Top 5 Pickleball Mistakes Holding You Back
Mistakes happen in life, but when mistakes happen on a pickleball court, they can cost you the match. Beginner pickleball players often make mistakes on the 3rd shot drop without realizing it. Most common mistakes can be corrected by new players simply by understanding pickleball strategy and positioning.
However, bad habits can become ingrained, and even intermediate players and advanced players make rookie mistakes occasionally. That’s why it’s important to have an awareness of common mistakes and to analyze game performance when there is a pattern of losing points
This article discusses five pickleball mistakes that you want to fix if you want to take your game to the next level.
Mistake #1 - Wrong Place on the Court
According to Tim from Total Pickleball, the first mistake pickleball players make is not standing in the right place on the court. The best place to stand after a serve is at the non-volley zone line or NVZ. That’s where winning pickleball happens. By playing a majority of your match at the NVZ line, you have more control over the types of shots you can make. For example, you have the option of hitting a lob or a cross-court dink when standing at the kitchen line.
Another common positioning mistake happens at the baseline following a serve. Instead of remaining in the backcourt for a return of serve, they tend to drift forward towards the NVZ but end up in “no man’s land.” This is also referred to as the transition area and is the area of the court between the baseline and the NVZ line.
If you’re standing in no man’s land, you are in a terrible position because of the two-bounce rule. Hitting the ball with your weight off of your back foot tends to result in a terrible third shot.
Court Position Pickleball Tips
On the serve: Stay back after the return and assess the ball before running up.
On the return: Always run up to the net after hitting the ball (to avoid balls being hit back at your feet.)
Top 5 Pickleball Mistakes and How to Correct Them with Total Pickleball
Mistake #2 - Wrong Position to Hit the Ball
Now that we’re in the right position on the court, we need to put ourselves in the right position to hit the ball. What does this mean? For your paddle hand, this means holding your paddle up and having it ready to volley the ball.
Tim suggests keeping your paddle in a 10:37 AM position if you’re a righty and a 1:37 PM position if you’re a lefty. For a demonstration of this positioning, watch Tim’s video at the 2:34 mark.
This pickleball paddle positioning ensures that you’re ready to go and can get to 80% of the balls that are hit at you (both forehand and backhand.) The quickest way to lose a rally is to keep your paddle below your waist and to be off balance because you’re not in the ready position.
Mistake #3 - Too Much Movement
Flailing about the pickleball court (particularly with bad footwork) does no one any good. Well, almost no one. Your opponent will love it. When you move around too much, it causes your eyes to leave the ball and your body to be in a terrible position. Not tracking the ball and incorrectly positioning your hands, shoulders, and legs lead to poor shots and missed opportunities.
Instead, stay put. Keep calm, be quick, and keep your movements controlled and compact. As Tim says, “Happy feet can lead to a sad result.”
Mistake #4 - Not Enough Movement
“Now, wait a minute,” you might be saying, “you just told us that we move too much.” For some people, the problem is they don’t move their feet and legs enough. Too many people use their arms and shoulders only to hit a ball, or they find themselves lunging at balls. Lunging can cause you to be off balance and put you in a precarious position for the third shot.
When moving, use small steps to get to the position you need to be in, then use a short, compact swing to make a good strike. Then, of course, get your paddle up and your feet ready for the ball to come back at you.
Mistake #5 - Too Much Too Soon
Many pickleball players are too impatient. Too quickly, they try to end a match or end a point on a single strike. Instead, these players would do well to follow the saying, “Make me hit one more ball.” Impatience leads to hitting the ball into the net or setting your opponent up with an easy strike.
One way to consider whether you should attack the ball is to think of your body in terms of a traffic light. Your lower half is red, your middle is yellow, and your top is green. When the ball is hit back at you in the green area, you should attack and go for the point. If it’s in the red, you should simply focus on returning the ball with a dink or high-percentage shot. If it’s in the yellow, the middle zone, then you can choose either one. But, the smart players are the ones who wait for that extra shot to ensure that it’s their opponent regretting their last shot and not themselves.
Split your body into “traffic light zones” to decide your next shot.
Pickleball is a game of controlled aggression. There’s nothing wrong with being competitive and aggressive. But if you cannot control that aggression, then you’re going to hit the ball too hard and be the one making the most mistakes on the court. Practice patience out there, and you’ll eliminate a lot of mistakes from your game.
Conclusion
Understanding pickleball rules is only half the battle when learning to play. It’s not only important to run pickleball drills to practice but also to be aware of bad habits on the court and correct them. As you correct common beginner pickleball mistakes, your skill level will improve, and you will play better pickleball.
