When you’re looking to level up, there are a lot of tips out there. Some require weeks or months of drilling to learn and develop while others are easy changes you can make now. Here are five subtle but powerful changes that you can make to improve your pickleball game.
5 Subtle Changes To Improve Your Pickleball Game
1. Stop Moving & Split Step
One of the most effortless changes you can make right now is to stop moving where you are as soon as your opponent is about to swing their paddles. Additionally, you want to split step into an athletic stance. That way, your body is best prepared to make your next shot.
When you’re still in motion, your aim and touch are not the same as when your body is still. You want your eyes to have minimum movement when you contact the ball with your paddle.
It is also a lot easier for your opponents to aim at your feet and end the point when you’re moving. Or worse, to place the ball behind you that you won’t be able to get to.
2. Mind Your Court Position
Another subtle but powerful change you can make is being mindful of your court position. This is important for many reasons. First, you want to allow balls that might go out to bounce or let go of balls that will go out.
Secondly, you want to know where you are in relation to where your partner is. That way, you can make the right shot selection that maximizes your next shot. If your partner is way far front, back, or sideways, you want to reset the ball by dropping safely into the kitchen zone.
If you’re making your way up the transition zone, you want to make safe shots that will buy you and your partner time to get to the non-volley zone. Being aware of where you and your partner are is something that you can start being mindful of right now. But can make a big improvement to your overall game.
3. Adjust Your Swings
If you or anyone you know comes from a tennis background, a common mistake you will see are big swings that make the ball end up on another court. In pickleball, you want short, compact swings. In fact, many pickleball shots, including dinks, are small.
That is because the pickleball is a plastic Wiffle ball that is much lighter than a pickleball. It requires the right technique and spins to stay in bounds. There are drills that you can implement in your groundstrokes or dinks to keep your swings smaller.
One includes where you place an object in your armpits while drinking. One example is the pickleball pro Tyson McGuffin who suggests using another ball between your arms. This helps with a lot of control while keeping your arm movements minimal.
4. Anticipate Attacks
Once you level up, you will naturally want to play with others that are at your level or better. Higher-level opponents mean they will be more consistent and better at attacks. The best way to counter or block attacks is to always anticipate them.
That way, you’re not caught off guard and you’re in a position to counterattack. If you’re the one that starts the attacks, anticipate a counterattack instead of assuming that your shot is one and done. When you anticipate an attack but your opponents dink, drop, or reset instead, you have even more time to react.
5. Stay Patient
The last and easiest to suggest but harder to practice tip to improve your pickleball game is to stay patient. That means waiting for the right ball to attack instead of a mediocre one. This is especially important when you’re locked in a dinking war.
Look for a shot that comes at you with the right pace, spin, or bounce. Set yourself up for the point by constructing your dinks, whether that is mixing it up crosscourt or directly in front of you. By staying patient and looking for the right attacks will better ensure a putaway.
More Pickleball Tips
Read Also: How To Get Better At Pickleball Quick
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Recommended Outdoor Pickleballs: Franklin X-40 Pickleball Balls
Recommended Indoor Pickleballs: Onix Pure 2 Indoor Pickleball Balls