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Hey Picklebackers! 🏓✨
Ready to take your pickleball game up a notch? From smart shot selection to fluid partner movement, these tips will help you play smarter, not just harder. Dive in and see where you can sharpen your edge.
🔑 1. Master the Fundamentals
Serve with purpose: Vary your serve depth, speed, and placement. Keep it deep and target your opponent’s weaker side.
Return deep: Aim for deep, high returns to keep your opponent back.
Consistent dinks: Develop soft, controlled dinks in the kitchen. Practice cross-court dinking to increase consistency.
Third shot drop: Get comfortable with this key transition shot to neutralize opponents and gain net control.
🧠 2. Upgrade Your Strategy
Get to the kitchen: The non-volley zone is where most points are won. After a serve or return, aim to get to the kitchen line quickly and safely.
Control the pace: Don't feel pressured to always play fast. Slowing the game down often forces errors.
Target feet: When at the net, aim shots at opponents’ feet to make their returns more difficult.
Attack soft balls: Recognize attackable balls—ones that pop up above net height—and capitalize.
🏃 3. Improve Movement & Footwork
Split step at the net: This small hop helps you react faster.
Stay balanced: Avoid overreaching. Take small, quick steps instead of lunging.
Lateral movement drills: Practice shuffling side-to-side to track dinks and volleys.
💪 4. Build Your Physical and Mental Game
Core and leg strength: Pickleball involves lots of squats, lunges, and quick pivots. Strong legs and core help you stay low and agile.
Cardio: Improve stamina with interval training or footwork drills.
Stay calm under pressure: Breathe, reset, and play high-percentage shots when rallies get intense.
🎯 5. Practice with Intent
Drill more than you play: Rallying is fun, but focused drills on dinking, drop shots, and serves accelerate skill-building.
Record your matches: Analyze what’s working and what’s not.
Play with better players: This will expose your weaknesses and force you to elevate your game.
@playpickleball.com ⚡️3 Pickleball Drills to Level UP! ⬆️ Save these drills and send them to your drilling buddy! #pickleball #pickleballislife🏓 #pickleballer... See more
Tip of the Week: Shifting
Shifting in pickleball refers to how doubles partners move together laterally or diagonally on the court to maintain strong positioning, cover angles, and avoid leaving open space for opponents to exploit. It's a critical concept for higher-level play and is often overlooked by beginners.
🎯 Why Shifting Matters:
Closes gaps between partners
Maintains defensive balance
Controls the "middle" of the court
Prepares for better shot anticipation and counterattacks
🧭 How Shifting Works:
1. Side-to-Side Shifting
If your partner is pulled wide to one side (say, to the right), you shift slightly toward that side to close the middle.
Think of it like being attached by a rope—you don’t want to leave too much space between you.
2. Diagonal Shifting (Triangle Positioning)
During certain rallies (like after a lob or cross-court dink), one partner might be back while the other is at the kitchen.
Partners shift diagonally to form a defensive triangle, covering both the net and deeper areas.
3. Kitchen Line Shifting
When both players are at the non-volley zone, they move laterally together as the ball is dinked cross-court.
Staying in sync at the net ensures no gap in the middle and better poaching opportunities.
@thepickleballclinic This universal strategy will help you cover speed ups down the line and cross court 🙌 Shifting with the ball and your partner will keep yo... See more
❌ Common Shifting Mistakes:
Over-shifting: Moving too far and leaving your own sideline open.
Not shifting at all: Staying planted while your partner is pulled wide.
Crossing behind partner: Always move together rather than criss-crossing unpredictably.
✅ Pro Tip:
Think of your doubles team as one unit—not two individuals. If one of you moves, the other must react in harmony.
Every great player started with the basics. Commit to these steps, and you’ll see your game rise to a whole new level.
Which of these strategies will you try first? See you on the court!
Dill-lighfully yours,
Your PICKLEBACKCLUB Team 🥒🎾
