Beginner Pickleball Quick Tips

Yesterday at open play, I found myself on the court with a few new players. They were just nailing down where to stand and how to keep score.

Although they were learning the game quickly, each one could have benefitted from a little advice.

Here are a few quick tips I have for beginner pickleball players based on who I observed at the court:

Player 1 - Total beginner. No racquet sports background and only played pickle a couple of times.

The tip: Slow down. Swinging the paddle fast and out of control is going to spray the ball in every direction.
Slow down your swing. Make solid contact. Direct the ball where you want it to go. Learn to control the ball before swinging for the fences.

Player 2 - Had more court experience, but their serve was painful. Have you come across a player the has almost no toss on their serve? It looks like they're plucking it straight out of their hand like it's tee-ball.

The tip: Separate the toss from the serve. Treat the toss like its own step, then focus on the swing.
For some reason, players get hung up on serve mechanics. To make things easier, separate the serve into steps. 1) Toss 2) Swing
Bonus: if you don’t like your toss, don't swing. Pick the ball up at start again.

Player 3 - Tennis player - new to pickleball. This player had great hands and great strokes. But they were bleeding points by not reaching the NVZ.

The tip: Position > ability. Standing closer to the net outweighs the ability to hit perfect groundstrokes.
Unfortunately, when the opposing team gets to the NVZ, hitting groundies from the baseline just won't cut it.
Even if it makes you uncomfortable in the beginning, advancing to the NVZ is a necessity.

These tips are not ground breaking, but helpful to share when you’re on the court with a newbie.

Just make sure they’re looking for help before you put on the coaching hat.