The Pickleball game comes under the modern category of sports and is enjoyed all around the world. The pickleball game has some specific rules and skills that a person should follow to attain a good score in this game. So, what is the most important skill in pickleball?
Dinking is the most essential skill to make a strategy in pickleball. Dinking holds its importance in which the ball is hit softly and is dropped straight on the ground after it passes through the net. Other major skills include volleying, rallying, playing ground strokes, and lobbying the ball.
Go along the article to find more about these major skills and their applications during the game.
Important Skills of a Pickleball Game:
Some important skills in pickleball game are as follows:
- Dinking
- Volley
- Ground strokes
- Lobbying
- Getting on the line in the game
1. Dinking:
It is one of the essential skills in strategically playing the pickleball game. It is not just a simple move but is a primary skill that a player should attain to become a professional.
In dinking, a player hits the Wiffle ball softly and drops it straight to the ground after passing through the game's net. Being a player, you should work on your dinking skill as it is an important skill.
What Is A Dink In Pickleball? All You Need to Know
2. Volley:
In volley skill, the player hits the ball before it bounces on the ground. It is a throw that throws the ball off the opponent and allows a player to control the game. This is an excellent drill that players can practice in the doubles category.
You can spend five minutes hitting the volleys back and forth with your opponent or player. Then, try to hit on the opponent's backhand and pick up the maximum speed that makes you both comfortable before hitting.
What is A Volley in Pickleball? All You Need to Know
3. Groundstrokes:
Groundstroke is the opposite of volley, in which the player hits a ball after it is bounced. The groundstroke attempt is tricky to hit as the ball does not always bounce in the same direction.
A player can spend ten minutes returning the groundstrokes. It will provide an idea to the players about how to bounce the ball and react to it. This can also help improve the game’s reflexes and reaction time.
4. Lobbying:
It is a drill in a pickleball game that provides some time for the player to practice before hitting an overhead that returns.
If the game is alternated with the opponent, one person can attempt lobbying, and the other one can return with overhead hits.
If you want to reserve the court for compensating the time, you should attempt this move about 30-40 times.
What Is a Lob in Pickleball? All You Need to Know
5. Getting On the Line In The Game:
The player should get on the non-volley line, a difference between the winning and losing strategy. There are more ways of playing the ball, but a player should be fast enough to do so.
Serve the ball by alternating with your partner and running on the line before they hit the ball back in a deep way. A player can also work on speed by running sprints on the line back and forth.
Pickleball Tips to Attain Skills for Beginners:
1. Attain a Ready Position in Game:
It is advised to the pickleball players to always be in a ready position in the game. They should keep their feet and shoulders at a maximum width apart and should slightly bend their knees in a downward position.
It is also recommended to players to keep the weight of the balls on their feet and should relax the upper body and shoulders.
In addition, the arms should be held in front of the body in a slightly up position.
The player can work on this point to attain an automatic reflex system. The player can get ready in the same position after hitting the serve. It is better to achieve a continental or neutral grip as it is not confirmed that the opponent will carefully place the dink or hit the forehand or backhand way.
2. Learn the Dink Shot:
Dink is a soft, short drop in the pickleball that originates near the non-volley zone. It goes over the net and drops in the opposing member of the non-volley zone. This is similar to the short drop shot in the tennis game, but it is a part of the slow game in pickleball.
One of the common mistakes that players make during the pickleball game is that they focus on hitting the long shots to get used to the pickleball paddle, along with focusing on the basic strokes. As a result, they also evolve into an all-rounding game that combines power with a strategic soft pickleball game.
This is a considerable disadvantage that any experienced player faces, and for such a condition, it is better to learn a dink shot.
Dink shot can neutralize the power player even having a solid pickleball shot. A well-placed dink shot can set a long-soft volley in the game that forces the other team member to play a soft game in which overpower usually wins.
Players tend to return the dink hard, and in this way, you can force errors on them. Power hitters return the shot on the net and send it out of bounds. It results in providing you with a point.
3. Attempting the Dink Earlier:
It is also advisable for beginners to learn the dink shot as early as possible. Practice this shot daily which will eventually take your game to the next level.
A lot of patience is required to set a winning shot in the game, so a dink shot will help you learn.
4. Perfecting the Third Shot:
3rd shot is appointed in the pickleball game, which is considered the second shot of point for the serving team. Therefore, beginner players in the pickleball game are advised to make themselves perfect in the 3rd shot.
Type of Shot | Interpretation |
1st shot | Serve |
2nd shot | Receiving the return serve of team |
3rd shot | Second shot of serving team |
3rd shot in a pickleball game is a critical point and is set at the pace for an entire point. This shot is an advantage for the serving team to attain a transition to the net and to take control over the slow game.
The player is advised to get ready in a position holding a continental grip to set up for the third shot. Then, the player can get ready to play either a backhand or a forehand shot. Avoid forcing the 3rd shot in the game.
Most of the players hit the third shot the hard way, and in this way, they lose the point. Your goal as a player should be to allow the 3rd shot to transition towards the net. Then, try to lift the shot to create an arc.
Your arc will peak towards the side of the court and will drop over the net in the opposing kitchen. 3rd shot is a hard shot and requires practice to get perfect in this game.
The player should make sure to practice this shot daily to become a professional in this shot. Practice this shot with your Partner and position on the baseline and your Partner in the non-volley zone.
5. Communicating with the Partner in the Game:
Communication is a critical skill necessary for gameplay, especially in pickleball. In the case of the doubles category, it becomes more critical as both the players should communicate with each other to attain a good score.
Communication Type in Pickleball | Explanation |
Calling the shot | It is better to call the shots for each other by saying, it's mine, and this shot is yours. There are several scenarios in the court where the partners are unsure which shot is there, and in this way, they both rush to attempt it or completely miss the shot. |
Helping with the line calls | It is challenging to keep an eye on the court lines and set up for the next. Take some time and pressure off the partners by making a loud noise of in and out calls for the shots. Keep an eye on the court lines and ball and concentrate on the shot. This concentration can help you to win the game. |
Establishing simple signals | The new players in the pickleball game often get away from establishing simple signals. Instead, experienced pickleball players practice using hand signals and body language to make good shots. As a beginner player, you can also practice the same to avoid confusion during the play. |
6. Simplifying the Shot Selection:
If you are a beginner in the pickleball game, you might want to try out all the shots you have seen the experienced player use. But this might create a mixture in your mind, and you will lose the points.
You can adopt the following tips for not losing the points and can simplify your shot selection:
Selection of Shots | Description |
Limiting the lob | The lob shot is one of the most over-used shots in the pickleball game. But this shot, if used more, can take away the critical aspect of the game. It includes the element of surprise for the player. Practicing the lobbing shot too often in the game will allow the opponent to anticipate the game. It is better to reserve this shot for later use and use it to win points. |
Sticking to D's | Dinks and drop shots are the safest bets in the pickleball game. A player can carefully place the lob shot or smash the smooth drop shot over the net in the game to score a point. |
High % of return | A high % return is considered the safe serve return. It is the soft floating return that is deep to the baseline. It is the easiest serve return to make in the game. Keep the game simple and try to get over the net. |
Keeping the shots deep | If both are on the backcourt, try to keep the players involved with deep and hard-driving shots. Try to keep them away from the non-volley line, where they can take advantage of playing the shot to get a score. Return shots with a steady pace keep the player busy and will allow you to control the net. |
Also Read:
What is a Rally in Pickleball? All You Need to Know
What Kind of Ball is Used in Pickleball?
How to Become a Pickleball Pro?
Pickleball When to Switch Sides? What You Need to Know
What Does 4.0 Mean in Pickleball? All You Need to Know
How Did Pickleball Get Its Name? Amazing Fact
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Which is the most difficult thing considered in a pickleball game?
The problem in a pickleball game is keeping the pickleball in a low position while it is still over the net. Low pickleball position prevents the opponents from being able to play offensively with an aggressive shot.
Which is the effective position for playing in a pickleball game?
The effective position of playing pickleball is side by side in the attack position while staying one foot behind the non-volley zone line. A player can step into the non-volley zone and volley the ball before it bounces on each side of the net.
What three key factors should a player focus on in the pickleball game?
A player should focus on three factors:
- Choosing the target
- Watching the ball
- Imagine hitting the three balls
- Shots become more solid and accurate, and there is improvement seen in the game after such vital factors.
What should a player not try in a pickleball game?
A player should avoid the following things in the pickleball game:
- The most common mistake is hurrying up the serve
- Avoid attempting the fancy spin
- Avoid smashing the balls too early in the game
- Avoid the kitchen faults and poor techniques of serve
- Not allowing the let shots to go out.
How can you become a good pickleball player?
A person can become a good pickleball player by playing the game smartly and in a consistent server position. Let the opponents make some mistakes in the game. A player’s goal should not be only to win the point in the service but to put enough pressure on the opponent so they cannot return the shot easily.
How can a person beat the bangers in the pickleball game?
A person can beat the bangers easily in a pickleball game by trying the following strategies:
- Avoiding the banger as it is not for every player
- Hitting a deep return of serve
- Keeping the banger back and be wary of out balls in the game
- Following the tips for slowing down the game
- Engaging oneself in the soft game
What are the skills of a 4.0 pickleball player?
4.0 skill level of a pickleball player is capable of executing the level of 3.5 or above skill level. This player distinguishes themselves from a 3.5 player and possesses some increased skills and strategies along with more power, speed, and consistency.
I am Suryashankar, a passionate pickleball player with over 3 years of experience. I created this website to share my knowledge and experience with others just starting or looking to improve their game.
My mission is to provide you with the most unbiased and comprehensive information about pickleball.
Through my experience and expertise, I have curated this article to offer valuable insights, tips, and tricks to help you become a better player.