5 Common Pickleball Mistakes Beginners Make (And How to Fix Them)

• Pickleball looks simple when you first watch it, but once you start playing, you quickly realize that small mistakes can cost you a lot of points. Many players focus only on hitting the ball harder, but good pickleball is about positioning, control, patience, and making smart decisions.
• Whether you are a beginner or an intermediate player, fixing a few common mistakes can make a big difference in your game. Here are five common pickleball mistakes and, more importantly, how to fix each one step by step.
• 1. Staying Too Far Away From the Kitchen Line

One of the biggest mistakes in pickleball is staying near the baseline for too long.

The kitchen line, also called the non-volley zone line, is one of the most important positions on the court. When you stay too far back, your opponent has more space to place the ball at your feet or hit sharp angles.

Why This Is a Problem

If you stay at the baseline, you give your opponent more time and more court to work with. You also make it harder for yourself to attack short balls.

How to Fix It

• Step 1: After returning the serve, start moving forward.
• Step 2: Keep your paddle in front of your body while moving.
• Step 3: Do not run blindly toward the kitchen. Move under control.
• Step 4: If your opponent is about to hit the ball, use a small split step and get balanced.
• Step 5: Continue moving forward until you reach the kitchen line.
• The goal is to control the front of the court whenever possible. Once you are at the kitchen line, you can react faster, hit better volleys, and put more pressure on your opponent.
• 2. Hitting Every Ball Too Hard

A lot of players think more power means better pickleball. It doesn’t.

Power is useful, but if you try to smash every ball, you will make more errors and give your opponent easy opportunities.

Why This Is a Problem

When you hit too hard, the ball can go long, into the net, or directly to your opponent at a comfortable height.

Good players know when to hit hard and when to slow the game down.

How to Fix It

• Step 1: Focus on control before power.
• Step 2: Practice hitting soft dinks into the kitchen.
• Step 3: Learn to use the third-shot drop instead of always driving the ball.
• Step 4: Aim for your opponent’s feet when possible.
• Step 5: Only attack when the ball is high enough.
• A low ball usually should not be attacked aggressively. If the ball is below the net, play it softly and stay patient.
• Wait for the right ball, then attack.
• Remember: you do not need to win every point with one shot.
• 3. Using a Poor Ready Position

Another common mistake is letting your paddle drop too low after hitting the ball.

Some players hit a shot and then relax. By the time the next ball comes, they are not ready.

Why This Is a Problem

Pickleball is fast, especially when you are near the kitchen line.

If your paddle is down near your legs, you may not have enough time to react to a fast volley.

How to Fix It

• Step 1: Keep your knees slightly bent.
• Step 2: Stay balanced on the balls of your feet.
• Step 3: Keep your paddle in front of your body.
• Step 4: Keep your elbows relaxed instead of locking your arms.
• Step 5: Return to your ready position immediately after every shot.
• Your paddle should generally be in front of your chest or around waist-to-chest height, depending on the situation.
• Think of your ready position as your “home base.”
• Hit the ball, then immediately return to your home base.
• This simple habit can dramatically improve your reaction speed.

4. Taking Your Eyes Off the Ball Too Early

Players often make this mistake without realizing it.

They start looking at where they want the ball to go before they actually make contact.

Why This Is a Problem

When you look up too early, you are more likely to hit the ball off-center.

That can cause the ball to go into the net, fly out of bounds, or pop up.

How to Fix It

• Step 1: Watch the ball as it approaches you.
• Step 2: Track the ball all the way toward your paddle.
• Step 3: Keep your head steady during contact.
• Step 4: Focus on making clean contact.
• Step 5: After contact, look up and prepare for the next shot.
• Do not rush.
• Clean contact is more important than swinging hard.
• A simple drill is to practice hitting slowly with a partner while focusing only on watching the ball contact your paddle.
• You may be surprised by how much your consistency improves.

5 Common Pickleball Mistakes Beginners Make (And How to Fix Them)

5. Trying to Win the Point Too Early

This is one of the most common mistakes among competitive players.

They see a small opportunity and immediately try to hit a winner.

Sometimes it works.

Most of the time, it creates an unnecessary error.

Why This Is a Problem

Pickleball rewards patience.

If you attack the wrong ball, your opponent may easily block it back or force you into a mistake.

 

5 Common Pickleball Mistakes Beginners Make (And How to Fix Them)

How to Fix It

• Step 1: Build the rally instead of rushing.
• Step 2: Keep the ball low over the net.
• Step 3: Use dinks to move your opponent around.
• Step 4: Wait for your opponent to hit a high ball.
• Step 5: When you get an attackable ball, then increase your speed and pressure.
• Think of pickleball like chess.
• You are not just hitting the ball.
• You are trying to create the next opportunity.
• Sometimes the best shot is not the shot that wins the point. It is the shot that forces your opponent to give you an easier ball.
• 5 Common Pickleball Mistakes Beginners Make (And How to Fix Them)

Bonus Tip: Focus on Consistency

• You do not need complicated techniques to become a better pickleball player.
• Start with the basics.
• Keep the ball in play.
• Move your feet.
• Stay balanced.
• Keep your paddle ready.
• Play with patience.
• A player who can consistently make eight or ten good shots in a rally will often beat a player who can hit one incredible shot but makes too many errors.
• Consistency wins matches.

Final Thoughts

Improving your pickleball game does not happen overnight, but fixing these five mistakes can help you progress much faster.

Remember:

Stay close to the kitchen line when appropriate, control the ball instead of hitting everything hard, maintain a strong ready position, keep your eyes on the ball, and be patient before attacking.

Work on one mistake at a time during your practice sessions. Once one habit becomes natural, move on to the next.

Small improvements can create big results.