Are you a pickleball player that’s hooked on the sport but you also have an insatiable need to improve your game? Then I totally get you. As much as pickleball was a fun and social outlet for me, it was also a sport and a skill that I wanted to improve. It wasn’t enough for me to just play and have fun, I really wanted and still want to become the best pickleball athlete I can be! That being said, I realized that I needed to get strategic when it came to my plan to gain more skills and confidence on the court. So below are my top 4 tips on improving your pickleball game!
INVEST IN A GOOD PAIR OF PICKLEBALL COURT SHOES!
The first two years I played pickleball I only played in my Nike tennis shoes. I basically slipped and skid my entire way around the pickleball court just because I convinced myself that court should wouldn’t really make a difference. And boy was I wrong… The minute I put on pickleball court shoes and was actually able to have some decent traction, I was able to get to the kitchen line faster, set my feet before hitting shots and it drastically improved my game. So if you don’t have a good pair of court shoes, please do yourself a favor and get some!
Not sure which court shoes to get? The Pickleball shoes I’m currently wearing are the Skechers Viper Court shoes (Womens shoes linked here! & Men’s shoes linked here!). These court shoes feature Goodyear rubber outsoles that deliver enhanced traction for indoor and outdoor court play! If you’re not into Skechers but still shopping around for some court shoe options then I’d suggest checking out the shoe selection at Pickleball Central.
TAKE A PICKLEBALL LESSON FROM A CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL!
Now I know this one can be hard, especially if there aren’t coaches in your area. But I never came from a racket sport background so when I picked up a pickleball paddle, I was really starting with no foundation. It wasn’t until I was 2 years into playing that I learned I was holding the paddle the wrong way which in turn created a re-occuring pain in my forearm. I also ended up having to “un-learn” bad habits that I picked up when it came to certain shots because I just didn’t have the proper technique.
When I took my first lesson from a certified and credible coach, I was MIND BLOWN by how much I learned, how much more I understood about the game strategy, how certain shot mechanics should be executed & the confidence I gained because of it. I actually still believe that first lesson was so foundational to where I’m at today and if I could give anyone a piece of advice that’s at an intermediate/beginner level looking to improve quickly– please take a lesson!
Not in the place financially to invest in lessons? I found a lot of great resources on YouTube from certified PPR pickleball professionals. If you can’t take a lesson, this is a great resource to utilize. Make sure you check out my YouTube channel where I post drills and shot tutorials monthly!
SET ASIDE TIME FOR DRILLING OUTSIDE OF RECREATIONAL PLAY!
Pickleball drills are specific exercises designed to practice and improve specific pickleball skills. Drills help you commit the proper pickleball mechanics to muscle memory. Once you have the muscle memory down, it’s easier to react & respond with the new shot you’ve been drilling.
You might be asking yourself why drilling could be more beneficial than recreational play. Well, pickleball drills are better than pickleball play in efficiently committing skills to muscle memory because drills allow you get repetition on a specific skill (such as hitting a drop shot) over and over! You might hit 5-15 drop shots in a game setting but you can effectively hit more than triple the amount if you drilled for the same amount of time. Drilling is invaluable in gaining repetition quickly and efficiently!
Are you looking for pickleball drill ideas? Head over to my instagram or check out my YouTube channel for shot tutorials & drill ideas!
PLAY HIGHER LEVEL PLAYERS
Again, this one can be more or less difficult to do depending on the size of your pickleball community. However, I’ve personally found that though it’s really fun (not to mention a great confidence boost) to win and play people of similar level to you, it’s also really eye-opening to play pickleball players that are at a higher level than you. You start to realize that there are certain shots & strategies that you thought were good but really at a higher level, those same shots and same strategies don’t work anymore. You can’t get away with as much and you really have to dial in your consistency. Playing with higher level players really exposes your weaknesses and gives you a good idea of what shots you might need to drill and work on!
LASTLY, if you don’t feel like your community has higher level players, then my biggest encouragement to you is to do as many tournaments as possible! And try to sign up for a level that you won’t automatically win at. I know, it’s fun to win… but I always went in the mentality that I’d rather play up and learn what I need to work on than play down to simply win.
P.S. if you’ve never played in a tournament before or you have and want a tournament check list of items I bring to every tourney- see my blog post “THE ULTIMATE TOURNAMENT CHECK LIST“
DISCOUNTS, CODES & LINKS 🥳
SELKIRK PRODUCT DISCOUNTS: I love Selkirk products! Whether it’s their paddles, their bags or their apparel… I use it and love it all! (use code ADV-ALLTHINGSPB at checkout for any Selkirk purchase and in return receive e-gift card credit for your next Selkirk purchase emailed to you)
My Go To Paddle: Selkirk Project 002 by Selkirk Labs (use code ADV-ALLTHINGSPB at checkout for any Selkirk purchase and in return receive e-gift card credit for your next Selkirk purchase emailed to you)
My Pickleball Bag: Selkirk Tour Bag by Selkirk (use code ADV-ALLTHINGSPB at checkout for any Selkirk purchase and in return receive e-gift card credit for your next Selkirk purchase emailed to you)
My Electrolyte Supplements: Jigsaw Health Electrolyte Supreme is my go-to supplement for my all my workouts & pickleball practice sessions! (use code ALLTHINGSPB10 at checkout to receive $10 off any Jigsaw order!)
My Pickleball Shoes: Skechers Viper Court Shoes is my go-to pickleball shoe! They’re by far the comfiest shoe I’ve tried so far! I unfortunately don’t have a code for you but I’ll link them here!
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