You’re like us: you’ve fallen in love with pickleball. And you can’t stay away from the court. But how do you play pickleball better?
You know the pickleball rules, you know the terminology, you’ve picked up on the subtle nuances within the game.
But now you want to improve.
You’re tired of Mavis winning every time, and you’re sick of Bill gloating after he dinks you to death–again!
You want to play pickleball better.
But how?
What is the best way to improve in pickleball?
Well, if you want to get better at pickleball (or any sport for that matter), there are two ways to improve:
- Pickleball Strategies
- Pickleball Drills
Strategies will give you a game plan for how to gain an advantage and win against your opponent.
For example, in football, a coach may see on film that the opposing team can’t stop the running game on the right side of the defensive line.
So he implements a strategy: running the ball more often to that side of the line.
It’s a competitive edge when you know how to attack your opponent.
In this post, we will give you pickleball strategies that you can implement at your next game and gain the advantage.
These strategies can help you win today.
But strategies are only good if you can execute them.
That’s where drills come in.
Drills are a great way to develop the skills to successfully implement that strategy.
And drills are where good pickleball players develop their muscle memory.
But you have to have both strategy and skills to play pickleball well.
In the post below, we will cover 10 pickleball strategies. Following those, we will also give you a 8 drills to up your skill level.
Whether you are pickleball beginner or a veteran, these strategies and drills will make you a better player.
How To Play Pickleball Better
Strategy #1: Serve deep and to your opponent’s backhand.
When you serve, you will want to hit it as close as possible to the back baseline of the service court. The goal is to keep your opponents from moving toward the non-volley zone (NVZ).
If you hit your serve deep, they will have to wait for it to bounce before they return it. That keeps them deep in the court and far from the NVZ.
You should try to serve toward your opponent’s backhand side. Most players cannot hit the ball as hard or as accurately from that side.
A weak return sets you up for a better third shot drop.
Drill #1: Serve The Box
This drill is simple.
Go to your local pickleball court. Take your paddle, some pickleballs, and a paper box (or something of similar size).
Place the box on the opposite side of the court from where you will serve, and in the opposite square. Again, we are simulating a game serve.
You will want the box to be approximately 1 foot from the baseline to give you a target deep in the court.
Then you are going to serve from the opposite side, over the net, and try to hit the box.
Remember, hit deep serves to keep your opponent back.
A couple of quick tips:
- Vary the box position to simulate hitting to different backhands. Remember, not everyone is right-handed so you want to be prepared to hit to both corners of the square.
- Focus on accuracy over speed at first. A well-placed ball is better than an out-of-control fastball.
- Keep your serve low to the net. A shot that is low to the net will be harder to lift for your opponent. But you don’t want to get too close to the top of the net and risk going into it. A ball in-play is better than an unforced error.
Strategy #2: Get to the Non-Volley Zone Quickly
The first team to reach the NVZ (also known as the kitchen) has the advantage.
If you are the receiving team, you have to stay back during the serve and let the ball bounce.
But as soon as you return it, you should do a controlled sprint to the NVZ line.
And if you’ve hit a good second shot, you should be able to get close to the kitchen line and control the pace and dynamic of the rally.
In most rallies, it’s the best position you can be in.
This will keep you out of no man’s land–the area between the serving line and non-volley line. That’s the place where you lose.
Drill #2: Footwork Shuffle
When moving to the kitchen, the goal is to get there as quickly as possible. But you want to remain under control and be ready to take the next shot.
In a pickleball game, there will be times where you can’t run directly to the NVZ line.
And that’s where the split step comes in.
The split step is a mini-hop, spreading your feet shoulder width apart, to get into ready position as your opponent hits the ball.
And this drill helps you approach the kitchen in a way that allows you to hit an amazing return shot on the way.
It puts you in better position.
Here is how you do the drill:
Set up cones 2-3 feet apart from each other in one line.
You will need at least three cones, but you can use 5-7, if you would like.
Once you have them spread out in a line, start at the first cone–standing just outside the cone–and take an imaginary swing.
After you take your shot, begin to move forward toward the NVZ, in the direction of your next cone, with your feet under control.
Stay on the balls of your feet.
As you come to the next cone, use your split step to get into hitting position, and then take another imaginary swing.
Continue moving to the next cone quickly but under control and stop at the cone, hop into your split step, and take your swing.
Repeat until you have moved through all of the cones.
This drill simulates moving in a straight line to the kitchen and prepares you to take a few shots along the way.
VARIATION: You could also do this drill with a partner. Everything remains the same, but as you split step at the cone and prepare to hit, your partner should flip you a ball to hit back across the net.
Once you finish the progression of cones, you would switch with your partner, and they would do the footwork drill while you lob them balls to hit after arriving at each cone.
Strategy #3: Use the 3rd Shot Drop Shot
Let’s imagine we are starting a rally and you are on the serving team.
You toe the service line and send a serve high and deep to your opponent’s backhand.
It’s a great first shot, but your opponent is good–a little too good.
She turns her body and slices a perfect spinning backhand for her serve return, landing it in the deeper portion of your side of the court.
You stay back and let it bounce (following the double bounce rule), and she’s already used that time to move up to the kitchen line, and she’s waiting for your return.
Who is this woman, Anna Leigh Waters?
It’s only the third shot of the rally, and she already has the advantage at the net.
You could hit a hard drive on the pickleball, but you know it’ll probably fly cross court out of bounds. It’s a wiffle ball for crying out loud!
And even if it doesn’t fly out of bounds, she has plenty of time to react and drop it right into your non-volley zone line.
Maybe you could lob it over her head?
In your dreams.
There’s a better option: the third shot drop shot.
The third shot drop is a shot with a high arc, that peaks on your side of the net, and then drops softly into the kitchen on the other side.
The high arc gives you time to move to your own NVZ line, and the soft landing of the shot keeps your opponent from smashing it.
If you can execute the third shot drop and get to the net, you can neutralize your opponent’s advantage or even turn the tables.
Drill #3: Solo Drop
Stand at the service line with your feet shoulder-width apart and in athletic position.
Drop a ball to the ground.
As it bounces back up, swing upward and through the pickleball, hitting it gently in the air with little action.
The goal is to hit it about 6-7 feet in the air and land it in the kitchen with a soft bounce.
If you can’t make it to a pickleball court, you can do this one at home on a flat, concrete space–like your driveway.
Tape a line in your driveway. This will be your service line.
And then measure 22 feet from that line and tape another line. This is the position of the net on the court.
If you want to fully simulate the court, you could purchase a portable pickleball net to pop up in your driveway.
Once you have your court set up, go back to the service line, drop a ball, and hit it as it bounces back up.
Drop it into the kitchen on the other side of the net.
After you work on your forehand drop, switch around and do the same drill with your backhand.
Now you can practice your third shot drop anywhere.
Tips for third shot drop:
- Your weight should move forward with your swing. You don’t want to fade back or side to side. You should move through your shot toward the net.
- Push from the shoulder. You don’t need to take a full swing. Your third shot drop should be a pushing motion to allow for greater touch and placement.
- Lead with the palm facing toward the net. The face of your paddle should face toward the net. And your palm should follow suit.
- Use a short and quick finish. Once you get through the ball on your shot, don’t extend out too far. Hit the ball and finish. A long follow through can cause you to add more power and less touch to this shot.
- Keep your contact point out in front. You want to hit the ball out in front of your body. If the ball gets too deep into your body, it’ll be much harder to control the shot and put it in a difficult position to return.
Strategy #4: Change your pace
It’s easy to get stuck in a rut in your shot selection.
You may have a tendency to always dink. Because you just love the soft game so much.
Or, if you are like most hard hitters, you always want to smash.
Instead, you should use all types of shots to strategically to keep your opponent off balance.
In baseball, pitchers throw mostly fastballs, but every once in a while, they will mix in a change up or curveball or slider.
If they use those pitches effectively, the threat of those other pitches keeps the hitter uncomfortable.
And you can do the same in pickleball.
If you love to dink, a smart opponent will notice your tendency.
If you sneak a smash in at an unexpected time, you will catch your opponent by surprise and you could win the point–or at the very least you will put it in their mind.
You should be always be looking for the best shot at that moment–not the one that’s most comfortable.
Change your pace to keep your opponent guessing and win that pickleball point.
Drill #4: Dink To Smash
Stand with your feet at the NVZ line and your partner should do the same on the opposite side of the net.
Begin with a dinking battle.
Drop the ball and hit a dink shot into her kitchen. She should dink the ball back over to you.
Continue the dinking rally for six shots, counting each shot out loud as you go. Since you started the rally, you will be odd numbers and your opponent will be even numbers.
On the sixth shot, your opponent should pop the ball up in the air–simulating a mishit–and you should smash the ball in an attempt to win the point.
Your opponent should try to defend the smash and return it.
If she does, you should continue playing by starting the dink rally again–dinking six times, pop the ball up, and let your opponent smash.
Once a “point” has been won, your opponent should start the next rally. This will ensure that you each have a chance to dink and smash in the progression.
This drill practices two different skills.
You learn to vary your own hitting paces–dinking to smashing–but you also will learn to defend against different hitting paces as well.
Strategy #5: Use accuracy over power
While it’s fun to hit the ball as hard as you can, it’s more effective to hit the ball accurately.
A well-placed dink or drive in pickleball will win you more points in pickleball than hitting it as hard as you can.
If you are in a dink battle, focus on placing the ball at the corners of the kitchen and toward the opponent’s backhand.
Place the ball well.
Soft dinks are more effective than the perfect spin–at least, in a recreational game.
In the same way, take a little bit off of your smash and hit it accurately–placing the ball outside their body so they have to reach for it.
Even though you give up some pace on the ball, you will win more points because it’s placed well and you will also avoid unforced errors.
Drill #5: Cone Targets
Set up cones at different points throughout the court.
We suggest putting cones in two places to start:
- The far corner of the kitchen
- Down the middle line, about 5 feet from the service line on that side
You can set the cones up in different places throughout the court.
The goal is to simulate shots that you will hit regularly in the game.
Using the cone in the corner of the kitchen, we will practice a dink shot.
Stand at the kitchen line, drop the ball to the ground, and as it bounces back up, hit a dink shot.
You want to try to hit the cone.
At this point, don’t worry so much about spin.
You simply want to hit the ball exactly where you want it.
Using the cone down the middle line, we will practice a smash.
Stand at, or near, the kitchen line.
Ask your partner to pop the ball up toward you. Practice smashing the ball out of air, down the middle of the court.
By smashing down the middle in a game, you force your opponents to make a decision on who will hit the shot.
In this drill, don’t focus on power or speed at this point.
Focus on placement.
Try to hit the cone.
As your accuracy improves, increase the power to your shot while maintaining touch.
5 Additional Pickleball Tips
Watch The Ball
Keep your eye on the ball, son!
You probably remember your dad saying this to you over and over from the stands in Little League. But there’s something to it.
In pickleball, you should track the ball constantly with your eyes.
This will allow you to anticipate where your opponent is hitting their shot and get a jump on reacting to it.
You should also follow the ball with your eyes all the way into your paddle. You will be amazed at how much more consistent your shots will become.
You’ll hit the sweet spot a lot more often.
Hit the return of serve deep
Just as you should hit your serve deep, if you are the returning team of a serve, you should hit it deep in the court to keep your opponent back as long as possible.
Again, the first team to reach the kitchen line has the advantage.
And a high and deep return should allow you to get to the NVZ first.
You can also choose to hit this return to the weaker player. This should set you up for a better fourth shot.
Play with patience
Many players want to force their opponent into a mistake.
You should always be looking for opportunities to do that, but you don’t need to force it.
Focus on accurate shots (as we explained above) and wait for your opponent to make the mistake.
Consistency is the key to winning in pickleball.
If you can keep your ball in play longer and more consistently than your opponent, you will win the point more often than not.
If your opponent makes a mistake in play, take advantage of it and smash.
Identify your opponent’s weakness and use it.
Any great player knows their opponent’s weakness.
And they know how to use that weakness to an advantage?
Here are some questions to ask that will help you identify weaknesses:
- Are they right-handed or left-handed? Once you learn that, you know which side to hit to in order to exploit their backhand–which is typically weaker than their forehand.
- What shot do they take most at the kitchen? If they are prone to dink, you know they feel that’s a strength. Force them into different shots.
- How do your opponents handle a shot down the middle of the court? Many amateur teams have trouble communicating who will get the shot in between them. If they both go for it, you’ve hit a weakness. If they struggle with their reaction time to a drive shot, keep using the power game until they can react consistently.
- Do they struggle to get to the low balls? If they have trouble hitting the ball accurately when you keep your shot low, you should try to stay there. Hit it at your opponent’s feet and keep it low to the ground. Force them to make an error.
In doubles play, hit toward the weaker player frequently
It may seem ruthless, but it’s also a good strategy.
Your goal is to get your opponent to make the first mistake, and the best way to do that in doubles is to force the less-consistent player to hit more often.
The more times they have to hit the ball, the higher the percentage that they will make a mistake.
You’ll see this strategy used often in tournament play.
In more relaxed recreational play, you may only want to use this strategy sparingly. You don’t want to pick on a newer player, and you also don’t want to freeze out the better player–so they don’t get to work on their game.
Pick your spots when you are not in a competitive setting.
How do you play more consistent in pickleball?
If you want to play pickleball more consistently, you have to incorporate pickleball drills into your weekly schedule.
It’s that simple.
What sets intermediate players and experienced players apart from new players?
Drills.
Even if you only do 10 minutes of drills per day in your driveway, you will build the muscle memory to hit more consistent shots.
If you don’t have a flat driveway, hit against a hard wall.
Ten minutes a day is actually better than a one-time drill session every week than lasts for 30 minutes.
Muscle memory builds up faster with daily practice.
Get out there and drill and you’ll be hanging close with advanced players before you know it.
How long does it take to get good at pickleball?
If you are doing pickleball drills every day, you will improve your level of play pretty quickly.
But how long will it take to get good?
There is a learning curve.
Pickleball is an easy sport to start playing. It’s one of the fastest-growing sport–it’s a game for people of all ages and athletic backgrounds.
And while everyone can play pickleball, it is not as easy to become good at it.
For former tennis players that have been involved in racket sports their entire life, they may be able to pick up a pickleball paddle and be good in short time.
If you have not played sports in a while, and you are just getting back to an active life, it’ll take a little longer.
For the average person, it takes about 3-6 months of consistent gameplay and practice to get good enough to win consistently in recreational games.
Why am I not getting better at pickleball?
If you don’t drill, you won’t get better.
But if you’ve been doing good pickleball drills, and you’re not getting better at pickleball, there’s a problem.
Maybe even two.
1. Have you tried your new shots in a game?
Your new shots need to go from drill work to the game court.
Drills are different from a game.
The speed of the game is faster, and there are more variables than in drills–where most things can be controlled.
So you need to start applying your new shots in the game, and learn to use them with success in a game scenario.
If you’ve been doing drills to improve your overhead smash, you need to intentionally try those shots in the game.
It may take a little time to consistently find success with these new shots, but you have to incorporate them.
When I was younger, I started practicing a fadeaway jumper in basketball. I got pretty consistent with it in drills, but once I got into the game, it was completely inconsistent.
Now I had a defender on me, and I couldn’t always get to the exact spot I wanted.
There was only one way to get better using it in the game: I had to use it in the game.
Use your new pickleball shots in the game (while still drilling on the side) and watch them become real weapons in your pickleball arsenal.
2. Are you trying new shots in a game that you haven’t practiced in drills?
While you should use your drill shots in the game, you should never try shots in the game that you haven’t practiced first.
Just because you saw Ben Johns’ hit an incredible, backhanded topspin drive, it doesn’t mean you should try it at your next match.
That’s an easy way to kill your skills (and make your teammate furious).
You should practice that shot by yourself first, and then start implementing it into games.
If you want to get better at pickleball, you have to drill.
How can I practice pickleball by myself?
There are so many ways to practice pickleball on your own.
You can do drills at home, at the pickleball court, or even on a tennis court.
While some of the drills listed above can be done by yourself, here are 3 more drills that you can use to practice pickleball without a partner:
1. Wall Ball Volley
Find a clear wall in your garage. Tape a line at 34 inches high–the height of a pickleball net. Standing at different distances from the wall, hit shots over the “net” and as it bounces back to you return the shot again. This will allow you to practice different shots and work on your ball striking consistency.
2. Target practice
Use the same wall mentioned above, but tape several square boxes (1×1 in size) at different places on the wall. Bounce the ball on the ground, and as it bounces back up, try to hit the ball into one of the squares. You should alternate using your backhand and forehand during this drill.
3. Wall Serve
Tape a line 22 feet from the wall to simulate the service line on a pickleball court. Standing behind the line, hit a serve at the wall. Practice keeping the serve as low as possible to the net line on the wall. You can also practice putting different types of spin on your serve.
There are many other pickleball drills that you can do on your own to up your game.
If you want to take your solo practice to a new level, you can also buy a pickleball machine.
The Pickleball Tutor Spin is an excellent pickleball machine that simulates dinks, lobs, drives, and more.
And it can be purchased with model variations–one that does topspin and backspin and one that does sidespin.
Conclusion: What can I do to play pickleball well?
The game of pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the country. That means that, every day, more competition joins the pickleball life.
It’s time to get out and practice.
If you want to play pickleball well, drills and proper pickleball strategy are the only ways to take your game to the next level.
There’s no way around it.
Pickleball drills give birth to pickleball skills.
All of the best players know this.
If you are new to the game, we have the Ultimate Guide to Pickleball for Beginners. It will walk you through step by step to getting started in the game. You’ll be tearing up the courts before you know it.
Get out there and show Mavis who is boss.
But more than anything, go out there an have a great time.