Despite being the easiest game, pickleball does have some strategies and techniques that make it quite a healthy yet proficient game. While we won’t be wrong if we claim that this is what brings you here. As an overview, we’d like to tell you that there are basic pickleball rules and strategies that lead to the expertise’ level. All you need is to master the art of the “right shot at the right time using the right equipment”.
With that, the tips and techniques vary from skill to skill. For instance, if you tend to use the pickleball strategy for the advance one, you are likely to make a mess and chances are you will never play the game again. However, it is also possible that you are at your pro level, playing the tournaments, and might missing something in your game.
Perhaps, you missed some basic tips on the go? So, dear players, let’s have a read to these pickleball strategies and techniques that you will love to apply to your game. But before that, get yourself the best pickleball paddle first.
Pickleball Strategy Basics:
If you have just gotten started, dinks would be what you might be preferring. However, there are different other things that could be far away from your attention, and that’s what you need to make sure of before anything else.
The basic pickleball tactics are:
Shoes:
Good pickleball games start with suitable outfits, more precisely with “suitable shoes”. While we are focusing on the shoes, it must be borne in mind that not every shoe can be worn for the pickleball game.
The best shoes for the pickleball are the ones having non-marking and a flat, durable sole and extra cushioning. Don’t ever wear your running shoes or sneakers for the pickleball if you don’t like getting injured.
Paddles:
Equipements are the most essential part but more than that, they should be right for you. A pickleball paddle for the beginner vary excessively from all other paddles and thus, you must make sure, the paddle you are using match your skill level. Anyways, you can get the paddle for beginners if you currently don’t have any or planning to purchase one.
Patience:
And there comes the secret of successful gameplay. Ladies and gentlemen, “ PATIENCE!!!!”. This is the basic singles pickleball strategy that you need to adopt if you’re planning to get more consistent in pickleball.
Many beginners, as we have seen, rush at learning the game quickly. Just because the game is easy, does not mean you will get pro at it in just a day or you’ll start playing on fleek after 2-3 sessions. Stay patient, learn and grasp things slowly, observe the tactics and aim for quality above all.
Understand The Paddle Angle:
It is important that you understand how you are holding the paddle. This has a great impact on your game since it is going to tell you at what position you are going to throw the ball and how much accuracy you can attain.
If you aim for the height e.g you wanna throw the ball a little higher or in the airplane position, hold the paddle in a way that it touches the sky. For a lower height, hold the paddle parallel to the nets or in a way that is close to the sky. Remember to keep your pace slow when hitting higher shots and fast when hitting closed shots.
Control:
If you’re given choices between a control paddle and a power one, what would you choose? As a beginner, a power paddle might attract you for sure and you will crave to get that without caring about the odds and that’s where you are going to lose it all.
In pickleball, understand the value of control. If you have control, you literally have everything you require in the game. Without control, even top-class skills are merely useless.
So, start with a suitable control paddle, you can also get the best pickleball paddle for control and do some practice. Figure out your capabilities, create your own power and then move towards the intermediate level.
Strategy for Intermediate:
After excelling in the basics, here comes the middle level in which you’re not that pro but not that basic. The intermediate level requires techniques that do not let you freak out the control and keep your skills on the ground level.
Thus, at the mid-level, you need to learn how to improve the pickleball game with mixed pickleball strategies that you can rightly grasp.
The Most Important Shot In Pickleball:
From beginner to intermediate, you must have learned that the “third shot” is the most important in pickleball. The third shot decides where the game is going, and it usually decides who gets the domination in the game.
Note that, if your opponents are at the baseline, do not hit the drop shot or at a lower shot that will cause them to get nearer. Most players make this mistake and the results will be the opponents naturally hit the ball with the speed which you can likely miss.
Some of the shots you can use as your third shots are, the lob, down the line, side/middle drop shot or you can even send the ball straight on the face of the opponent which is usually called drilling the nets shot.
Hit At The Feat:
Learn to hit the opponent at their feet. This is, undoubtedly, the best pickleball hitting technique that you can excel in. You can keep the energy at a high level while keeping the focus at the feet.
Volleying:
Volleying is the most essential pickleball skill to master. For volleying, you need to keep your paddle always ready and straight and never swing it. Also, lower your eyes by getting your knees bent, and elbows ready in front of your body.
Observe The Opponent:
At this point, you must have done getting your skills and techniques properly figured out. Now, you have to shift your focus to your opponents. Understand what techniques they are playing, how is their speed, and what is their focus.
Most importantly, learn their weak points and if you’re playing professionally, you can exploit them at right time. But don’t do this in a friendly match since no one likes to get their heart broken in a casual game.
Practice To Stay In Constant Movements:
Don’t stay still on the court. Most players do the mistake of keeping their body style while hands in the air so in case of any misplaced shot, they gotta stretch their arms which is why they are prone to injuries.
However, you can keep your feet moving. In this way, your body stays alarmed to what position you need to take on the moment, and thus the chances of missing shots from your side will be zero.
Strategy for Experts:
After getting skilled, you can try all those shots you have seen on television. But be sure, you also have read through this, in order to get your advanced shots to turn out exactly as you want.
Paddle Position:
Keep your paddle high most of the time on the court. It gives you more control while power in the courts especially if you are against the slammers. Nevertheless, is not an identical trick that will always help you. But moreover, check out what positions give you more control and power and adapt it then.
Variety of Shots:
Dink is not always going to help you at the advanced level and you’ll get yourself smashed instead of smashing. And thus, you need to introduce spins, cross courts, and a few pacy shots into the game. While you are adding the variation, make sure you don’t let the opponent sense and make your move when the opponent is least expecting it.
Smarter Not Harder:
Since this is the time you don’t need to put much effort into the game. As another pickleball technique, just sketch out your strategies, have basic tips from the above in mind, and play the game smartly.
Be unpredictable:
Finally, unpredictability is what we consider, the most valuable pickleball strategy. Never let the opponent guess your next move and always play in a way that shocks the opponent. You can be unpredictable by playing slow to sudden hard then being slow.
For tournament plays, don’t keep the same style and pickleball strategies. Always add variation and always be unpredictable. This is what going to win you the match, above all.
Conclusion:
First of all, we are glad that you made it this far, and perhaps, you would be in a far position to smash the courts. Anyhow, here is the summary of all pickleball strategies.
Get yourself the right equipment. Be patient. Aim for the control and learn the tricks but apply them at the right time. Focus on accuracy. Have a sharp observation, add variations and never miss out to be the smarter other than a harder player. Though these pickleball tips and tricks are significant for the singles if you play in teams, consider going through pickleball doubles strategies to get an upper hand in that area too.
Harry is a freak who often argues that O in his name may well stand for “Obsessed with Pickleball.”
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