here’s what you need to know Some tips for upgrading your playing skills.
Tips To Level Up Your Pickleball Game
We really think these tips will help accelerate your game a lot quicker. Even if you don’t have a racket background, these tips can really help you out.
Tip 1 – Use A Continental Grip
This is something we cannot emphasize enough. It is much harder to react in pickleball scoring than in tennis Since the court is much smaller and there is less time to react, especially if you are in the non-volley zone.
It is also very beneficial to you to have one universal grip that you can use in the non-volley zone since you don’t have much time between shots. Get comfortable with that grip by playing with it.
Tip 2 – Get Up To The NVZ And Stay There
Make your way up to the non-volley zone and stay there. There are a lot of players that retreat once they get up to that non-volley zone. There is no resistance from them. We want to get up to that non-volley zone as soon as possible in pickleball. In order to ensure that we stay as long as possible up there, we do our utmost to stay as long as we can.
We are especially prone to this when we are returning. Once I return the ball and make it up to this line, I want to hold my ground and stay there for as long as I can. Whenever I am on the serving team (e.g., I serve, then you hit your third shot), I try my best to make it to the net. Keep your opponent on their heels and stay in the non-volley zone line to put more pressure on them.
There are a few scenarios in which I might retreat. I may win more points if I can stay up at the NVZ line with my partner, but in most cases, I’ll win more points if I can stay up at the NVZ line.
Tip 3 – Always Be In A Ready Position
Maintain a shoulder-width distance between your feet, and bend your knees slightly. Take a moment to relax your shoulders and upper body. Make sure you keep both your arms extended in front of you and your pickleball paddle pointing upwards.
Until this becomes an automatic reflex, train yourself until it becomes a part of your game. It is impossible to predict if your opponent will smash or dink or if they will hit forehands or backhands, so it is best to hold your racket neutrally or with continental grips.
Tip 4 – Understand The Soft Game
In pickleball matches, you may wonder why players hit balls so softly at each other, taking 10, 11, and 12 volleys every single time. The importance of positioning, placing shots, and waiting for the right time.
The importance of positioning, placing shots, and waiting for the right time are all crucial components of this strategy. As opposed to a banger, a soft game player focuses on finding the winning image and forcing their opponent to make a mistake.
As opposed to other sports where you only have to focus on offense or defence, pickleball usually involves three scenarios:
- Attacking
- Defending
- Neutral
So, understanding these different elements of the soft game, even if you are a power game player, will go a long way toward helping you win more pickleball matches.
Tip 5 – Attack Balls Down At Your Opponent Instead Of Through Your Opponent
When an opponent stands directly in front of you, hitting the ball right at them is tempting. But, what typically happens is that the player will have an easy, defensive return because players like to keep their paddles in front of their bodies.
Instead, a better strategy is to focus on hitting the ball down towards your opponent’s feet or on either side of them. This forces your opponent to go down low to get the ball and potentially puts them in an awkward position on the return. Causing your opponent to be off-balance is always an intelligent play.
Tip 6 -Practice Compact And Short Strokes
When you play the game of pickleball relative to tennis, everything is a lot faster, and the court is more minor. The ball is going to come back at you at a faster and quicker rate. In all our strokes, we want to be compact.
Whether you’re hitting volleys or hitting drives, everything you’re hitting should be compact because you’ll have just a few seconds to get back to your ready position.
No matter what shot you hit, that ball can return to you a split second later.
Keep your swings short and compact so that when you finish your shot, you can quickly get it back to the ready position in case you need to defend.
Tip 7 -Always Be Ready For The Fast Ball
In the game of pickleball, no matter where your opponent’s at, what kind of body position they have, where they’re hitting the ball, and even how low their contact is, we urge players always to be ready for a sped-up pickleball ball.
Tip 8- Be SMART, Not Fancy
Most of the time, we want to go for the winner or the highlight shot, but there are several things you can do that will help you start hitting the more brilliant and higher percentage shot.
It might not be fancy, but it’s going to keep the rally going, and it’s going to win you more points.
Everyone wants to hit the winning shot and a highlight shot that ends a point.
In a real game, and also if you look at the top pros, as they play pickleball serve, most of the points are only won by winners sometimes. Many of them are won by unforced errors and getting that ball over again.
Let’s say we’re going to dink rally, and I’ve worked so hard to get to the net; if there’s a ball that’s a little bit high, I may be able to take that risk on that ball, but the brighter shot is maybe just to hit another unattackable dink. I want to work on hitting unattackable shots and force my opponent to make the error.
Why These Tips Are Important?
- Because you never know when they’re going to do it. If you’re always ready for a fastball, they hit a slow or neutral ball, and you’ll always be prepared for that too.
- Keep your guard up, so you don’t get caught off guard.
- It would help if you always looked for them to hit a faster ball or speed up the ball so your mindset is always ready for that ball. This way, you avoid getting caught by surprise.
- A bonus tip here is always to be ready for that ball to come back.
- There are numerous times players attack and think it’s a put-away, but because the other side is ready for it, the ball goes right back and surprises them. They end up losing the point. You want to know that point is over and wait till that ball bounces on the court the second time, no matter how good of a shot you think you hit.
- Ensure that after you hit your shot, you’re not admiring it or thinking it’s a put-away.
- The better and better players you play, they’re going to get to make more balls, so for every shot you hit, you need to be ready for that next ball until the point is over.
FAQs
A cannon is a perfect example of having one moving part versus two. The barrel sits on a stable base and moves to different positions to shoot. What if the bottom moved too? Would it be as effective? No! Two moving parts are much more challenging to synchronize than one.
The game that beats the bangers we refer to as “the soft game,” where the ball is returned softly into the “No-Volley Zone.” While enjoying the new Big Chill Beach Club last week, I overheard two pickle ballers discussing the merits of the soft pickleball-style game, versus the slamming game.
The best way to hit a pickleball softly is to be intentional about your strategy, your position on the court, and the ball’s placement while being aware of the angle of your paddle. Soft shots in pickleball include serve returns, drinking shots, and some volleys.
Conclusion
Getting into the habit of rushing to the net every third shot is easy, but the conditions must also be correct. You need to learn to read the other team if they have you beat and are in position at the net. You may get caught out of place if you immediately rush the net and get pickleball set up for an easy lob over your head. Stay back and try to set up the approach on the next shot. Patience will win points.