Table of Contents
- Before You Begin: Gearing Up for Success
- Phase 1: The Foundation (Weeks 1-2)
- Phase 2: Rallying and the All-Important Kitchen (Weeks 3-4)
- Phase 3: Net Play and Basic Strategy (Weeks 5-6)
- Phase 4: Game On! (Weeks 7-8 and Beyond)
So, you’ve heard the buzz. That funny-named sport with the plastic ball and oversized ping-pong paddles is taking the world by storm. From community centers to dedicated courts, the pop-pop-pop of pickleball is everywhere. And you, the person who has never so much as glanced at a tennis racket, are feeling a little pickle-curious.
You’ve come to the right place. This comprehensive guide is designed specifically for you: the true beginner with zero racquet or paddle sport experience. We’re going to take you from “What’s a kitchen?” to confidently playing your first game in just eight weeks. This isn’t about becoming a pro overnight; it’s about building a solid foundation, learning the right way, and, most importantly, having a blast while you do it.
Forget any intimidation you might feel. Pickleball’s meteoric rise is largely due to its accessibility. The court is smaller, the underhand serve is gentle, and the learning curve is famously friendly. Ready to embark on your pickleball journey? Let’s get started.
Before You Begin: Gearing Up for Success
Before you step onto the court, let’s talk gear. Don’t worry, you don’t need to break the bank.
- The Paddle: As a beginner, you don’t need a top-of-the-line, carbon fiber, pro-model paddle. Look for a beginner-friendly paddle, often found in a starter set. These are typically made of wood or a composite material and are designed for control over power. The most important factor? It should feel comfortable in your hand. Most sporting goods stores will have a variety to choose from.
- The Balls: Pickleballs are plastic and have holes, much like a wiffle ball. There are two types: indoor and outdoor. Outdoor balls are harder, heavier, and have smaller holes to cut through the wind. Indoor balls are softer and have larger holes. Make sure you have the right type for where you’ll be playing.
- Footwear is Key: This is non-negotiable. You need proper court shoes. Running shoes are designed for forward motion and lack the lateral support needed for the quick side-to-side movements in pickleball. Investing in a good pair of tennis or court shoes will protect your ankles and improve your movement.
- Comfortable Attire: Wear athletic clothing that allows you to move freely. Think shorts, leggings, t-shirts, and moisture-wicking fabrics.
Phase 1: The Foundation (Weeks 1-2)
Goal: Get a feel for the paddle and ball, learn the most basic rules, and make consistent contact.
Week 1: Your First Date with the Court
This week is all about familiarization. Find an empty court and just get a feel for the space.
- Action Step 1: Meet Your Paddle. Before you even hit a ball, get comfortable holding your paddle. The most common and recommended grip for beginners is the Continental Grip, often called the “hammer grip.” Imagine you’re shaking hands with the paddle’s handle. Your grip should be firm but not tight—a death grip will hinder your control.
- Action Step 2: The Ready Position. In pickleball, you need to be ready for anything. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and your weight on the balls of your feet. Hold the paddle up in front of you with both hands (your non-dominant hand can support the paddle’s face). This balanced stance allows you to move quickly in any direction.
- Action Step 3: Just Hit the Ball. For your first session, don’t worry about rules or technique. Simply stand on one side of the net and try to hit the ball over. Get a friend to toss you balls, or gently tap the ball up to yourself and hit it. Focus on the feeling of the ball connecting with the paddle. Do this for both your forehand (your dominant side) and your backhand. The goal here is simple: make contact and get it over the net.
- Drill of the Week: Wall Taps. Find a practice wall or a backboard. Stand about 10 feet away and gently tap the ball against the wall. Try to hit it after one bounce. This is an excellent way to develop hand-eye coordination without the pressure of a partner. Aim for 50 consecutive taps.
Week 2: Introducing the Serve and Basic Rules
Now that you can make contact, let’s introduce the two most fundamental rules and the shot that starts it all.
- Action Step 1: Learn to Serve. The pickleball serve is a simple, underhand motion.
- Stand behind the baseline.
- Hold the ball in your non-dominant hand.
- Swing the paddle in an underhand motion, making contact with the ball below your waist.
- The serve must travel cross-court and land in the service box opposite you.
- Crucially for beginners: Don’t try to hit it hard. Your only goal is to get the serve in play. A gentle, high-arcing serve is far more effective than one that goes into the net or out of bounds.
- Action Step 2: Understand the Two-Bounce Rule. This is the rule that trips up many beginners. It’s simple in theory:
- The serving team must let the return of serve bounce once on their side before they can hit it.
- The returning team must also let the serve bounce once on their side before returning it.
- After these two bounces have occurred (one on each side), players are then free to hit the ball before it bounces (a volley) or after it bounces. This rule prevents players from rushing the net and smashing the ball right after the serve.
- Drill of the Week: Serving for Consistency. Grab a bucket of balls and head to the court. Pick a service box and try to land 10 consecutive serves inside of it. Don’t worry about power. Focus on a smooth, repeatable motion.
Phase 2: Rallying and the All-Important Kitchen (Weeks 3-4)
Goal: To sustain a short rally and understand the most unique aspect of the pickleball court: the Non-Volley Zone.
Week 3: The Art of the Dink
If you learn one shot in pickleball, make it the dink. A dink is a soft, controlled shot that is hit on a low trajectory and lands in your opponent’s Non-Volley Zone (the “Kitchen”).
- Action Step 1: Welcome to the Kitchen. The Non-Volley Zone, or “Kitchen,” is the 7-foot area on either side of the net. You are not allowed to hit a volley (a ball out of the air) while standing in the Kitchen. Your feet must be completely behind the Kitchen line when you make contact with a volley. This rule prevents players from standing at the net and smashing every ball.
- Action Step 2: Learn the Dink. Stand at the kitchen line, directly across from a partner. With a very gentle pushing motion and an open paddle face, try to lift the ball just over the net so that it lands softly in your partner’s kitchen. The dink is not a wristy shot; it comes from your shoulder. It requires patience and a soft touch.
- Drill of the Week: Cooperative Dinking. With a partner, stand at your respective kitchen lines. Try to see how many consecutive dinks you can hit back and forth. Start by aiming for 10 in a row. This drill teaches you control, patience, and the feel of this crucial shot.
Week 4: Footwork and Groundstrokes
You can’t hit a ball you can’t reach. This week is about moving your feet.
- Action Step 1: Basic Footwork. The key to good footwork is small, deliberate steps. When a ball is hit to your forehand, turn your shoulders and hips, step across with your opposite foot, and hit the ball in front of you. For your backhand, the motion is mirrored. Avoid planting your feet; stay on your toes, ready to move.
- Action Step 2: Consistent Groundstrokes. A groundstroke is any shot hit after the ball has bounced. Now that you have some basic footwork, practice hitting forehand and backhand groundstrokes with a partner from the baseline. Focus on hitting the ball deep into their court. The goal is not to hit winners but to be consistent.
- Drill of the Week: The Rally Challenge. With a partner, start at the baseline and try to have a rally. Count how many consecutive shots you can hit over the net. When you get to 5, try for 10, then 15. This builds the muscle memory needed for a real game.
Phase 3: Net Play and Basic Strategy (Weeks 5-6)
Goal: Become comfortable playing at the net and understand the basic flow of a pickleball point.
Week 5: Mastering the Volley
A volley is any shot hit out of the air before it bounces. With the two-bounce rule satisfied, good players will try to get to the net as quickly as possible.
- Action Step 1: The Volley Technique. The volley is not a swing; it’s a punch or a block. Stand at the kitchen line in your ready position. As the ball comes towards you, simply put your paddle in front of it and let the ball’s pace do the work. Your paddle should move very little. Keep your wrist firm.
- Action Step 2: The Third Shot Drop. This is a more advanced shot, but it’s good to understand the concept. After the return of serve, the serving team is stuck at the baseline. Their goal is to get to the kitchen line. The “third shot” is their opportunity to do so. A third shot drop is a soft shot, much like a dink, that is hit from the back of the court and lands in the opponent’s kitchen. This gives the serving team time to run up to their own kitchen line. As a beginner, just being aware of this strategy is a huge step.
- Drill of the Week: Volley Exchange. One player stands at the kitchen line, and the other stands at the baseline. The player at the baseline feeds balls to the player at the net, who practices volleying them back. Then, switch roles.
Week 6: Understanding Scoring and Doubles Play
This is where it all starts to come together. Pickleball is most commonly played as doubles.
- Action Step 1: Learn to Keep Score. This can be the most confusing part for new players. Here’s a simplified breakdown:
- You can only score a point when your team is serving.
- The score is announced as three numbers: The serving team’s score, the receiving team’s score, and the server number (1 or 2).
- At the start of the game, the score is 0-0-2 (the first serving team only gets one server).
- You announce the score before every serve. For example, if you are serving and your team has 5 points, the opponents have 3, and you are the first server for your team, you would announce “5-3-1.”
- Games are typically played to 11, win by 2.
- Watch a few games online and listen to the scoring. It will click faster than you think!
- Action Step 2: Basic Doubles Positioning. In doubles, you and your partner should move together like you’re attached by a string. When you are at the net, you should be side-by-side. When you are back at the baseline, you should also be side-by-side. The middle of the court is often a point of confusion. A good rule of thumb is that the player with the forehand in the middle should take the shot. Communication is key! Call “I got it!” or “You take it!”
- Drill of the Week: Play a Practice Game. Find three other players and play a game. Don’t worry too much about the outcome. The goal is to practice keeping score, serving, and applying the rules you’ve learned.
Phase 4: Game On! (Weeks 7-8 and Beyond)
Goal: To confidently play full games, understand basic etiquette, and, most importantly, have fun!
Week 7: Putting It All Together
You now have all the individual pieces: the serve, the dink, the volley, and an understanding of the rules and scoring. This week is about assembling them.
- Action Step 1: Play, Play, Play! The best way to improve now is to play games. Head to a local park with open play. Don’t be shy! Introduce yourself as a beginner. The pickleball community is famously welcoming.
- Action Step 2: Focus on One Thing. In each game you play, try to focus on improving one specific skill. For one game, focus on getting every serve in. For the next, focus on getting to the kitchen line after the two-bounce rule is met. This focused approach is more effective than trying to do everything at once.
Week 8 and Beyond: The Journey Continues
Congratulations! You are no longer a “zero-experience” player. You are a pickleball player. From here on out, it’s about refining your skills and enjoying the game.
- Embrace Pickleball Etiquette:
- Introduce yourself to players on the court.
- Announce the score clearly before each serve.
- Make line calls on your side of the court fairly. If it’s out, call it out. If you’re unsure, give the benefit of the doubt to your opponent.
- Tap paddles at the end of the game and say “good game.”
- Find Your Community: Look for local pickleball clubs on social media or use apps designed to connect players. Playing with a variety of people will expose you to different styles and help you improve.
- Patience is a Virtue: You will have good days and bad days. You will hit amazing shots and you will hit the ball into the bottom of the net. It’s all part of the process. The most important thing is to keep showing up, keep a positive attitude, and remember why you started: to have fun.
Welcome to the wonderful, addictive world of pickleball. You’ve taken the first and most important step. Now get out there and play!
Leave a Reply