There is no doubt in the fact that one can enhance his or her pickleball skills by putting hours of effort into training. However, there are alternate ways to level up your pickleball. We know you might be wondering “But how can I get better at pickleball without actually playing pickleball?”. That’s where we come into play. We are talking about books! These are the must-have pickleball books to improve your game.
It is not difficult enough to surf the internet and look for videos or articles that can level up your skills in terms of pickleball. Although watching clips and going through blogs might aid you to upgrade your pickleball game to the next stage. But nothing can match the level of reading a book. The competition is getting tough day by day. So watching tutorials and training under the wings of a coach is not enough. You can still learn about the sport outside the court.
Pickleball Books to Improve your Game:
The most renowned pickleball books are Pickleball Fundamentals, The Art of Pickleball, and Pickleball Bible to improve your game.
Knowledge is the key to success. Meaning that enhancing your pickleball strategies is not limited to putting hours into training. Or taking pickleball lessons from an experienced mentor. But reading books will certainly assist in building a strong foundation. What’s more? You can further polish these tactics and techniques that you learn from the books next time you’re on the court.
For your convenience. We have divided the entire guide into three sections.
- The first section covers the books that pickleball beginners must read.
- The second section includes books for professional pickleball players.
- The third section contains all the books for pickleball strategists.
Pickleball Books Recommended for Beginners:
Are you someone that has no background in any sort of paddle sport? Have you just started playing pickleball? Are you still confused about how to keep a score in the game? Worry not! We have put together a list of the most essential books that we particularly suggest the new pickleball players give these exciting books a read. We’ve also written an in-depth article on How to play pickleball.
Pickleball Fundamentals:
| Author(s) | USAPA & Mary Littlewood |
| Published | 2015 |
| Paperback | 176 Pages |
As expected by the title, Pickleball Fundamentals is all about the basics of the sport. It is literally one of the most comprehensive introductory books on pickleball. The significance of the book can be estimated by the fact that this is the first book that is endorsed by USAPA itself. You can learn all about the different types of shots, spins, and volleys you can pull off in this book.
What’s quite interesting about the book is that it contains more than 40 training activities to speed up the learning phase. Furthermore, you can also learn plenty of several strategies and techniques that you can use whether you are playing singles or doubles matches.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
| A complete intro book with lots of practice & drillsExplains most of the technical parts of the game. | Lacks knowledge about rules & regulations of the sport. |
The Art of Pickleball:
| Author(s) | Gale Leach |
| Published | First Edition – 2005Latest (Fifth) Edition – 2021 |
| Paperback | 256 Pages |
An all-in-one kind of book that covers many different aspects of the game. For instance, sportsmanship, tournaments & events, equipment, and whatnot. The Art of Pickleball covers each and every single thing ranging from basic shots and strokes to tips and tricks to brush up your skills.
Master the game of pickleball by getting yourselves indulged in this book. You will also find that this book also includes an in-depth study on how to select the proper gear for winning the next match, how to enhance your team spirit and coordination in doubles, and all the necessary information about pickleball.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
| Incorporates pictorial illustrations for better understanding. Decent for strategy development.Quick and easy to read. | Too much basic information. |
How To Play Pickleball – A Complete Guide From A To Z:
| Author(s) | Joe Baker & Coach Mo |
| Published | 2018 |
| Paperback | 246 Pages |
Joe Baker tagged along with the pickleball legend Richard “Coach Mo” Movsessian to bring this thorough beginner pickleball book to life. How To Play Pickleball is a step-by-step guidebook that is specifically published for inexperienced pickleball players.
The book is comprised of a detailed explanation of every shot and drive with the help of graphical representation. This book is probably one of the most overly simplified versions of any pickleball book. Hence the reason why we recommend this absolutely captivating beginners guide for all the pickleball rookies out there.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
| Thorough explanation of each shot. Focuses on multiple aspects of the game. An ideal pick for pickleball novices. | Some readers might find the element of humor and entertainment too much. |
Pickleball Books Recommended for Professionals:
It does not matter if you are an advanced pickleball player or not. Learning never stops for anyone. The books listed below are especially for the ones that have been engaged with the game of pickleball for quite some time. We highly suggest experienced pickleball players try these books out for themselves in order to further fine-tune their skills.
Pickleball Bible:
| Author(s) | Robert Thompson, Rick B. Lambson, and Tim Finger |
| Published | 2015 |
| Paperback | 105 Pages |
One of the best and highly researched book on pickleball is this one. Pickleball Bible is literally made for advanced players. Because the book not only covers the different types of shots you can pull. But also the rules and regulations one should be aware of.
The prime objective behind writing this book is to further nourish the skills of veteran players. This book talks about all the key ingredients to up your pickleball game a notch. The authors make the best out of the illustrations. On top of that, the images in the book explain every feature of the shot very well.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
| An excellent read for pickleball expertsDecent utilization of pictographs composed of many mental games to keep the readers engaged. | Involves numerous video links which a lot of readers might find infuriating. |
Pickleball Pointers:
| Author(s) | Ronald Elbe |
| Published | 2018 |
| Paperback | 228 Pages |
The most interesting determinant about Pickleball Pointers is that the author, Ronald Elbe the author, does not discuss much of the basic stuff. Instead, he focuses more on the areas in which players lack. For example, the issues, problems, and the weak-points.
A complete explanation along with solutions on how to overcome these shortcomings are very well explained in the book. It is the kind of a guidebook that makes the player come back for more, over and over again.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
| Simplified elaboration Comprises helpful solutions to problems and explain the external factors that might affect your game. | Might be a bit confusing for extremely new coming pickleball players without prior knowledge of the game. |
Books Recommended For Pickleball Strategists:
Pickleball is not all about smashing the ball into your opponent’s side of the net. It is of great importance to be as much mentally active on the court as physically active. The books discussed below are optimal for devising match-winning strategies.
Smart Pickleball – The Pickleball Guru’s Guide:
| Author(s) | Prem Carnot & Wendy Garrido |
| Published | 2014 |
| Paperback | 166 Pages |
Prem Carnot had only one central goal when publishing Smart Pickleball. And that was to nurture the skills of pickleball players. Even the ones who have been playing pickleball for quite a while.
There is a huge difference between just striking the ball to the other side of the net and actually playing. Prem Carnot, the author of Smart Pickleball describes how to properly set up a shot and come up with menacing strategies.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
| Uses real-life and practical examples with the conversational-styled formation of sentences. First pickleball audiobook. | The “self-promotion” bits can be a bit too frustrating. |
At The Line – The Winning Doubles Pickleball Strategy:
| Author(s) | Joe Baker |
| Published | 2017 |
| Paperback | 159 Pages |
Another great piece of Joe Baker in which the author emphasized on the outstanding nature of building phenomenal strategies. There is so much more than just “striking the ball” and that is exactly what the author has brilliantly explained in this book.
The strategies that are mentioned in this guidebook are sure to improve your pickleball game. not only in the terms of physical aspects but also mental. Another plus point of this book is that it contains loads of pickleball drills that can be practiced with, and without a partner.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
| A shot-by-shot guide for a higher percentage is recommended for all levels of players. Provides advice with statistical data to prove it. | Might be a bit puzzling for some players to comprehend the concept of such advanced techniques |
Concluding Things Up:
There are a lot of must-read books with regard to this sport. These pickleball dedicated books are surely going to come in handy. Practicing is not the only thing that is necessary to improve your game. It can influence your winning ratio to a great extent, but it is also pretty important to increase your sea of pickleball knowledge. We at pickleballobby urge you to get your hands on these pickleball books to improve your game.
He’s an extreme introvert and that’s one of the reasons he’s never seen participating in tournaments, despite having a 5+ rating. He hates the spotlight so much that he’d stay in the corner writing all the tips, tricks, and lengthy explanations about the game but would never come in front to communicate with someone. That’s why he stays as low-key as possible, helping the players randomly without acting as a couch where you gotta deal with so many players.
- Best Pickleball Paddles for Women to Change the Game - April 30, 2024
- Pickleball Rule Changes 2023 | 360° rotation in pickleball - April 18, 2024
- Tend to be Dinner and Movie Dates Nonetheless OK? - February 14, 2023