5 Game-Ruining Mistakes You Don't Even Know You're Making

Fix your grip. Use your legs. Soften your third shot drop. Stay low at the net. Be patient. Any questions?

Your pickleball game might be better than you think, but five sneaky habits could be holding you back from reaching the next level.

Jordan Briones breaks down the most common mistakes he sees on the court, even among players who think they've got their fundamentals down.

The good news? These fixes are simple, and they can transform your game faster than you'd expect.

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Your Grip Is Strangling Your Game

Here's something Briones sees constantly: players gripping their paddle like they're trying to crush it. That death grip might feel powerful, but it's actually sabotaging you.

When your grip is too tight, three things happen.

Your feel for the paddle disappears.
Your control suffers.
And ironically, your power drops because tension travels up your arm and locks your shoulder.

The fix is simple: hold the paddle firmly enough to control it, but loosely enough that someone could pull it from your hand with a little effort. That relaxed grip lets your arm stay loose, your shoulder stay mobile, and your shots stay crisp.

Your Legs Aren't Doing the Work

Pickleball is a leg game, not an arm game. Yet most players try to hit everything with their upper body.

Your legs are your foundation. They generate power. They get you into position. They keep you balanced. Skip the footwork, and you're playing pickleball with one hand tied behind your back.

Start paying attention to how many steps you're taking between shots. If you're standing still and reaching, you're doing it wrong.

Your Third Shot Drop Is Too Aggressive

The third shot drop is one of the most important shots in pickleball, but it's also one of the most misunderstood.

Players often treat it like an attacking shot. They hit it hard. They add spin. They try to be fancy. But that's not what the third shot drop is supposed to do.

The goal is simple: get the ball over the net and into the kitchen. That's it. When you try to be too aggressive, you either hit it into the net or you hit it too high, and your opponents attack it. Keep it soft. Keep it controlled. Let the point develop.

You're Standing Up at the Net

Watch good pickleball players at the net, and you'll notice something: their knees are bent, their paddle is up, and they're ready to react in any direction.

Too many players stand up straight at the net. That makes it harder to react to fast balls. It also makes it harder to hit volleys with proper technique. Your height advantage disappears, and your reaction time slows down.

Stay low. Stay ready. Your net game will improve dramatically.

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You're Trying to Win Every Point Immediately

Pickleball rewards patience. Most points aren't won by amazing shots; they're won because someone makes a mistake.

Instead of hunting for the winner on every shot, focus on these fundamentals:

Get the ball back consistently.
Put pressure on your opponent.
Let them make the mistake.

This mindset shift alone can bump up your win rate significantly. You don't need to be the flashiest player on the court. You just need to be the most consistent.

The Takeaway

These five mistakes might seem small, but they're the difference between a 3.0 player and a 4.0 player. Fix your grip. Use your legs. Soften your third shot drop. Stay low at the net. Be patient.

According to Briones, players who address these habits see massive improvements in their game. You don't need new equipment. You don't need a complete overhaul. You just need to fix these five things, and you'll be amazed at how much better you play.