Our Top 10 Tips - Any One Will Make You Instantly Better

Pickleball isn’t just about moving fast, it’s about moving smart. Whether you’re climbing from 3.0 to 4.0 or just want steadier rallies, a few focused habits separate the steady players from the showy ones. Below are compact, practical tips you can start drilling this week.

1. Don’t dodge the backhand

If you think you can sidestep your backhand forever, think again. Work on it early—consistency and confidence on that side are what separate solid 3.5s from real 4.0+ players.

2 Brace your wrist, boost your control

A steady wrist = cleaner contact. Treat it like it’s taped in place: firm, not stiff. You’ll get more reliable dinks and cleaner directional control on them.

3. Dinks are your speed control

Soft dinks aren’t filler; they’re the game’s tempo knobs. Use them to reset rallies, slow things down at the kitchen, and force opponents into awkward angles.

4. Placement beats raw oomph more often than not

Yes, power can end a point, but placement and angle win more points over a match. Aim where they’re not and make them chase, angles create openings for winners. We recently lost a game where the other team was just nailing angles from the kitchen, very tough shots.

5. Be smartly aggressive

Aggression doesn’t mean wild slams. It means picking the right moments to push, targeting tight spots, and taking calculated risks so you earn more easy points.

6. Serve to the back third

A deep serve pushes opponents off the net and makes their next move harder. Start the point by nudging them back and you’ll see easier 3rd shot opportunities. And then once in a while you may catch them with a very short drop serve. And once you start playing better players who serve deep, stand 3-4 feet behind the baseline so you aren’t moving backwards to make contact.

7. Add angle to your dink game

Crosscourt angles and short‑to‑wide placements make returns unpredictable and can tilt rally control in your favor. Mix depth with direction.

8. Defend smashes with a low paddle and bent knees

If you invite a smash, be ready low and compact. Most putaways come down fast, staying low gives your paddle the best chance to block or redirect. Think see-saw, their paddle goes up, yours goes down.

9. Return deep, advance safely

A deep return keeps opponents honest and gives you time to move up. It mirrors a deep serve’s advantage: space and tempo control. Even add some height to this deep return, it gives you more time to get to the kitchen.

10. Attack the weaker wing

If their backhand looks wobbly, keep feeding it. Forcing recurring uncomfortable shots breeds errors and hands you momentum.

Wrap it up: practice over power

These aren’t flashy secrets, they’re small choices that add up. Spend practice time on the backhand, dinking with intent, and hitting angles at match pace. Do that, and you’ll win more points quietly, look smarter doing it, and have extra energy for the celebratory high‑fives.