5 Common Beginner Pickleball Mistakes and Fixes
- by Dope Pickleball Co.
Quick answer
If the same miss keeps showing up in your games, give it a name before trying to fix your whole swing. Many beginner errors start with where you stand, when you move, or which ball you choose to hit. These five checks give you one manageable task for your next session.
1. Rushing forward after the serve
The serve must bounce before the receiving team hits it, and the return must bounce before the serving team hits it. Running toward the kitchen immediately after serving can leave a deep return at your feet or behind you.
Stay far enough behind the baseline to handle the return's bounce. After your team's third shot, move forward during the time the ball gives you, then settle before the opponents hit. In practice, play five serve-return-third-shot sequences and check whether the server has room for every return.
On the receiving side, use a controlled, deeper return to give yourself time to move forward. Stay alert to the next contact rather than remaining at the baseline after every return.
2. Staying out of the kitchen on a bounced ball
The kitchen is the non-volley zone. You may enter it to play a ball that has bounced. The restriction applies to volleys, including momentum from a volley that carries you into the zone afterward.
Have a partner feed five short balls. Let each bounce, step in, hit a soft reply, and recover. Before volleying again, both feet must be reestablished outside the kitchen. The kitchen rules guide covers the situations that commonly cause confusion.
3. Taking a large swing near the net
A fast incoming ball leaves little time for a backswing. Pulling the paddle far behind you can make you late and turn a manageable volley into a wild reply.
Begin with the paddle in front of your body. Ask a partner for gentle volleys and use a short motion toward a broad middle target. Keep the grip secure without squeezing as hard as possible. Increase feed speed only when you can contact the ball cleanly and recover the paddle before the next one.
4. Hitting while still charging forward
Moving toward a shot and continuing to run through contact are different tasks. If you are off balance, a small change in contact can send the ball higher or farther than intended.
Rehearse moving, settling, and hitting with controlled feeds. As the opponent contacts the ball, use a small split step or another balanced ready movement that lets you move either way. You can approach the kitchen in stages; you do not need to reach it on a single sprint.
5. Attacking without checking the contact
A low ball or a stretched reach is often a better opportunity for a soft reply than a hard winner. Before adding pace, notice the ball's height, your balance, and the space the opponents cover.
Play a practice rally in which low contacts must be sent softly. When a comfortable higher ball arrives, choose whether to attack rather than treating every shot alike. Our third-shot guide shows how that decision changes after the return.
Choose one mistake for the next game. Count the situation and what you did about it, not just the final score. That gives your next practice session a clear starting point.
Common questions
Why should I stay back after serving in pickleball?
The serving team must let the return bounce before hitting it. Staying far enough back gives you room for a deep return; move forward behind a third shot that gives you time, then settle before the opponents hit.
Can I enter the kitchen to play a bounced ball?
Yes. You may enter the kitchen to play a ball after it bounces. Before volleying again, both feet must contact the court completely outside the kitchen, and volley momentum must stay out of the zone.
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