When playing your first pickleball match, it's easy to think the sport is mostly about getting the ball over the net. Soon enough, you discover that small details concerning positioning, patience, rules, and equipment can make a very big difference.
There are also things that many players only learn after a few weeks or months – even though a few simple pieces of advice from the start could have made the journey significantly easier.
Here are 10 things that are good to know before you start playing pickleball. If you are completely new to the sport, we also recommend our complete guide to pickleball for beginners.
1. Pickleball is easy to start – but difficult to master
You don't need to have played tennis, padel, or badminton to try pickleball. One of the sport's great strengths is that it's relatively quick to understand the basics and get started with real rallies.
But don't be fooled by the low entry barrier. As you start to play more, you'll discover a significantly greater depth in technique, positioning, and tactics.
Dinks, volleys, Third Shot Drops, the transition to the kitchen line, and teamwork in doubles are just some things that can take a long time to master.
If the sport is completely new to you, you can start with What is pickleball?.
2. You don't need to buy the most expensive paddle
It's easy to start comparing materials, weight, thickness, and expensive paddle models even before playing your first match.
Don't let the equipment be an obstacle to starting.
If the club or facility has rental paddles, it's an excellent way to try the sport. After playing a few times, you'll also get a better idea of what you're actually looking for in your own paddle.
That doesn't mean the paddle is insignificant. When you play regularly, the right model can provide better conditions for the control, feel, or power you're seeking.
If you need help, you can read our guide to pickleball paddles.
3. The rules become much simpler when you start playing
Serve order, scoring, the two-bounce rule, and the kitchen can sound like a lot of information the first time someone explains pickleball.
Don't try to memorize every detail before you go on the court.
Instead, learn the most important basics and play. When you see situations arise during a real rally, the rules become much easier to understand.
You can prepare yourself with our guides on pickleball rules and pickleball scoring.
4. Placement often beats power
One of the most common beginner traps is trying to hit every good ball even harder.
Pickleball, however, often rewards control, placement, and good decision-making. A gentle shot to an open space can be significantly more effective than a hard hit ball straight at an opponent who is already well-positioned.
As you gain more experience, you'll also begin to understand which balls should actually be attacked – and which are better played softly.
If you want to develop this part of your game, you can read about pickleball tactics.
5. Mistakes are part of the game
You will miss serves. You will forget the score. You will hit easy balls into the net and probably step on the kitchen line at some point.
Everyone does that when they're learning.
Instead, try to notice why the mistake happened. Were you positioned incorrectly? Did you try to hit too hard? Were you off balance? Did you make an unnecessarily difficult decision?
When you start to see the pattern behind the mistakes, every match also becomes a practice session.
We have collected several such situations on the page common mistakes in pickleball.
6. Play with people who are better than you
It's fun and comfortable to play with people at roughly the same level, but sometimes it's very educational to play against more experienced players.
Pay particular attention to things like:
- where they position themselves
- how quickly they move to the kitchen line
- which balls they choose to attack
- how small movements they use in the short game
- how they communicate with their partner in doubles
You don't have to copy everything immediately. Just by seeing how an experienced player handles different situations, you can gain a better understanding of the game.
A good way to find more players is through a club. On our page with pickleball clubs and courts, you can look for opportunities to play.
7. The kitchen line is much more important than it first seems
As a beginner, it's easy to focus almost entirely on getting the ball back. After a while, you discover how important court position is.
The area around the kitchen line is particularly central.
When the situation allows, you often want to establish a good position just behind the kitchen line. From there, you'll have good opportunities to play both soft dinks and volleys and put pressure on your opponents.
It's also important to properly understand the kitchen rule itself. You are allowed to be in the kitchen, but special rules apply when you volley.
8. Technique is more important than a big swing
If you have experience from other racket sports, it's easy to bring big swings into pickleball.
This sometimes works from the baseline, but when the game moves closer to the net, much smaller movements are often needed.
In fast volley duels, you simply don't have time to draw your paddle far back. A compact movement, paddle in front of your body, and good balance become significantly more important.
On our page about pickleball technique, you can read more about the fundamentals.
9. Join a club – and dare to try competition when you feel ready
Pickleball can, of course, be played with family and friends, but club play can open up a whole new part of the sport.
You'll encounter more playing styles, play with people at different levels, and often participate in organized training or open play.
After a while, you might also become curious about competition. You don't have to be an elite player to enjoy competitive play. When there's a class and level that suits you, a tournament can be a great way to gain new experiences.
See current opportunities on our page about pickleball tournaments.
10. The risk of getting hooked is quite high
The first time, you might just be thinking of trying a new racket sport.
Then you start to understand the kitchen. After that, you want better control of the dink. Suddenly, you're comparing paddles, wondering why your Third Shot Drop is too high, and trying to find the next opportunity to play.
That's part of the charm of pickleball.
The sport is simple enough to be fun from the start, but deep enough that there's always something new to learn.
Bonus: Learn the right things in the right order
A common mistake is wanting to learn advanced shots before the basics are solid.
As a new player, we would prioritize it roughly like this:
- Understand the most important rules.
- Get a consistent serve and return.
- Learn basic positioning.
- Become comfortable at the kitchen line.
- Develop control in volleys and dinks.
- Start working more with tactics and different shot selections.
This provides a stable foundation to build upon instead of trying to learn everything at once.
Frequently asked questions for new pickleball players
Is pickleball difficult to learn?
The basics are relatively easy to learn, and many can start playing rallies from the very first time. However, becoming truly skilled requires practice in both technique and tactics.
Do I need to have played tennis or padel before?
No. Prior experience with racket sports can help with things like ball feel and coordination, but it's not a requirement to start playing pickleball.
Do I need to buy my own pickleball paddle right away?
Not necessarily. If the club or facility has rental paddles, it might be wise to try a few times before choosing your first own paddle.
What do I need to start playing?
Fundamentally, you need access to a court with a net, a pickleball paddle, a pickleball ball, and appropriate shoes. If you play at a club, much of the equipment might already be available.
How do I get better at pickleball?
Play regularly and combine matches with practicing specific elements. Serve, return, dink, volley, footwork, and positioning are good areas to train separately.
Summary – start playing and learn along the way
The most important advice for you as a newcomer is simple: don't wait until you think you know everything.
Learn the basics and start playing. Rules, technique, and tactics become much easier to understand when you can connect them to situations you've actually experienced on the court.
Make mistakes, ask more experienced players, and try different ways of playing. There's plenty of time to delve deeper once you've started.
If you want to start from the beginning, you can continue with our guide to pickleball for beginners or read how to play pickleball.
Ready to start playing?
When you want to get your own equipment, you'll find pickleball paddles, pickleball balls, pickleball shoes and pickleball accessories in our pickleball shop.
If you also want clothes for training and matches, you can see our pickleball apparel. If you're unsure which paddle suits you, start with our guide to pickleball paddles.
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