A Guide to Pickleball for Beginners. Get The Best Tips And Rules

Pickleball is quite addictive, especially for beginners. Once you start, it’s difficult to stop. And if you are just getting started, welcome to the incredible world of pickleball, one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States.

We’re guessing you came here because you want to learn how to play pickleball but don’t know where to begin. You might be wondering how difficult it is for beginners to learn pickleball.

It is actually very simple to get started and learn the fundamentals of the game, but it might be difficult when you are first starting out. So we wish to assist.

To take you step-by-step through the journey of pickleball for beginners, we have put together the ultimate guide.  Whether you are one of thousands of tennis players lured to the sport or are new to paddle sports in general, we want to help you get started.

What Is Pickleball?

Originally created as a kid’s game in the 1960s, pickleball gained recognition from Tennis magazine in the 1970s. With rising interest, competitions and organizations began to spread. Pickleball has grown over time, and now includes pickleball-specific equipment, such as paddles and shoes. Pickleball is currently the fastest-growing adult sport in the United States.

Pickleball’s enjoyable and team-building qualities make it a popular social sport. It has developed significantly among seniors in retirement communities. Pickleball can be played as a team or individually.

Pickleball is played on a court similar to that used for doubles badminton. It is smaller than a standard tennis court but still rectangular, measuring 20 feet by 44 feet. Pickleball courts feature a seven-foot non-volley area on either side of a 30-inch-high net. The court is divided into right and left service zones, similar to other paddle sports. If you do not have a pickleball court in your region, any outdoor court will suffice for a casual game; alternatively, you can create your own with chalk and tape.

Basic Rules of Pickleball

At the very first, learn the pickleball basics. In pickleball, you can gain points by serving or volleying the ball over the net, making it impossible for your opponent to return it. If your opponent volleys the ball out of bounds into the non-volley zone, you will also receive points.

Players alternate serving the ball, with points granted solely to the serving team. The first team or player to accumulate the required number of points with a two-point lead wins. The game takes place with no two-point advantage. A very general overview of the five fundamental rules is as follows:

1. It is very prohibited to hit the ball out of bounds.
2. The ball must be served underhand, below the waistline.
3. Serving requires the ball to bounce once on the opponent’s side before returning once on the server’s side. Players are permitted to volley the ball after the two-bounce regulation.
4. When it comes to serving, avoid the no-volley zone.
5. Winning requires scoring 11, 15, or 21 points, with 11 being the most common. It is necessary to gain a two-point advantage.

Basic Knowledge, Equipment, and Gears You Need

If you are unable to find someone who can assist you with getting started, I will be that person for you online. What you’ll need is listed below. You can grab a variety of items to enhance your pickleball experience, such as a complete set that includes a paddle, balls, and more accessories.

Everything will be covered in more detail in the article that follows.

A Bit of Game Knowledge

You have an advantage over others if you have experience with racket sports like badminton, ping pong, or tennis. If you have not, don’t worry! You can learn how to play pickleball just by practicing. Beginners can also learn to play pickleball in a variety of beginner-friendly venues.

Pickleball Paddle

As pickleball gamers, we rely on our paddles every day. As you go through your pickleball journey, you will need to own this essential piece of equipment. This is the room’s focal point. Before we dive deeper, allow me to provide you with some vital information. Pickleball paddles come in various materials, just like other sporting goods. Some manufacturers offer aluminum core paddles as well. Fiberglass is commonly used to cover paddles, while graphite is utilized to polish them. Paddles come in a wide range of styles. Their quality varies widely, and their prices usually fall between $20 to $150.

Consider whether you require more power or control when selecting a paddle for your playing style. Consider the size of the paddle and the grip (to fit your hand). Popular pickleball paddle manufacturers and models include Joola, Joola Swift, Selkirk Sport, and Engage.

Pickleball Shoes

For every sport, appropriate footwear is necessary. You must wear court-friendly shoes even though pickleball-specific footwear isn’t absolutely required. These shoes should also give lateral support while remaining lightweight. Pickleball shoes are specifically made to meet these criteria. Tennis shoes are also a good fit for this use.

Sketcher’s Viper Court Pickleball Shoes, Acacia Sports’ Tyler Loong Signature Edition Pro Shoes, FILA’s Volley Zone Pickleball Shoes, and K-Swiss’ Express Light Pickleball Shoes are among the most popular pickleball shoe brands and styles.

Key Features of Best Pickleball Shoes

• Non-skid, non-marking soles
• Good arch support
• Breathable mesh to promote airflow
• Heel stability
• Good traction
• Shock absorbing mid-sole
• Proper width for your feet

Balls

Pickleballs are molded plastic balls with varying-sized holes on their surface that resemble wiffle balls. Colors including pink, blue, black, yellow, and more are available for them. A decent pickleball should have a great bounce and a medium hardness, which means it should be easy to hit yet not break too easily. While they stay the longest, extremely hard balls might not hit as well as softer ones.

Indoor and outdoor balls differ in the number of holes. Indoor balls have larger holes—26 larger holes per ball—than outdoor balls, which have 40 smaller holes per ball. To improve their flight and durability in outdoor environments, outdoor balls are usually tougher and heavier than indoor ones. Brands like Wilson, Onyx, Joola, Dura Fast, and Onyx are excellent and long-lasting pickleball brands.

Other Gear

You should also consider investing in athletic attire that is not too loose and helps to wick sweat. For ladies, athletic skorts are an excellent option. A water bottle, gear bags, sweat-absorbing helmets or sun visors, ball band holder accessories, and shock-absorbing sports bras are all things to look for. Safety glasses or goggles are another common form of eye protection worn by pickleball players.

Guide to Pickleball for Beginners

Anyone who has never experienced racquet sports can easily learn the fundamentals of pickleball. How can you start learning pickleball? Discover more by continuing to read.

Basic Rules of Pickleball

Before you play pickleball, you should be familiar with certain basic rules. Pickleball has few rules, making it very simple to learn. The court measures 20 feet by 44 feet and has a 36-inch net in the center. Both teams begin the game by serving the ball diagonally to their opponents’ courts. The opponent team’s serve must be underhand and bounce once. 

In most cases, the team that does not serve the ball will stop the ball from going out of bounds or from crossing the net by hitting it. If these events occur, you will earn a point. Beginners often play pickleball for up to 11 points. But if it reaches 10-10, the game ends after one team scores two points.

Serving and Scoring

Singles pickleball scoring is the same as doubles, but there is no second server. When the server has an even score, you must be on the right side; when the server has an odd score, you must be on the left side. Next, based on the server’s score, the receiver aligns itself on the left or right side. Singles scoring can apply to either the server or the receiver.

In doubles, points are only scored on the serve, and receivers cannot score. The player serving diagonally opposite the court is on the right side of the court. In the event that a point is earned, the server moves to the odd court, on the left, and serves the court diagonally across. The alternate pattern continues throughout the game. Receivers do not switch sides; servers switch only when they score a point. The rally ends and the other side serves when the serving side makes a mistake.

Grips: How to Hold the Paddle

In pickleball, the Continental Grip, Eastern Grip, and Western Grip are the three most prevalent grips. Since it makes it easy to hit every stroke, professional players most frequently utilize the Continental Grip, also known as the hammer grip.

With one finger extended to stabilize your wrist, you might modify the simple, well-liked Eastern grip. You may practice while working toward utilizing the Continental Grip with this beginner-friendly grip. Forehand shots might also benefit from the Western Grip. To determine which grip suits your playing style and which you like, you’ll have to experiment a bit.

How to Hold a Grip

Eastern Grip: Keeping your non-paddle hand in front of the paddle, hold it such that your gaze is at the edge. Put your paddle hand on the paddle’s face. To grasp the handle in a handshake grip, slide your hand down the paddle face.

Continental Grip: If you are left- or right-handed, turn your wrist slightly clockwise or counterclockwise while holding the paddle in the Eastern Grip. Your thumb and index finger should form a V-shape oriented toward your non-paddle side.

Western Grip: Using the Eastern Grip, hold the paddle and turn your wrist 90 degrees clockwise if you’re left-handed or 90 degrees clockwise if you’re right-handed.

Finding a Pickleball Mentor

 You may get started in pickleball by finding a mentor. You could feel more at ease if someone gave you a pickleball 101 lesson. You can also learn from your own experiences as well as those of others. It is also feasible to determine your strengths and shortcomings. 

 It’s easier to get to know other new pickleball players when you join a club. It will be an opportunity for you to network with others who are already involved in this activity and get some tips from them. There are various ways to find mentors for pickleball. If you don’t know anyone who can help, get in touch with your friends or relatives. You may look up local pickleball groups and organizations online. Lastly, you might be able to find a mentor through an internet forum.

Pickleball Tips For Beginners

Wear Comfortable Dresses

Although they are permissible for pickleball, jeans, and flip-flops are generally not recommended. Prepare for play as you would for any other sport by putting on your go-to elasticated pants and workout top. While you roam about the court, you won’t feel constrained. Put on clothing that will make moving easier for you. 

If you don’t want to change your clothes after work, pickleball is another choice. Pickleball is so accessible because there is no set standard. If you have the appropriate shoes, you can play in almost any situation. Wear tennis shoes that are designed for court play. Never try to touch your feet.

Call the Ball

Before you strike the ball, you ought to cry “Mine.” The best approach to ensure that your partner receives the item is to exclaim, “Yours!” Daniel Maman, a personal trainer, advises that yelling “yours!” during the game will facilitate communication. It’s crucial to determine who returns middle shots, which are direct strokes between the two of you. 

As Maman advises, it may be useful to mutually agree on who gets the ball closest to him or her, or who has the best forehand shot. You can avoid arguments about who should have won the ball by using this advice.

Have Fun

Even though pickleball has a reputation for being a competitive sport, anyone can play it practically anywhere with the right tools and little experience. As you learn, you shouldn’t take playing the game too seriously, so have fun. Although you should practice returning and serving, your primary goal should be to have fun.

Keep Your Footing Light

Just as in a game of tennis, it is beneficial to maintain your feet elevated on the balls. You’ll be more agile and able to react to serves and shots with this tip. Take note of whether you are walking on your heels or your balls as you do so. Moving on the balls of your feet makes it much easier to go around the court.

Never Afraid to Take Action

When you initially take the court, you probably want to stay back. The majority of beginners play at the net, although a normal newbie plays at the edge. Get closer to the action, and don’t be afraid to be aggressive. You will have a better chance of scoring if you get closer to the net. As you continue to hit long drives, you should linger behind your opponents. If not, proceed and engage in play.

Mix Up Your Shots

Dropshots are a necessary skill for pickleball. However, a lot of novices find it difficult to acquire this and other skills once they hit the court. They avoid taking on more difficult tasks, so they stick to the fundamentals. The key to being a formidable opponent is to vary your shots. Try to keep the opposing player or team guessing by employing all of the methods you learned in practice.

Don’t Always Strive for Fame

Similarly, beginners see the big shot that will win the game, but they are almost always mistaken. As we indicated earlier, you can try the hardest shots on occasion. If you hit the ball at the conclusion of every volley, you will not win the game. Make sure you use a variety of strategies in addition to intelligence. Sometimes it’s preferable to take the easiest shot. Additionally, only go for the spotlight when you are certain that you can score rather than every time you have the ball.

Playing Methods of Pickleball

Pickleball is a court sport that can be played on a court. The game’s rules are more like table tennis or badminton, despite the fact that it is comparable to tennis. Using a wooden or plastic paddle, one side serves the other in the opening round of pickleball.

Serving the ball correctly requires an underhanded swing with one foot behind the backline. The player also needs to avoid the no-volley zone and go for the service court. In a court with one-handed judges start serving. There can only be one fault at a time. When playing doubles, the other team serves once to each player.

Before the pickleball is struck by a paddle from either side, it must bounce at least once. When the no-volley zone is over, players are free to volley, but they have to hit the ball without letting it bounce.

Players or teams can only score points while they are in the serving position. A pickleball match might include two points or fewer between two players. Strategies for Pickleball

If you’re new at pickleball, it could be useful to know basic tactics. You’ll be more successful on the court if you remember these pointers. Serving on their weak side allows you to take advantage of their weak forehand or backhand. The service ought to be performed deep within the court. Remember not to go overboard.

Make sure you are prepared to answer back whenever you receive a volley.

When playing doubles, the best place to hit the ball is in the middle of the court. When your opponents choose who will go for the ball, it could cause them to make mistakes.

To take the opponent by surprise, try a different kind of shot. Use the same type every time you give a surprise. The opponent should not be struck by the ball. Use your shots to move them!

Two Important Rules to Know about Pickleball for Beginners

The Kitchen Rule

This rule makes pickleball notorious. The non-volley zone, commonly defined as the kitchen area, is located seven feet from each side of the net on the court. To summarize, the kitchen rule states that you are not allowed to volley a ball if your feet or momentum are inside the kitchen, or if you step inside the kitchen while the ball is being hit.

Before the ball bounces to create a volley, you hit it in midair. Enter the kitchen safely in order to strike a bouncing ball. It is a kitchen flaw to volleyball something that hasn’t hit the floor. This is only necessary for volleyball. You can use the ball in the kitchen whenever you want once it bounces. This restriction exists to prevent people from wrecking everything on the Internet. That is not feasible at all. This is not allowed per the kitchen regulations. 

Place your feet one to two inches back from the kitchen line when standing there. When you volley a ball, you should make a conscious effort to stay back. The greatest method to train oneself is to gradually become accustomed to it. We all make blunders in the kitchen, believe me.

The Double Bounce Rule

Beginners are always caught off guard by this infamous rule. This guideline would frequently catch me off guard when I first started out. Nothing is more funny than when someone fails to understand a simple rule. The guidelines are as follows: 

The phrase “double bounce rule” describes what happens when a ball bounces twice. Once the ball has been served, the return server cannot volley it. The ball cannot be knocked out of midair by the returned server when it is returned to the serving team. This explains the naming of the “double bounce rule.” A volley cannot start until the ball has bounced once on each side. It sounds quite simple, doesn’t it? It’s difficult to argue with my pickleball beginner self from the past. 

It can be difficult to get used to this one because it’s so simple to forget. The temptation to catch balls in the air is also very strong. Remember not to move too far forward when you or your partner serves the ball. Remaining back in the court will help you avoid volleying the ball.

The Bottom Line

This is our overall guide on pickleball for beginners. Pickleball is an enjoyable and energetic activity that encourages social interaction and helps you become in better physical shape. Go out and try playing with other seasoned players to truly pick up the grips, methods, and ideas. The majority of people are glad to impart tactics and strategies that will raise your game.

Frequently Asked Questions