Getting better
How to Get Better at Pickleball: Habits That Actually Work
By the TennisCourtFinder team · Updated June 29, 2026 · 5 min read
Most people plateau in pickleball not because they lack talent, but because they keep playing the same loose, bang-it-around game every time out. Getting better is less about hitting harder and more about a handful of habits that quietly separate the players who win from the ones who just swing. Here is what actually moves the needle.
Learn to dink, and be patient
The soft game is where points are won at the kitchen line. Beginners want to smash everything, but better players are happy to trade soft, controlled dinks and wait for the one ball that sits up high enough to attack. Spend real practice time dinking cross-court until you can keep 20 in a row without forcing it. Patience is a skill, and it wins more games than power does.
Get to the kitchen line, together
The team that controls the non-volley line usually controls the point. Once you and your partner are set, move up to the line as a pair and hold it. Two players at the line beat two players stuck at the baseline almost every time, because you take away their time and angles. If you only change one thing, change this.
Master the third shot drop
The third shot, the one your team hits after the serve and return, is the hardest and most important shot in the game. A soft drop that lands in the kitchen buys your team the time to move up to the line. Practice this shot more than any other. It is the bridge from playing defense at the baseline to playing offense at the net.
Keep the ball in play
Most recreational points end on an unforced error, not a winner. The player who makes one fewer mistake wins. Aim for high-percentage shots over the highlight-reel ones, keep the ball deep or soft depending on the moment, and let your opponents be the ones who miss first.
Play people who are better than you
Nothing improves your game faster than getting beaten by someone with a better soft game. Seek out stronger players and open play sessions instead of only hitting with friends at your level. You will lose for a while, then you will not.
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Frequently asked questions
- Get to the kitchen line with your partner and learn the soft game. Controlling the non-volley line and being patient with dinks beats trying to smash winners, and it is the quickest jump most players can make.
- It is a soft shot hit on your team's third shot of the point that drops into the opponents' kitchen. It takes pace off the ball and gives your team time to move up to the net.
- Learn to dink first. Smashing every ball leads to errors. The soft game, played patiently at the kitchen line, wins far more recreational points than power does.