INSTRUCTION
ADVICE FOR THE BEGINNERS OUT THERE
By Alice Tym
This advice is for strict beginners , not converted tennis players . ( Those players have separate issues , and my advice to tennis converts is to learn a new game — not just play tennis on the pickleball court . That will be a separate article .) For people who have recently taken up pickleball , here are some suggestions .
1 . When possible , take lessons . Take them from a teaching pro with credentials in pickleball . There are lots and lots of “ pros ” and people willing to share their knowledge out there , but do your research . Does this person know the game , and have the ability to transfer that knowledge ?
2 . Practice six hours for every half-hour lesson . Practice the six hours on the specific topic of that lesson . That means if the lesson is on placing the serve , you must practice six hours on placing your serve before you take another lesson . Beware of the coach who tells you that he can make you win a national title . Only you can do that . Beware of thinking that if you pay $ 100 an hour that you will win a national title . It is about dedication . Dedicate yourself to practicing and to making yourself a better player . The pro is only a guide ; you are the explorer .
3 . How should you practice ? I learned to play tennis by hitting against the neighbor ’ s brick garage . I believe in using a wall because you can experiment without wasting someone else ’ s time and you can groove your strokes . The wall is a good place to learn to watch the ball — really watch the ball . Absolutely fixate on the ball and you will be surprised how easy it is to hit it . Work on preparation . Take your paddle back as soon as the ball comes off the wall . “ Click ” on the wall , “ snap ” on the backswing . Click , snap 1,000 times . If you are unable to take lessons , you can learn a lot by experimenting on the wall .
4 . Find a practice partner who likes to drill . Set aside drill time and work on specific components of your game . For example , Monday is serves and returns — use cones for targets . Tuesday is a dink game head-to-head and crosscourt . Wednesday is groundstrokes , down the line and crosscourt . Thursday is volleys , deep volleys and drop volleys . Friday is one up at the NVZ line and one back on the baseline working on third shot drops and deep volleys . Saturday is overheads , lobs , and volleys — one player at the net and one back lobbing . Sunday is movement drills , working your way to the NVZ line , side-to-side groundstroke drills , lobs , and overheads emphasizing good footwork . You need a practice partner who works on placing the ball and keeping the ball playable . You can play after you drill or before you drill , but proper practice is the key to improvement .
5 . Play your practice matches with a purpose . Pickleball is fun but it is even more fun when you improve and can do more with the ball . In your practice matches , try different serves so you learn what works for you . A lob serve may look silly , but it can be very effective . In your practice matches , work on depth , deep groundstrokes , and deep volleys . Most beginners hit the net rather than hit long . Keep the ball in play while working on deeper shots . You will find there is more court than you thought ! Absolutely , when you warm up , hit long rather than short . The tendency is to pull the ball in when the game begins .
6 . Watch videos and read instructional material . Not everything works for everybody , but you get good ideas from other players . When you watch a video , ask yourself if it makes sense . If it does not make sense to you , move on to another YouTube tip .
7 . Keep it simple . Try to avoid getting confused by mumbo jumbo . A beginner needs to know that footwork is everything , watching the ball is essential , and early preparation is the key to success . The strategy is simple . Place the ball deep , get to the NVZ line , place the ball deep . Now you are no longer a beginner .
8 . It is time to enter a tournament . Pickleball tournaments are fun , and you learn so much by playing and by watching others . Take a notebook and jot down the things you learn about your game and the things you learn from watching others . That will give you clues as to what you should work on with your practice partner . Tell your teaching pro what happened and let him come up with a plan . Get back on the wall and work on your concentration .
If you focus on basic principles in the very beginning , it will be much easier to build a game . There really are no shortcuts . Do not waste your time on the fancy stuff . If you are struggling or if you are playing against better players , go back to the basics — watch the ball closely , prepare immediately , and move your feet like Ben Johns . •