10 Tips To Dramatically Improve Your Pickleball hitting techniques (2024)

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To hit the pickleball perfectly every time, you need to know some techniques. In this article, I’ll explain 10 tips which will dramatically improve your pickleball hitting techniques.

Table Of Contents

  • What is a pickleball?
  • History of playing pickleball
  • How is Pickleball played?
  • Appropriate pickleball hitting techniques
    • 1. Pointing shoulder appropriately
    • 2. Aiming paddle motionlessly
    • 3. Bending knees
    • 4. Keeping the chin up for above headshot
    • 5. Keeping the wrist stable
    • 6. Spitting the step
    • 7. Making a sound
    • 8. Punching vollies and surface strokes
    • 9. Stepping towards the target meticulously
    • 10. Hitting the ball above
  • Short Video: Pickleball Hitting Techniques

What is a pickleball?

Many people are familiar with a whiffle ball but do not know what a pickleball is. Again many people become confused about a pickleball and a whiffle ball. Actually, a pickleball is somewhat like a whiffle ball, it is true, but a pickleball is far more everlasting than a whiffle ball. Even if a whiffle ball is used in playing pickleball, the whiffle ball will undoubtedly be divided into two or more parts as it does not have that much durability like that of a pickleball. Moreover, pickleball hitting techniques are completely different from those of a whiffle ball.

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History of playing pickleball

Pickleball was invented in 1965 by a group of families who lived on the island of Bainbridge. The families played the game for a definite period of time. They used to play this game in the porches of their house that had a soft but hard outward. The noun ‘pickle’ has been taken from the name of their dog, which was known as pickles. Pickles duty was- chasing after the running ball and concealing it behind the scrubs after catching.

However, this game has been being expended and played everywhere since the mid of the 1970s. At present this game is very popular among both the Youngers and the adults.

Therefore, this game is seen being played in many places including various school functions, camps, parks, etc. This sport has grown so popular that there is a pickleball association in the USA.

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How is Pickleball played?

This game is played on a court, which is traditionally badminton-sized and in it, a net is used as a divider. The net is similar to the one used in tennis. There is a zone known as non-volley that inhibits volleys to be near to net. Thus the coming back of serve cannot be volleyed by serving the team. These are the exclusive procedures of this sport that support performers with less movement; besides these permit the senior players to make a successful, exciting contest with the junior ones.

Appropriate pickleball hitting techniques

During playing pickleball on the ground, there is nothing more satisfying than hitting a pickleball so hard. It demonstrates a player’s muscle power as well as his or her skill of playing. But it is not an as easya task as it may seem. Hitting a pickleball hard requires the combination and adoption of some techniques, which can be referred to as pickleball hitting techniques.

Here are 10 tips to improve your pickleball hitting techniques:

1. Pointing shoulder appropriately

Pointing shoulder correctly is significant to hit the pickleball hard as it gives a player proper balance, and space for hitting. But unfortunately, many players do not know the appropriate technique of pointing shoulder. Shoulder pointing is divided into two important parts.

Firstly, the players must point their right shoulder to the target that has to be hit, when the hit will come from the side of backhand. Secondly, the players must point the left shoulder to the target object when the hit comes from the side of the forehand. Above all the players must keep it in mind that this technique of pointing shoulder can be useful for all shots.

2. Aiming paddle motionlessly

A player must aim the paddle steadily in the place where he or she presumes the pickleball may reach being hit by the opponent. The player must make an instant decision of where he or she will keep the paddle motionless. He or she must understand the coming path of the pickleball in the same way he or she understands his or her near and dear just by looking into eyes.

Aiming paddle properly should not be the end of the attempt of hitting pickleball hard. Besides aiming the paddle properly, it is important to keep it in mind that a well-made paddle of good materials is also helpful in helping the players keep their paddle motionless. In this case, players can use paddles made of light heavy fiberglass. This type of paddle is less heavy but lasts longer than that of traditional wood made paddles. The light heavy feature of the fiberglass made paddle helps the players a lot.

3. Bending knees

It is never wise dropping one’s paddle beneath the wrist. When a pickleball is coming from the lower position, a player should bend his or her knees enough to touch the ball by the paddle. A player should assume the chair sitting position as if he or she were sitting on a chair and must stick to that position until the ball reaches and gets hit.

4. Keeping the chin up for above headshot

It has already been cited in the previous section that a player must make good eye contact with the coming pickleball to sense its place of reaching. It will enable the playerto hit the ball perfectly. Here the same strategy is to be adopted for hitting a pickleball that seems to come to the player over the head. The player must sense the upcoming ball’s position, and keep his or her chin up if the shot is to make above the head.

Many players often cannot balance the ups and downs of the chin though it is crucial for hitting a pickleball hard and properly. When the ball is coming above the head chin must be kept upwards, and when it is coming from beneath, chin must be kept down.

5. Keeping the wrist stable

There are many people whose wrist always keeps on shaking very slightly. It seems that they are the patients of hysteria though they are not. However, it is bad news for such people that they are never going to be a good pickleball player; because being a good pickleball player demands a fixed wrist. A fixed wrist enables a player to hit the pickleball steadily just on the center. When a pickleball is hit on its center, its velocity getsspeedier.

Therefore, a shaky wrist is never suitable for hitting pickleball perfectly.

6. Spitting the step

Whenever any player hits the pickleball and that reaches the opponent, the player must take preparation for hitting the next shot spitting the step in two halves. Why two halves? See below:

The first half will be formed on the right side of the body. This half will be prepared to hit the ball if it is coming from the right. On the other hand, the other half will be formed on the left side of the body so that a preparation of hitting the ball coming from the left can be taken. This is called spitting step in pickleball hitting technique.

7. Making a sound

When a player hits the ball, he or she should hit it with exhalation associated with sound. Is this appearing to be weird? No, this will not anymore, if you come to know of its importance:

Firstly, when one exhales, it gives him or her a bit more energy. So the longer and starker the exhalation, the more energy will be felt by the player. This longer andstarker exhalation enables a player to make the next shot more powerful. Then, this strategy helps the player keeping his or her chin lower so that he or she can see the ball hitting the paddle.

8. Punching vollies and surface strokes

In most of the cases,a player should not swipe his or her vollies. This will be a pre-mature attempt that may enable to miss a perfect shot. Besides, a pickleball player must practice playing pickleball at least for an hour regularly. As we know that practice makes everything perfect, same is the case with pickleball hitting. The more a player practices it on a daily basis, the more consistent shot he or she can make.

9. Stepping towards the target meticulously

Most of the players think that there is no calculation forstepping towards the target ball. But it is a big mistake for them. Players must calculate in the brain to step forward. He or she must decide instantly how much to step forward or backward, what should be the degree of bending different parts of the body, how to balance the body. In this case, a pickleball player can follow the strategies adopted by a cricket player who sometimes goes forward or backward to hit the ball correctly with a lot of space.

10. Hitting the ball above

Players often forget to hit their pickleball above the head, and thus out of excitation, they hit the ball downward. This silly mistake out of overexcitement or hypertension makes their attempt vain. So each player must hit the ball above the head so that the ball can go over the net without gettingcaught by it.

Short Video: Pickleball Hitting Techniques

In The End

It is seen that pickleball hitting techniques are a combination of complex related systems. But this complexity will affect a player no more if a regular practice is accomplished. Thus for hitting pickleball perfectly, there is no substitution for regular practice and keeping the afore-discussed techniques in mind.


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10 Tips To Dramatically Improve Your Pickleball hitting techniques (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to hit a pickleball? ›

Bring the paddle forward to contact the ball in front of the body, preferably before the ball reaches the top of its bounce. Keep the wrist firm (not wobbly), but allow it to hinge backward enough to meet the ball squarely. Follow through to straighten the body and return to the ready position.

What are the three 3 key things you should focus on in pickleball? ›

Next time you practice or play, I want you to commit to 3 things: choose a target, watch the ball and imagine you are hitting three balls. I promise you your shots will be more solid and your accuracy will improve.

How do you hit harder in pickleball? ›

Creating top-spin is achieved by snapping your wrist up as you make contact with the pickleball. This helps drive the ball down with spin. That way, you can hit the ball harder, and the spin will force it down on the opponent's side, so the ball doesn't go too deep and out of bounds.

What are the Top 9 strategy mistakes in pickleball? ›

Top 9 Basic Pickleball STRATEGY Mistakes & How To Fix Them

What are 5 common mistakes that a beginner pickleball players often make? ›

13 Common Beginner Pickleball Mistakes And How To Fix Them
  • Staying in no man's land.
  • Hitting to the opponent's forehand.
  • Scooting up when you serve.
  • Getting too fancy with spin shots.
  • Playing with a paddle that doesn't compliment you.
  • Using only a power game.
  • Not taking center-court shots as the forehand player.
Apr 17, 2018

What is the most powerful shot in pickleball? ›

Cross-court dink

A cross-court dink is simply a dink stroke that is sent from one side of the court to the opposite side of the opponent's court. The cross-court dink is one of the most brutally effective shots in pickleball.

How do you hit low and hard in pickleball? ›

3 Tips to Avoid the Dreaded Pickleball Pop Up - YouTube

What is the most important skill in pickleball? ›

Dinking. Dinking is essential to any pickleball strategy. This is a move that isn't just an important part of your arsenal but should be your primary skill. Anyone that's been to a pickleball training camp will tell you the same.

How do you beat better pickleball players? ›

9 Transformative Tips To Level Up Your Game - YouTube

How do you become a 4.0 pickleball player? ›

4.0 Pickleball Skill Level
  1. Beginning to play more consistently in all phases of the game.
  2. Anticipates opponents shots resulting in good court position.
  3. Primarily plays offensively.
  4. Controls and places serves and return of serves to best advantage.
  5. Puts strategy into play in the game.
Sep 6, 2021

How do you slow down the ball in pickleball? ›

How to Slow the Game Down - YouTube

What are two common faults in pickleball? ›

Overall, the 5 most common faults in pickleball that result in a point won or lost are hitting the ball out of bounds, hitting the ball into the net, not adhering to the two-bounce rule, stepping into the non-volley zone, and the ball hitting a permanent object like a player.

What is a 3.5 pickleball player? ›

3.5 Skill Rating

A person who's rated at a 3.5 skill level is a decent pickleball player. They have more control over where the ball goes when they hit it. These players can return medium-paced shots. They can return fast-paced shots too, but might not have as much control over the ball or will miss some shots.

Why am I not getting better at pickleball? ›

5 Reasons WHY You are NOT GETTING BETTER at Pickleball

Why am I popping up in pickleball? ›

If your grip strength is too strong (i.e., “white knuckling” the pickleball paddle), you will have less control and touch of the pickleball. Rather, the pickleball will bounce off of your paddle with pace like hitting a backboard. As a result, too strong of grip strength will make you pop up the pickleball.

What is the easiest shot in pickleball? ›

The serve is one of the most basic shots in pickleball. It's the shot that gets the point started. It's neither a volley nor a groundstroke. It's just the serve.

What do you call someone who plays pickleball? ›

Pickler: Someone who is obsessed with Pickleball and cannot stop talking about the sport. Are you a pickleball addict? Volley llama: An illegal move where a player hits a shot into the kitchen.

What are the best pickleball shots? ›

These 4 pickleball shots will help you get to 4.0 - YouTube

How do you improve your forehand in pickleball? ›

5 Forehand Problems at the Recreational Level - YouTube

What does a 4.0 pickleball player look like? ›

4.0 skill level describes players who are capable of consistently executing at above a 3.5 skill level. The 4.0 player will distinguish themself from the 3.5 player by possessing increased skills and strategy, or by more speed, power or consistency.

How do you practice pickleball by yourself? ›

Just a Paddle and a Ball. Pickleball Drills You Can Do at Home. Cardio ...

How do you increase reaction time in pickleball? ›

Pickleball Drills-Boost Your Reaction Time - YouTube

How do you move faster in a pickleball court? ›

Simple Trick the Pros Use to Increase Their Speed on the Court - YouTube

What are the 5 main strategies used in doubles pickleball? ›

Strategies – Doubles Strategies
  • Player positioning. Serving player or team stands behind the baseline to serve and remains there or just inside to hit serve return after it bounces (Double Bounce Rule). ...
  • Getting to the net. ...
  • Partners move in unison. ...
  • Pickleball is more about placement than power. ...
  • Communicate with your partner.

How do I become a better pickleball partner? ›

How To Be A Good Partner In Pickleball - YouTube

How do you become a 4.0 pickleball player? ›

4.0 Pickleball Skill Level
  1. Beginning to play more consistently in all phases of the game.
  2. Anticipates opponents shots resulting in good court position.
  3. Primarily plays offensively.
  4. Controls and places serves and return of serves to best advantage.
  5. Puts strategy into play in the game.
Sep 6, 2021

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