Playing Tips From:
"The Official Pickleball Handbook"
Playing Tips From:
"The Official Pickleball Handbook"
2nd Edition
by Mark Friedenberg
Use a Forehand When Returning Serve
When returning serve position yourself so that you use your forehand. Your forehand strokes are stronger and more accurate than your backhand! It's very easy to do! Position yourself to the left of the serving square (if right-handed) and to the right (if left-handed). You will improve your game immensely!
Keep Your Paddle UpWatch where players position their paddle, before they return the ball or when at the net just before they return a hard smash. Their paddle was probably positioned low (below the waist). You must position your paddle at your chest. You don't have the time to raise your paddle and then strike the ball. By doing this one thing you will improve your net game. What I do is hold the paddle up to my chest using my left hand.
Face the Action (The Ball)
By correctly facing your opponents you gain opportunities to win points. If the ball is in the opponent's court directly opposite you, then your feet should be positioned parallel to net and facing your opponent. If the ball is in the opponent's court that is diagonal from you, then your feet should be angled so that you are facing your opponent. Why should you face the ball? Because it will allow you to react faster to your opponent's shot. It may also allow you to use a forehand rather than a backhand return. This is something that many Open players forget about. If you use this tip it will improve your game significantly!
Anticipate Your Opponent’s Shots and Moves
By correctly anticipating your opponent’s shot and moves, you gain opportunities to win points. Your game plan requires you to analyze your opponent during pre-game warm-up and even during game time. Look for tendencies. Tendencies are certain habits that your opponent displays. To anticipate your opponent's shots and moves, you must be able to “read” these tendencies. In addition to looking for tendencies, you will want to read the direction of your opponent’s shot. This is a very important part of your game! You don’t want to be the one chasing down the ball. You want your opponent to do the running.
To anticipate direction and shot type, focus on your opponent’s paddle as it hits the ball.
Here is some additional help:
1. Watch the ANGLE of your opponent’s paddle as it hits the ball. It is the best indicator of your opponent’s shot direction. It will tell you where the ball will land in your court.
2. Is the paddle face slightly open for backspin?
3. Is the paddle face slightly closed for a topspin shot?
4. Is the paddle raised above the head for an overhead smash?
5. Is the paddle parallel to the floor, signifying a lob?
6. Watch the position of your opponent’s feet. This can also indicate your opponent’s general shot direction.
Here is some additional help when looking for tendencies:
1. Where does your opponent like to hit the ball? To your backhand, forehand, down the center or away from you down the sidelines?
2. When you take the net does your opponent consistently use a lob, drop shot or a passing shot down the sidelines?
3. Does your opponent “give away” his shot by making a certain move or motion before he hits the ball? During a lob, drop-volley, a drive shot or an overhead smash?
4. When does your opponent use his forehand and backhand drive shots, lob or drop shot?
Anticipating where your opponent will hit the ball takes lots of practice. Don’t be discouraged if you guess wrong! If you guess right more than 50 percent of the time then you are doing fine. Even if you do guess wrong, then you must believe that there is plenty of time to recover and create a respectable return shot.
Limit Your Errors
It was only after losing the championship round of a singles tournament, that I truly understood the game of pickleball. You see, I thought that I was really good! But my opponent tracked down and returned everything that I hit. He forced me into making several errors. That’s how he made his points. Yes, he did have several winning shots but I made most of his points! He made me look very stupid! But I did learn a very important lesson. If you keep the ball in play, you force your opponent into either committing an error or earning the point.
In today’s pickleball I notice that there are 2 basic styles of play:
1. The “smash-mouth” player, who plays like the tennis professional and smashes everything hard and directly at you. This style of play usually doesn’t work against a good player. These players will hit most of their shots into the net or out of bounds.
2. The “in your face” player, who returns everything you hit. Thus, causing you to make the mistakes.
Which style are you? Or, are you a mixture of both?
Limiting your errors is the most important strategy in this book. Here are some statistics:
1. Three of every four rallies (75 percent) are won (or lost) because of errors.
2. One of every four rallies (25 percent) are actually earned or won by a good shot.
3. Three out of every four errors (75 percent) are made at the baseline by hitting the ball into the net or out of bounds.
The point is, by limiting your errors you improve your chances of winning rallies. There are two types of errors, physical errors and mental errors.
Physical Errors
Physical errors are errors in which you:
1. Hit the ball into the net.
2. Hit the ball out of bounds.
3. Whiff – swing at but miss the ball.
Don’t try to make the perfect serve or return. Don’t try to “kill” the ball. Hitting the ball into the net and hitting the ball out of bounds, especially on the return of serve, are the most common errors in pickleball. Keep the ball in play. Get the ball back into your opponent’s court and force your opponent into committing the errors. Remember that you can't score points by hitting the ball into the net or out of bounds! This game is not about power but one of shot placement. If you get one or two more returns into your opponent’s court, it just may be the difference you need to win the game and match. Make your opponent earn the points. Don’t play “Santa Claus” and give them away!
Mental Errors
Mental errors are errors in which you give the point away because you were not thinking!
Common mental errors are:
1. Hitting the ball to your opponent’s strengths. For example, a short lob that can be returned with an overhead smash. At least you got the ball over the net and will force your opponent to make a good shot!
2. Changing your mind – Deciding at the last second that you will hit the ball elsewhere. It’s one of the most common mental errors and usually results in hitting the ball into the net or out of bounds. Although there are times when you will have too much time to think about what you are going to do it’s best to rely on your first choice.
3. Not observing the double bounce rule.
4. Foot faults – Illegally stepping into the non-volley zone or even touching any of the non-volley zone's lines.
5. Touching the net with your body or your paddle.
6. Catching the ball before it lands out of bounds.
The easiest way to destroy your game is to make dumb mistakes. So think about what you are doing and don't give away points.
About the Author
Mark Friedenberg is one of the top ranked pickleball players in the
Mark has been interviewed on several TV stations, a radio station and by many newspapers and magazines throughout the
Mark’s book is designed for all levels of play, from the beginner up through the best players in the game. It is well organized, very entertaining, easy to read, and contains lots of great pictures depicting the basic fundamental skills and strategies of pickleball to improve your game significantly! He also exposes many of the secrets of the master players. The book also includes the USA Pickleball Association’s (USAPA) Tournament Rulebook.
The book is well worth the “price of Admission."
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Coaching Clinics Lessons
If you or any of your friends would like Pickleball lessons, coaching or clinics to take you to the next level, please contact Mark at apbmaster@aol.com for rates and expenses.