You don't need to hit harder to get better at pickleball. These seven tips make the biggest difference, fast.
1. Get your serve in, every time
A safe, deep serve beats a risky fast one. Missing a serve hands the point away.
2. Return deep, then move up
Hit your return of serve deep, then move to the kitchen line. The team at the net usually controls the rally.
3. Learn the third-shot drop
The serving team's third shot is the hardest. A soft drop into the kitchen lets you and your partner move forward safely.
Video: The Perfect Pickleball Third Shot Drop, with coach Kaitlyn Kerr (YouTube)
4. Be patient with dinks
Keep dinks low and wait for a ball that's high enough to attack. How to dink.
5. Keep your paddle up
At the net, hold your paddle out in front at chest height. Fast exchanges happen quickly, and you won't have time to lift it.
6. Move with your partner
Move as a pair, like you're connected by a rope. Big gaps between partners are where points are lost.
7. Aim at feet, not faces
Balls at your opponent's feet are hard to attack. It's smarter and friendlier play.
Bonus: use a paddle that suits you
A paddle that's too heavy, too powerful or too big in the grip makes everything harder, and cheap fibreglass paddles lack the touch for soft shots. Many players find a foam core gives more control than many honeycomb paddles. A balanced paddle with a grip that fits helps your soft game and control.
Quick answers
What's the fastest way to improve at pickleball?
Focus on consistency: get serves and returns in, get to the kitchen line and be patient with dinks.
What is the third-shot drop?
A soft shot by the serving team on the third shot of the rally, dropped into the opponent's kitchen so the serving team can move to the net.
