Pickleball tips from Arizona:
http://azpickleball.info/playing-tips/
Pickleball video: The legal way to serve:
Pickleball Video: 'Get in the Game'
http://www.veoh.com/browse/videos/category/family/watch/v20138820nXxzQBpY
Improving Your Game
Above all, learn the basic rules and do your very best to follow them. Watch for foot faults, yours and your friends. Make sure your serves are legal. Know when a ball is really in or out. Many new players don’t work at these rules and you are missing a very important part of the game. Further, when you play with more advanced players you are very likely to be called for violations.
Listen and accept other’s suggestions that you’ve violated a rule. It’s to your benefit.
Always get to the non-volley line when you can. It’s the strongest position.
Face the player who will hit the ball, not the non-volley line. You will be in a better position to hit the ball.
Keep your paddle high, near your chest. It’s easier to react to hard shots at you.
Keep the ball in play. 75% of all rallies are won or lost because of unforced errors, many of them at the baseline. Don’t try to hit the ball right at the sidelines, the odds are too much against you. Let your opponent make the mistakes.
Return serves soft and deep, that gives you time to get to the non-volley line.
Don’t try to make hard serves or serves near the side lines.
Return your baseline shots with your forehand and to the center line as often as you can.
Use your forehand as much as you can. Few people have as good a backhand as their forehand.
Don’t short hop the ball at the baseline. Stand back a little to get a higher bounce.
Keep both feet behind the baseline when serving or receiving a serve. Remember that both the serve and the serve return must bounce before you can hit the ball.
Don’t try to power the ball, location is much more important.
Don’t try to make a lot of “sideline” shots, they are low percentage shot. Just try to hit to open areas.
Always make note if an opponent is right or left handed. Avoid hitting to their strong side.
Try to stay in the middle of your side of the court. Don’t take your partner’s shots away.
Moving Your Game to a Higher Level
Learn to “dink” the ball proficiently, be patient. Don’t try to make a “kill” shot unless it’s really there to make.
Know when to hit the ball hard or softly. It’s not about power.
Watch how your opponent’s paddle hit the ball, it tells you a lot about where the return will be going and how hard it will be hit.
Hit the ball to your opponent’s feet or backhand, especially if it’s weak.
Develop a drop shot (just over the net) from the baseline. This is an important shot when your opponent(s) are at the non-volley line. Never use it when your opponents are back near the baseline.
Work on a cross-court dink.
“Ratchet” overhead smashes (straight arm). It works better than snapping your wrist.
Have friends make some shots to you that you don’t like and work at returning them. Maybe your opponent doesn’t like them either. Try them on him or her.
Look for patterns in your opponent’s play. Sometimes you can see things during pre-game warm-ups.
When you see that your opponent is about to hit the ball try to stop moving, especially forward or backward. It’s much easier to hit the ball and control it if you are stationary.
Pickleball Early Preparation
EARLY PREPARATION is the most important part of the game. It is the most common mistake, because players do not realize they are not prepared early enough. Players in their quest to get to the NVZ line tend to be running out of control at the point of contact of the ball on their
opponents paddle. Players sacrifice early preparation for a better position on the court which is very poor technique because if you are moving at point of contact of the ball on your opponents paddle then you are not able to hit a low ball, go back for a lob, or move right or left as quick. The proper technique is to split step [feet are parallel to each other and shoulder width apart. Similar to the old game of hop scotch] and hesitate for a split second in the proper ready position at the point of contact of your opponent touching the ball. Watch the face of your opponents paddle to be able to read if you will be hitting a forehand or backhand shot and be prepared to cross step to the ball. Using the slit step allows you to have a little forward motion and be in control to move quickly in either direction. If you use this technique every single time your opponent touches the ball it will make you a quicker and more consistent player.
How to get to the net after serving
The serving team is at a disadvantage because the returning team will be at the net before the return of serve is touched by the serving team.
The serving team must get to the net as fast and as safe as possible to level the playing field.
The third hit is very important -
1.The serve
2. The return of serve
3.The serving team's second hit.
There are three methods to get to the net.
1. Blast the ball as low and hard as you can over the net. This is counterproductive because it does not give you enough time to get all the way to the NO VOLLEY ZONE line and it is a low percentage shot against a good volleying team.
2. Lob down the middle over the left players backhand which is not an easy shot.
3. Dink the ball into the no volley zone. This slow soft shot will give you and your partner plenty of time to get to the net. It is not an easy shot.
Practicing and mastering this strategy will quickly bring your game to the next level. Find a partner to feed you balls and you try to hit the ball into the NO VOLLEY ZONE at different distances from the net and then you feed your partner balls. Whatever method you decide to use communicate this to your partner first so he will know when to move to the line.
If you do not get all the way up to the no volley zone line before your opponent is about to hit the ball, you must stop in a spit step position [both feet parallel to each other in your volley ready position].
Never ever be moving at the point of contact of your opponent touching the ball. It is better to stop in no man's land balanced and ready to move in any direction than a little closer to the net and not balanced or ready. The third hit is very important for you to get to the next level.
Playing Tips by Coach “Mo” (Richard Movsessian)
Pickleball Percentages
* Never sacrifice placement for power. A slow ball at your opponent’s feet is better than a very fast hit to the waist.
* Never sacrifice being in the ready position for a better position on the court. Always stop and be in the ready position at the point of contact of the ball touching your opponents paddle.
* The team with the least unforced errors usually wins, not the team with the most winners.
* A good volley will usually beat a good ground stroker. The ground stroke is just means to get to the nvz line and win the point.
* Your best position on the court should be either one foot behind the baseline or one inch behind nvz line. Stay out of no man’s land.
* The team hitting down into the court most of the time will win more points than the team always hitting up, so keep your hits low to the feet. It will probablybe the difference in a close game.
* Never ever miss your serve or return of serve.
* Most of your shots should be down the middle of the court, over the low part of the net, gives you a lot of leeway right and left, and causes confusion between your opponents.
* Patience is a virtue when dinking. Do not try for a winner unless ball is more than 12’’ above the net.
* Never try and hit a winner off a very difficult shot. Just play defensive and try to return the ball low into the court.
Playing Tips by Coach “Mo” (Richard Movsessian)
Strategies for Doubles!!
Playing Tips by Bill Booth (USAPA):
Court Position for Doubles. The strongest position in doubles is when both players are at the no-volley line. Try to position yourself so that your feet are just a foot or two behind the line. Give yourself just enough room to pivot and step into the ball as you hit it. You want to volley (hit before the bounce) as many balls as you can. That is where you get the most power and advantage over your opponent. You can only do that when you are at the line.
Many beginning and intermediate players say that they are more comfortable when playing midway between the no-volley line and the baseline. They insist that it gives them more time to see and react to the ball. That is true, but it also gives your opponent more time to react to your shot! And if your opponent is at the line and you are playing back, it gives him a much wider range of shots and angles to play! Most of the time, he will just hit it hard at your feet. Even the very best players have difficulty making an effective return of a hard shot at the feet. That is why that zone midway between the no-volley line and the baseline is called “no man’s land”. You don’t want to be there if it is possible to get to the line! If you are playing against a player that likes to stay back while his partner is up, always return the ball to the player that is staying back. You will be on the offense while your opponent is on the defence.
How to Practice Pickleball
Here is a link to some videos to help you improve your game.
http://training.usapa.org/drills%26skills
How to Practice Pickleball
Find someone of your ability that appreciates the importance of practicing. If you want to play your best, you must know the importance of practice, as well as playing the game.
- A player should learn proper footwork to become a better player. Learn to cross step, side step and split step. Good footwork makes for easier court coverage, wider range, and better balance and shots.
- You must practice a soft game at the net until you are so confident that you think that you could do it perfect for five minutes if needed.
- Break the game down into segments. Ground strokes, corner to corner and down the line.
- Volleys: One player at the net and the other at the baseline. Volley balls hit from different angles. Both players volley and practice short game.
- One player lobs the ball to player at net who hits overhead shots from different angles. Play points out using one-half doubles court. Go from corner to corner, not keeping score without serving and then with serving. Points should not be counted because a player tends to try to win by doing only the things that he does well, rather than practicing things he doesn’t do well.
- After practicing for a long period of time, play a singles match using only half of the doubles court and keeping score. Try to move your opponent around the court and out of position with ball placement and the other strategies presented earlier.
- After practicing the whole game in segments, the game becomes an extension of practice and you play better Pickle Ball.
Playing Tips by Coach “Mo” (Richard Movsessian)
Warm-up Tips
James Squire Physiotherapist at Sherwood Park July 2017
Videos to Improve your Game
http://www.pickleballchannel.com/
http://www.sarahansboury.proliteproud.com/
http://www.allpickleball.com/jennifersblog/