Editor’s Note: We’re thrilled to have our “Adjunct Professor” Mark Renneson back on PBU. Mark is actually the go-to guy across Canada and America for coaching pickleball coaches. So today, he’s breaking down the basics that anyone new to pickleball should absolutely know. You can see all of Mark Renneson’s writing on PBU here.

If you’re relatively new to the pickleball world – welcome! Pickleball is an incredibly fun sport and can be full of kind, generous and inclusive people. You may be feeling a little overwhelmed with all the things there are to learn in order to play this game with the gunny name but don’t worry – I’ve got you! I put together this list of the most important things to consider as you get started in pickleball.

Serve and Stay.

After you or your partner serve, be sure to stand on (or better yet, behind) the baseline. This will ensure that no matter how deep your opponents return the ball, you’ll be able to let the ball bounce in front of you so you can follow the ever-so-important two-bounce rule. After you hit the next shot (known as the third shot) then you can consider moving forward and looking to take the ball out of the air..

Return and Run.

Moving closer to the net can be a great way to apply pressure since it reduces the time your opponents will have to react. Most commonly, players will return serve and run up to the NVL to join their partner who is typically already up there.

Being able to return and run to the net gives the returning team an advantage since the servers have to wait for the ball to bounce on their side before they hit their next shot (remember the two bounce rule). This movement pattern is so important in pickleball, if you return serve and hang back around the baseline, there is a good chance you’ll hear about it from your partner. They'll be displeased that you’re not adding much to the team from so far from the net. So hit that return of serve and hustle up toward the kitchen!

Third Shot Low.

If your team is serving then you’ll also be responsible for the third shot in the rally. Typically, your opponents will be up near the net (see Return and Run for details) and they’ll be looking to pounce on anything high. So what should you do? Send your shot low over the net!

While it may not win you the point outright, a good low ball means it will be hard for your opponents to hit their shot down and into the court. And if they can’t hit down, they can’t hit very hard and hope to keep the ball in play since fast balls hit on an upward trajectory tend to go out. This is good for you since fast balls are tough to return! It doesn’t matter so much whether your low shot is fast (known as a drive) or slow (known as a drop). The key thing is that it is no more than one and a half paddle heights over the net. Any higher and you could be in trouble!

Ball is Low? Hit it Slow!

When strong players receive a low ball (i.e. a ball below the height of the net) they will typically hit it back slow and short. Why? Well, when the ball is barely off the ground they have to hit on an upward trajectory. And if they hit up but also hit with speed, the ball will have a big arc and will likely be attacked by their opponents. By keeping these shots low, the arc stays small and the opponents won’t have something very easy to whack! So if your opponents have sent a low ball to you, try to be patient and play a slow and low ball of your own.

Ball is High? Let it Fly!

When you are up near the non-volley zone, there is a good chance that you’re going to get high balls. If the ball is chest high and fast, it is likely to land out of bounds – so long as you give it the chance! While it can be tempting to hit anything you can get your paddle on, practice some restraint and learn when to hold back. If you have shown your opponents that you know when to lay off the ball, that will put pressure on them to be more precise with the shots they hit and that can cause them to make mistakes.

If you’re up near the net and the high ball coming your way is slow, it’s your lucky day! This is the perfect time to let ‘er rip and to hit that ball hard, giving your opponents less time to react. Be sure to hit on a slightly downward trajectory so the ball stays in the court!

Confused about The Kitchen.

If you are new-ish to pickleball there is a good chance that you aren’t totally clear about the rules related to this area seven feet from the net. You might think you can’t go into the kitchen (false), or that you have to let the ball bounce first (also false). Let’s clear things up.

It is helpful to call the kitchen by its proper name – The Non-Volley Zone (NVZ). Fun fact: the word kitchen is not actually used in the official rules of pickleball. This is because calling it the non-volley zone tells you everything you need to know about this area – you are not allowed to volley if you are in it. A volley, just to be clear, is any ball struck by a player before it has bounced on their side. So guess what you can’t do if you are standing in the non-volley zone – VOLLEY!

It is important to note that the NVZ is a two dimensional surface and you are allowed to volley above it. In fact, getting close to the line and reaching over it is a good way to attack slightly higher balls. Also, there will be times that you need to enter the NVZ to retrieve a ball – either when your opponent hits very short, or if it dribbles over the net.

Knowing that it's ok to hit the ball in here (so long as the ball has bounced before you strike it) can relieve some of your anxiety related to people saying “stay out of the kitchen!” And while there are no rules related to coming out of the NVZ after hitting the ball, it's generally a good idea. If you’re hanging out in the kitchen and your opponents hit straight at you, you’ll likely be forced to volley and, as you now know, that’s not allowed.

One more thing to mention. Even if you volley from outside of the NVZ (good) but your momentum from the shot makes you enter the NVZ (bad), you lose the rally (extra bad). You must learn to control your body and not fall into the NVZ after hitting the ball. Not as easy as it seems!