Pickleball Basics, Boring but Effective

I am often asked to provide drills for beginning, intermediate and advanced players.  People that ask for this expect me to provide totally different drills.  The fact is, it all comes down to the pickleball basics.

Different Mistakes

Most people think that there are differences between beginner, intermediate and advanced players’ mistakes.  Clearly, there is a difference in skill, but when it comes to hitting the ball…it is pretty basic.  Errors occur because of:

• Balance;
• Footwork;
• Strategy; or
• Biomechanics.

 

When Linh and I analyze tournament videos after an event, we look for instances when I was off-balance.  Or when my footwork was not the best.  When I watch 3.5 or 4.0 players play, I look for exactly the same things.  These pickleball basics effect so much of how we play and the outcome of a point.

The truth is, there isn’t a lot of differences between a 4.0 player and a 5.0 skill level player.  As I watch different players, there are different styles and abilities; but the same errors occur … just on a different scale.  The same is true of my own play.  When I make errors I always go back to the basics.

In one tournament, we had lost a match in an early round.  It was really frustrating, as this was a team we had beaten many times before.  My partner reminded me we just had to go back to the basics.  She was right, we won easily when we met again later in the tournament.

Pickleball Basics from 3.0 to 5.0

When I work with 5.0 players…I am looking at the same basics as a 3.0 player.  Of course, there are differences….but these differences are in scale rather than the focus item.  We will work to define their neutral zone.  Often we check to ensure that the paddle position is correct throughout the point.  We will work on the rotation of their hips and shoulders…their weight transfer…the biomechanics of the body.

Whether Linh is critiquing my play, or I am analyzing a student…the big secret is “It is all about the basics”.  When things go wrong on the court, you need a foundation to fall back on.  The best players know the importance of simplicity.