Beginner-Friendly Pickleball Strategies for All Ages

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So you picked up the paddle and learned basic rules and principles, but now you feel stuck. Pickleball is fun. It would be much more fun if you could play the game without hitting the ball outside the boundaries or, worse, into another court. Maybe you can't seem to figure out where to place yourself.

As much fun as pickleball is, being in a beginner's rut can lead to frustration and disappointment. The last thing you want to do is stagnate or burn out. The truth is, like any new skill, pickleball comes with a learning curve.

Here's the good news, you don't need to be a seasoned athlete or play for years before you see improvement. There are things you can do today to start improving your game and get yourself out of that frustrating rut. 

In this post, we'll walk through the critical pickleball strategies for beginners and offer practical drills to improve your skills. With these tips, you'll feel more confident on the court and enjoy playing this fantastic game.

Pickleball Strategies for Beginners

To begin, let's address some simple strategies and tips to help beginners. These strategies and tips are suggested for players who already know the basic rules and have some experience with gameplay. For detailed rules, check out this article on usapickleball.org.

General Suggestions

Let's start with some general tips that will help you practice and implement beginner strategies for pickleball.

Take It Slow: Focus on technique rather than speed or power. Don't worry about keeping up with more experienced players. Take the time you need to test which techniques work for you.

Stay Active Between Games: Incorporate light stretching or warm-ups to stay flexible. This will be especially important if you are unable to play frequently. For a list of stretches and warm-ups to use before playing, read this article by pickleballguide.net.

Play Regularly: Try to practice a few times a week to build muscle memory. You don't need to play for long periods of time. Just make sure you spend enough time to keep the skills fresh.

Watch Experienced Players: Learn by observing advanced players and how they move and strategize. Talk to them and ask for suggestions. "While it is wise to learn from experience, it is wiser to learn from the experiences of others" (Rick Warren).

Court and Positioning Strategies

Before fine-tuning your paddle work, it's essential to understand the court and how to position yourself. The following strategies and tips should be easy to implement on a beginner's level.

Where to position yourself when serving.

You probably already know that you need to stand behind the back line when you are serving. But this is wise, even if it is your teammate serving. If your team is serving, you want to stand behind the white line.

This is because you must be ready to let the ball bounce before returning it. If you stand too close, you may not be in a position to let the ball bounce before returning it.

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You may need to adjust where you stand behind the back line when serving. Where you want to stand will depend on how your serves tend to go. If your serves tend to veer far left, move as far right as necessary to compensate for the issue. If your serves tend to go more straight, feel free to get closer to the middle line.

Remember to stay behind or close to the back line after you or your teammate serve the ball. Once you have returned the ball after letting it bounce (known as the two-bounce rule), you can move closer to the net.

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Where to position yourself when returning.

If you are on the returning team, you have more freedom as far as positioning goes. If you are being served to, ensure you are behind the back line. This isn't a rule, but you need to be able to return the hit no matter where it is served (and it is a lot easier to run forward than backward). 

In general, standing at a central point between the middle and outer lines will be a good idea. If you know that your opponent tends to favor one side over the other, feel free to adjust accordingly.

If you are not the teammate being served to, you may position yourself wherever you like. If you feel comfortable playing in front of the kitchen (or no-volley zone), it is a good idea to position yourself there so you are ready for a return near the net or a good opportunity to spike.

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Positioning after the serve and two-bounce rule.

Once the ball has been served and the two-bounce rule has been observed, you are free to move about the court. While moving about the court, remember that you may move and stand outside the boundaries if necessary.

Where you will position yourself will depend on your strengths and whether or not you are playing with a teammate. The following are strategies to consider when deciding where to position yourself on the court.

• Stay back: Keep your distance to be better prepared to return the ball no matter where it is hit. While you may choose to stand back, don't spend much time behind the back line. Doing so will make reaching the ball harder if it is returned close to the net. This strategy works well for teams and singles.

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• Play near the kitchen: This strategy is better if you have control of power and are playing teams. Playing close to the net makes it easier to return the ball close to the net. This will force your opponents to come closer to the net. Your goal, then, is to continue to hit the ball low and soft until your opponents hit it high, providing an optimal opportunity to spike the ball.
  

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• Front and Back: This strategy only works for teams. It is an excellent middle ground between the first and second strategies. You have one player upfront, ready to return the ball when hit close to the net. The other player stays back, ready to hit balls that are returned further back or that get past the teammate up front. If you are the player in the back, it is your responsibility to watch if the ball is going out of bounds and warn your teammate not to hit the ball.

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• Middle: This will work well if you want to combine aspects from the first and second strategies but are playing singles. Be warned, however, that you will have a much more difficult time hitting shots near the back of the court. Using this positioning as a temporary strategy is generally a good idea, such as when transitioning to one of the positions above.

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Paddle Work and Hitting the Ball

Now that we've discussed strategies for positioning let's dive into paddle work and beginner strategies to improve your hits.

How to hold a pickleball paddle.

Let me start off by saying there is no one way to hold the paddle. Don't get too bogged down trying to force yourself to use a specific holding technique. That being said, learning some basic principles of holding the paddle is important.

A simple grip that is an excellent place to start for beginners is the continental grip. The continental grip is the basic grip used by most players. You may be already using this grip without actually knowing it.

In his article, 'Getting A Handle On It: How And Where To Hold A Pickleball Paddle,' Barrett Kincheloe explained how to do the continental grip:

1. "Reach out with your palm towards the handle as if you're about to shake hands with someone.
2. "Wrap your hands around the paddle.
3. "Make sure that the "V" that you create with your thumb and index finger is pointing towards you."

Image by hudefsport.com

I suggest starting with this grip and adjusting from there to determine what works for you.

Hitting the ball.

Now we get to where the rubber meets the road, or rather where the paddle meets the ball. Let's get into some beginner strategies for hitting the ball.

Dinking

Pickleballheads.com defines dinking as "a soft, controlled shot intended to land in your opponent's non-volley zone" (Betsy Kenniston, What is a dink in pickleball?).

This is the shot you want to use when playing in front of the kitchen. As stated earlier, the goal of dinking (or hitting it softly) is to just get it it over the net. You want your opponent to hit it up, which sets you or your teammate up for a spike.

Dinking is an essential skill that is often used in pickleball. It will require a lot of practice to master, but the effort is well worth it.

Control over power

When you are just starting out, an important strategy to employ is a stronger focus on control over power. Don't worry about hitting hard at first. Just work on being controlled and consistent. 

Once you have better control and consistency, then you can work on putting more power behind your shots.

Forehand, backhand

Between forehand and backhand shots, you likely have one that is easier for you. Great! Continue to strengthen that swing. However, never neglect a swing that is more difficult for you.

You might be able to get away with using your dominant swing most of the time, but you will always be at a disadvantage if you don't learn to improve your weaker swing. 

There may be a thousand reasons a swing isn't working for you. For that reason, I won't go into detail about how to improve your swing here. I encourage you to ask more experienced players for suggestions and start from there.

You can also sign up for notifications about new posts. You never know when we will discuss strategies to improve your weaker swing.

Don't always volley

It is tempting to volley (hit the ball before it bounces) the ball every time you have the chance. As long as you have already observed the two-bounce rule, this is perfectly legal, but there are better strategies than this one.

Of course, if volleying the ball is the only way to get it back to the other team, don't hesitate. Knowing when you need to volley and when you don't will come with experience.

You don't always want to volley because sometimes, letting the ball bounce first will give you more time to react. More time to react will help you control the power and placement of the ball better. Letting a ball bounce may also take off some of the spin that could mess up your return.

Pickleball Drills for Beginners

We've discussed some strategies and tips for beginners to improve their game. Now, let's provide you with some practical drills you can implement to begin practicing these strategies and skills, so you'll be ready to use them in a match.

Playing Kitchen

At its core, playing kitchen is dinking practice.

What you will do is play a game where you start by standing just behind the kitchen (or no volley zone) instead of the back line. Because you and the opposing team are both at the kitchen, it forces you both to dink. 

The best way to win is to wait for your opponent to hit the ball higher, allowing you to spike the ball. Be careful to not hit the ball too lightly.

Remember to watch yourself and the opponents for any volleying in the kitchen boundaries.

Playing kitchen is a great way to focus on improving all necessary skills for playing near the net in a real game.

Serving Drills

Just as it sounds, serving drills focus on control and consistency within your serve.

As a beginner, just work on a basic serve with good control. You can work on adding spin and other elements once you have mastered the basics. Try changing position or adjusting how you hold the paddle to see what gives you the best control and consistency.

This is a drill you can do alone if needed. However, if you run this drill with a partner, it can also be an excellent opportunity to practice controlling your returns on the serve.

Ensure you practice serving on both the right and the left sides. Try different serving techniques for both sides. What works on one side may not be as effective on the other.

Forehand and Backhand Drills

This is how you'll improve your weaker swing.

It will be similar to running a drill for returns. The main difference is that your focus will be on forehand or backhand swings. Pick one to work on for some time rather than switching back and forth between volleys. This will allow you to hone in on what you must do to make it work.

Just like serving drills, play around with it. Try different things. Experiment to find out what works. You will need to know how to use both swings on both sides of the court if you will be proficient in any position.

Volley Drills

Running volley drills will help you build quick reflexes and train you to keep the ball in the air and within the boundaries.

This drill is best run by beginning your volley at different positions on the court. Try volleying in the middle, near the back, and at the kitchen. Ideally, you will want to practice at the kitchen, but work up to it if you are having difficulty. 

Your goal is to not only keep the ball in the air but keep it within the boundaries.

This drill can also help you gain experience in knowing when to volley and when to let the ball bounce first.

Stay Consistent, Stay Confident

All this might seem like a lot. Remember, improving your pickleball game as a beginner doesn't have to be overwhelming. By focusing on effective strategies, practicing basic drills, and being mindful of areas of weakness, you'll quickly gain confidence on the court. Keep in mind that pickleball is a game of patience and practice, so don't rush your progress. Stay consistent, experiment with new techniques and strategies, and, most importantly, have fun!

Want to keep improving your skills and stay updated with more tips and strategies? Sign up for our blog notifications; you'll never miss a new post! Stay consistent, stay confident, and keep enjoying the game.

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