Are you brand new to pickleball? Don’t worry, we all were at one point! A friend who’s thinking about starting to play asked me for my best pickleball tips for beginners. That got me thinking about what I wish I knew before I started.
This page contains affiliate links.
My best pickleball tips for beginners
1. The best way to get started is to take a class
Pickleball is a fun sport and you really have to play it with other people (since it’s usually played doubles at the introductory level) so taking a beginning pickleball class is the perfect way to get started. I started with a four week session that covered the basics of play, court layout, scoring and more.
Pickleball isn’t a hard sport to learn but you’ll feel more confident going to your first local open pickleball session if you already understand concepts like where your serve needs to land, when you can go in the kitchen and when different court lines are considered in versus out. It’ll be a great workout too!
2. Wear the right shoes
As you probably know, a pickleball court is a lot smaller than a tennis court. I naively thought that my super comfortable slip-on sneakers would be a great choice. Boy was I wrong! I was rolling my ankles every few minutes.
Even though it’s a smaller court, you’re still moving forward and backward and side to side constantly. You need a really secure shoe that will support you for those kinds of fast movements. When you’re just getting started with a few classes, tennis shoes or running shoes that are already in your closet are great.
But if you decide to stick with pickleball, it’s important that you upgrade to dedicated court shoes to prevent foot and ankle injuries. Personally, I’ve got these pickleball shoes on my own wishlist!
3. It’s a lot harder to learn to play outdoors
My first time ever playing pickleball was a gorgeous fall day. Unfortunately it was also extremely breezy!
I swear, my serves were going every which way no matter how right they felt. When the wind was blowing toward me even my strongest serves couldn’t make it over the net. If the cross-wind kicked up I was accidentally hitting the ball into the next court!
Of course the wind every day is different and some days it might not be an issue at all. But it’s easier to get a sense of the game if your first few times you play pickleball indoors if possible. Of course I’ll never say you should delay learning if your local pickleball class is outside. It’s just too much fun to put off!
One caveat: If you’re playing pickleball indoors in a gym, the floor lines can get confusing! They’re even more confusing than when pickleball and tennis share a court.
4. Pickleball is more about skill than strength
If you’re used to playing tennis, especially singles, it can be a little tough to adjust to pickleball. The court is so much smaller and you only have half of it to cover! When I first started, nearly all of my returns went a few feet beyond that back of the court.
Gradually I realized that strength doesn’t play much of a role in pickleball. Sure, you have to be able to get the ball over the net (and past the kitchen on your serve). But agility, precision and hand-eye coordination are all much more important than strength when it comes to playing pickleball.
5. Hit the ball as often as you can
This may sound obvious, but the best way to get good at pickleball is to do it often. If you’re taking a weekly pickleball class for beginners, try to practice at least once in between sessions.
Practice could be going to your local park and joining in an open pickleball session. But when you’re brand new, one of the best ways to practice pickleball is to just go hit the ball against your garage door or basement wall. It doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that!
Read more: Is pickleball expensive to play?
Pickleball equipment for beginners
Fortunately you don’t need much to get started playing pickleball!
Inexpensive pickleball paddle set
I started my pickleball career with an inexpensive paddle set like this one. I can recommend that set because I actually own it! I bought then as spares to loan out when friends want to try playing with us. The paddles are just fine for casual use – even if you eventually upgrade to a nicer one, you can still keep this in the garage or basement for practice at home.
It’s a great choice for beginners because it comes with everything you need to get started: a paddle for each partner, two indoor balls, two outdoor balls and a basic carry bag to keep it all tidy.
Comfortable pickleball shoes
Like I said before, if you already have tennis shoes or running shoes you can wear those when you’re beginning. If you want to dive right in (or don’t have tennis shoes already) these pickleball shoes will be a great addition for you!
Clothes for pickleball
Make sure you wear comfortable clothing that’s easy to move in! Lots of ladies wear skorts with ball pockets but to get going you’re fine wearing any athletic apparel. I have lots of suggestions for ladies pickleball clothes to give you ideas.
I hope this article has given you some good ideas as you get started on your journey to loving pickleball! If you’ve been playing for a while and have any pickleball tips for intermediate players to add, please leave them in the comments.
