Updated 05/17/2022
by Rog Klettke
These are my observations and recommendations. There are many, valid differences of opinion and exceptions to everything I suggest. There are a lot of better players than I am so pay attention to their opinions also. Try different ideas and see what works best for you. Most importantly, have fun learning and trying to improve your pickleball.
If interested, look at the IFP rating system which can be found at (http://ipickleball.org/ifp-rating-descriptions/). This will help you decide what goals you should work on to obtain the next level. Also watching some good pickleball online will help you improve. These are easily found online on YouTube. Pay particular attention to positioning on the court and shot selection.
Observations from our group play, and recommendations for improvement.
I've observed numerous rallies from our club players, occasionally keeping formal statistics. Our club players represent a wide diversity of skill levels like you would find on many pickleball courts. When waiting for a court, observe teams that are playing. Again, note good and bad positioning as well as shot selection. Try to determine when and why the rally was lost. In good pickleball play, unless an unforced error which is quite common (see below) ends the rally, the lost of the rally actually often took place several shots before the last one. Usually this is due to one partner or the other being in poor position, making a bad shot selection, or just not executing the shot. See if you can figure that out when the rally was actually lost. Even with these casual observations of pickleball matches, you'll see similar patterns as those described below. Some of the issues observed can be corrected by concentrating on positioning and shot selection - possibly requiring breaking some bad habits. While others, like the poorly executed shots, may take significant additional practice. But trying to improve is part of the fun of the game, and we are all capable of improvement once we know what aspects of our game need improvement!
by Rog Klettke
These are my observations and recommendations. There are many, valid differences of opinion and exceptions to everything I suggest. There are a lot of better players than I am so pay attention to their opinions also. Try different ideas and see what works best for you. Most importantly, have fun learning and trying to improve your pickleball.
If interested, look at the IFP rating system which can be found at (http://ipickleball.org/ifp-rating-descriptions/). This will help you decide what goals you should work on to obtain the next level. Also watching some good pickleball online will help you improve. These are easily found online on YouTube. Pay particular attention to positioning on the court and shot selection.
Observations from our group play, and recommendations for improvement.
I've observed numerous rallies from our club players, occasionally keeping formal statistics. Our club players represent a wide diversity of skill levels like you would find on many pickleball courts. When waiting for a court, observe teams that are playing. Again, note good and bad positioning as well as shot selection. Try to determine when and why the rally was lost. In good pickleball play, unless an unforced error which is quite common (see below) ends the rally, the lost of the rally actually often took place several shots before the last one. Usually this is due to one partner or the other being in poor position, making a bad shot selection, or just not executing the shot. See if you can figure that out when the rally was actually lost. Even with these casual observations of pickleball matches, you'll see similar patterns as those described below. Some of the issues observed can be corrected by concentrating on positioning and shot selection - possibly requiring breaking some bad habits. While others, like the poorly executed shots, may take significant additional practice. But trying to improve is part of the fun of the game, and we are all capable of improvement once we know what aspects of our game need improvement!
Unforced errors: Over 60% of the rallies ended in unforced errors. Some errors were clearly from lessor skilled players, but many were from very skilled players trying to do too much with a shot. This was especially prominent when the skilled player was playing with a lessor skilled player.
Lesson: Lessor skilled players should concentrate on improving consistency and keeping the ball in play without setting up a winner for the other side. Better players should concentrate on trusting their partner and not try to do too much with a single shot. Yes, you will lose rallies, but we're playing for fun and to improve.
Lesson: Usually keep the return of serve deep. A high slow return will often allow you to get to the kitchen line quickly after the return of serve but may allow your opponents an advantage . Sometimes a faster, but still deep return may require you to make a controlled shot from midcourt before joining your partner at the kitchen line but may elicit a weaker shot from you opponents. Vary your return and see how your opponents respond. Heck, even throw in a short serve just past the kitchen line occasionally! And once at the kitchen line, stay there, or at least generally try to stay there. I often see persons retreating from the kitchen line without good reason - they are just uncomfortable there. Stay there and you'll learn to become comfortable with practice.
Winners: About 30% of the rallies ended with winning shots. Most commonly this was allowed by the other team being out of position and/or having a poorly executed shot and/or making a poor decision about shot selection, sometimes all three. The poor shot or poor decision was often the shot just before the winner, but sometimes it was 2, 3, or even more shots before the winner when the poor shot gave the advantage to the other team.
Lesson: Only practice will help minimize the poorly executed shot, but realizing what are the poor decisions about shot selection or positioning should help minimize these.
Most Common Poorly Executed Shots: About 50% of the poorly executed shots were easy shots too high to a person at the kitchen line. Learn to use the dink and drop shots well will help improve this.
Poor decisions: About 50% of the shots that led to a winner by the other team were poor decisions. The poor decision, at least, gave up the advantage, if not the outright winner, to the other team. The most obvious and common poor decision was hitting to the opponent at the kitchen line when the other opponent was still back. While dinks and drops are very useful when both opponents are at the kitchen line, hitting a ball to an opponent who is back is a far easier, and a higher percentage shot for most of us. It also keeps the other team on defense. Almost always hit to the deep person if your opponents are of equal ability.
Less commonly, the winner came from an excellent set up shot or series of shots, not only from the person who did the winning shot, but often from his/her partner. It is fun to play with better players!
Lesson: It pays to have a good partner! But learning how to make set up shots and being patient until you get a put away shot is a “learnable skill.” Note, also, that set up shots against your team can be partially negated by remembering to stay “tethered” to your partner. Stay in position! Don’t let any shot go between you and your partner.
Common pattern that shouldn't happen: Hitting a high ball, or even an easy ball to the opponent at the kitchen line across from your partner who is also at the kitchen line is not a good shot. It is particularly bad when an opposing team member is back, and your partner expects you to hit it to the deep person (as you should.) Even if your partner is lucky and returns the hard shot he/she receives, it will be a weak shot and usually your team will lose the rally.
Rules of Thumb: (Some are meant to be broken, of course. Don't become too predictable.)
Less commonly, the winner came from an excellent set up shot or series of shots, not only from the person who did the winning shot, but often from his/her partner. It is fun to play with better players!
Lesson: It pays to have a good partner! But learning how to make set up shots and being patient until you get a put away shot is a “learnable skill.” Note, also, that set up shots against your team can be partially negated by remembering to stay “tethered” to your partner. Stay in position! Don’t let any shot go between you and your partner.
Common pattern that shouldn't happen: Hitting a high ball, or even an easy ball to the opponent at the kitchen line across from your partner who is also at the kitchen line is not a good shot. It is particularly bad when an opposing team member is back, and your partner expects you to hit it to the deep person (as you should.) Even if your partner is lucky and returns the hard shot he/she receives, it will be a weak shot and usually your team will lose the rally.
Rules of Thumb: (Some are meant to be broken, of course. Don't become too predictable.)
Hit to the feet of the deepest opponent.
If both opponents are at the kitchen line and you must hit up, hit softly - use dinks and drop shots. If you get to hit down, hit hard.
If both opponents are at the kitchen line and you must hit up, hit softly - use dinks and drop shots. If you get to hit down, hit hard.
Be patient with the soft (dinking) game unless your opponents are better at that than your team is. Practice so that won't be the case.
Try for winners only when you're on balance.
Hit the high percentage shot most of the time, but don't become too predictable. In other words, occasionally ignore everything I said above.
Hit the high percentage shot most of the time, but don't become too predictable. In other words, occasionally ignore everything I said above.
Have fun! That's what this game is really about for most of us.
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