Welcome to the Pickle Madness Weekly!

Five Common Mistakes Beginners Make in Pickleball

By Elizabeth Hagy

In 2023, pickleball continued to be America’s fastest-growing sport for the third year in a row, according to the 2023 Sports and Fitness Industry Association’s Topline Participation Report. This means that there are a lot of new players just starting their pickleball journey. As a volunteer that helps with a beginner class at a local pickleball facility, I see beginners make some of the same mistakes. I consulted with some other certified coaches in the area, and we came up with a list of five mistakes that seem most common in beginners.

1. Not keeping your eye on the ball. This is easy to fix with a little practice and concentration. The urge to look up at your opponent before your paddle contacts the ball is an easy mistake to make and the result is often the dreaded whiff or the “Oh no!” pop up. When you look up at your opponent, it pulls your head up and the body and arm follow. Those who play golf know this well; pull your head up before the club contacts the ball, and you either miss the ball completely or hit just the top of the ball with the club, making the ball dribble a few feet from the tee. A good drill to practice is to find a wall and hit by yourself, focusing on watching the paddle contact the ball, and then following the ball as it travels to the wall and back to you. Then try to keep that focus on the ball when playing in a game. Soon it will be second nature to follow the ball with your eyes.

2. Stepping into the court to quickly after serving. Many beginners are anxious to get to the kitchen or non-volley zone line after they serve, and this causes them to lose patience and move forward into the court before the return of serve from the opponents. The problem is the return of serve cannot be volleyed back because of the two-bounce rule. The two-bounce rule states that after the ball is served, each side must make one groundstroke prior to volleying the ball. When a player serves and steps into the court and the opponent hits a deep return of serve – which cannot be volleyed – the ball lands past the player, often making them miss the ball. A best practice is to get into the habit of “serve and stay.” And then, after the third shot, the players on the serving team should start to make their way to the non-volley zone or kitchen line.

Want to be featured as a guest author?

Send your submission to [email protected] for a chance to have your name and article published on www.picklemadness.com and the weekly newsletter!

New Gearbox Pro Series Paddles in Stock!

Want to learn how to hit a double back-handed drive? Watch our instructional YouTube video below ⬇️

Wow! You made it to the end of the newsletter! We’re glad you’re part of the Pickle Madness family. If you know other pickleball fanatics who would enjoy Pickle Madness content please share this newsletter with them. If you have any suggestions or would just like to say “Hi!” you can reach out HERE or send an email to [email protected]

See you next week!