Pickleball Technique – Learn the Shots and Improve Your Game
Good pickleball technique is not about hitting the ball as hard as possible. The best players combine control, balance, footwork, ball contact, and the ability to switch between soft and hard shots.
In this guide, we'll go through the most important techniques in pickleball – from serve, return, forehand, and backhand to dink, volley, drive, third shot drop, and reset.
This guide is suitable for both beginners and those who play regularly but want to develop a more stable and complete technique.
If you're completely new to the sport, we recommend first reading how to play pickleball step by step.
Fundamentals of Good Pickleball Technique
Before we delve into the various shots, there are some technical principles that apply almost everywhere on the court.
- Balance: Try to be stable when you hit the ball.
- Contact in front of the body: Don't wait until the ball has passed you.
- Compact movements: Pickleball often requires smaller swings than tennis.
- Control over power: A well-placed ball is often better than a hard shot without control.
- Footwork: Move your body to the ball instead of reaching for it.
- Preparation: Have your paddle ready early, especially during fast play near the kitchen line.
The closer you are to the net, the less time you have to react. Therefore, compact movements and a good starting position become increasingly important.
How to Hold a Pickleball Paddle
A common grip for beginners is a neutral, so-called continental grip. It's roughly similar to the grip you use when shaking hands with the paddle.
The advantage is that you can relatively quickly switch between forehand and backhand, which is particularly useful at the kitchen line where the ball can come quickly.
The grip should be stable but not unnecessarily tight.
A too-tight grip can make it harder to create the soft ball control needed for shots like dinks, drops, and resets.
Ready Position – Be Ready Before the Ball Comes
A good ready position makes it easier to react to the next shot.
Try to:
- have slightly bent knees
- have your weight balanced
- hold the paddle in front of your body
- be prepared to move to either side
- avoid standing completely upright and relaxed when your opponent hits
At the kitchen line, the paddle should normally be up in front of your body. Ball exchanges are often too fast there to first lift the paddle from a low resting position.
Footwork in Pickleball
Good footwork is an underestimated part of pickleball technique.
The goal is not to run as much as possible. On the contrary, good footwork is about taking small, efficient steps so that your body is balanced when you hit the ball.
Move to the Ball
A common mistake is to stand still and reach your arm towards the ball. This impairs both balance and control.
Instead, try to move your feet so you get behind or beside the ball and can hit it in front of your body.
Stop Before Contact
Whenever possible, you want to be stable when you hit. Hitting the ball while your body is still moving uncontrollably makes precision significantly more difficult.
Move Together in Doubles
In doubles, you and your partner should largely move together laterally. If one player moves significantly without the partner following, large gaps will appear between the players.
Serve – The Technique That Starts Every Rally
A good serve doesn't have to be extremely hard.
For most players, the initial goal should be:
- high consistency
- good depth
- controlled placement
A deep serve can keep the receiver further back and make it harder for the opponent to immediately establish a strong position at the kitchen.
Try to use a smooth and controlled motion and hit the ball in front of your body.
Once consistency is high, you can start working more with variation in speed, placement, and spin.
→ Read the rules for serving and other pickleball rules
Return – One of the Most Important Shots in the Game
A good serve return is not just about getting the ball back.
In doubles, you often want to hit a relatively deep return that keeps the serving team further back on the court.
After the return, the returning player can start moving towards the kitchen line. The serving team must still let the return bounce due to the two-bounce rule.
This gives the returning team the opportunity to establish a strong position near the kitchen.
Forehand in Pickleball
For many players, the forehand is the most natural basic shot and is used from various parts of the court.
A stable forehand is built on:
- early preparation
- balanced body
- ball contact in front of the body
- controlled swing
- follow-through in the direction of the shot
Don't try to generate all the power solely with your arm. Body rotation and weight transfer can help create a more effective shot.
Backhand in Pickleball
The backhand is often a weaker shot for new players and therefore a common target for the opponent.
This makes the backhand particularly important to practice.
Focus on:
- early preparation
- short and controlled movement
- stable wrist
- contact in front of the body
- balance throughout the shot
Don't try to run around every backhand to use your forehand. In the long run, you need to feel comfortable on both sides.
Drive – The Hard Offensive Baseline Shot
A drive is a faster shot used to put pressure on the opponent.
A good drive combines speed with control. Just hitting hard isn't enough.
Prepare your paddle early, hit the ball in front of your body, and try to create a controlled trajectory over the net.
Drives are especially effective when you get a higher ball that can be attacked.
A low ball that forces you to hit sharply upwards, however, is often a worse situation for a hard drive.
Dink – One of Pickleball's Most Important Shots
A dink is a soft shot from the area near the kitchen line that is intended to land in the opponent's kitchen.
The goal is usually not to win the point outright.
Instead, you try to keep the ball so low that the opponent doesn't get a good attacking position.
Technique for a Good Dink
- Maintain a stable and low position.
- Use a small and controlled movement.
- Avoid a large backswing.
- Hit the ball in front of your body.
- Lift the ball controllably over the net.
- Try to keep the ball low when it reaches the opponent.
A common beginner's trap is trying to make the dink too advanced. Start by being able to play several stable dinks in a row.
Placement and variation can come later.
Crosscourt Dink
A dink doesn't always have to be hit straight ahead.
The crosscourt dink is hit diagonally across the court and is very common.
The diagonal direction provides a longer possible ball trajectory and you pass closer to the lower middle part of the net.
This can provide greater margin and simultaneously move the opponent sideways.
Volley – Hit the Ball Before It Bounces
Volley means hitting the ball before it bounces.
Volleys are primarily used when players are near the kitchen line.
Since the distance between players is short, quick reactions are required.
Good Volley Technique
- hold the paddle in front of your body
- use short movements
- avoid large backswings
- keep your body stable
- hit the ball in front of you
For really fast balls, you sometimes hardly need to swing at all. The opponent's speed can be enough, and the paddle is used more to guide the ball back.
Third Shot – A Crucial Moment in Pickleball
The third shot in a rally is especially important for the serving team.
After the serve and return, the serving team is often further back while the opponents have the opportunity to establish themselves at the kitchen line.
Two common options are:
- third shot drop
- third shot drive
Third Shot Drop – The Soft Third Shot
A third shot drop is a soft shot from further back on the court that is intended to land in the opponents' kitchen.
The purpose is to give the opponents a low ball that is difficult to attack and simultaneously allow your team to start advancing forward.
Technique for the Third Shot Drop
- Move to a balanced position behind the ball.
- Use a compact swing.
- Avoid an unnecessarily large backswing.
- Hit the ball in front of your body.
- Create enough height to clear the net.
- Prioritize control over speed.
A good drop shot doesn't have to be perfect. The main goal is to create a ball that the opponent has difficulty attacking.
Third Shot Drive or Third Shot Drop?
You don't have to choose the same third shot every time.
A simplified rule of thumb is:
- high and attackable return → a drive can be a good option
- low or difficult return → a drop is often a better option
Furthermore, a drive doesn't have to win the point immediately. It can be used to provoke a weaker ball, making the next drop easier.
Reset – Go from Defense to a Neutral State
A reset is a soft, controlled shot used when the opponent has the initiative.
Instead of trying to hit back just as hard, you take pace off the ball and try to make it land low in the opponent's kitchen.
This is especially useful in the area between the baseline and the kitchen line, often called the transition zone.
Technique for Reset
- hold the paddle steadily in front of your body
- use a small movement
- try to absorb the opponent's pace
- keep your grip relaxed
- prioritize a low ball over power
Reset is an important step when moving from just being able to defend hard balls to actually being able to neutralize them.
Block – Use the Opponent's Pace
A block is often used against a hard drive or speed-up.
Instead of a full swing, you hold the paddle steadily in front of your body and let much of the opponent's pace do the work.
The faster the ball comes, the less self-movement the paddle often needs.
The goal can be to return the ball controllably or to take pace off and create a reset.
Speed-up – When the Soft Game Becomes Fast
A speed-up means suddenly increasing the tempo from, for example, a dink rally and attacking a ball.
The key is to choose the right ball.
A ball that is high and in front of your body is significantly easier to attack than a low ball below the net tape.
If you try to attack the wrong ball, you risk giving your opponent an easy counter-attack opportunity instead.
Overhead and Smash
When the opponent hits a high ball, you may have the opportunity to hit an overhead.
Prepare early and try to get into the correct position instead of letting the ball get behind your body.
A good overhead doesn't always have to be hit with maximum power. Placement and control are often just as important.
Try to direct the ball towards open spaces or your opponents' feet instead of focusing solely on power.
Lob – The Shot Over the Opponent
A lob is a high ball played over the opponents' heads, forcing them backward.
This shot can be used both offensively and defensively but requires good control.
A too-short lob allows the opponent to hit an easy overhead.
Therefore, use the lob selectively instead of as a default solution.
Transition Zone – The Area Many Players Want to Leave Too Quickly
The area between the baseline and the kitchen line is often called the transition zone.
Sometimes you also hear the term "no man's land," but that doesn't mean you can never be there.
The problem arises when you stand still there without control.
When you advance towards the kitchen line, you may need to:
- hit a good drop or another neutral shot
- move forward
- stop and get ready when the opponent hits
- play a reset if needed
- continue forward when the next opportunity arises
You don't need to reach the kitchen line in a single rush.
Soft Play or Hard Play?
A complete pickleball player needs to be able to do both.
Hard play is used to create pressure through drives, speed-ups, volleys, and attacks.
Soft play is used to neutralize the opponent through dinks, drops, and resets.
Technical development is therefore not just about being able to hit more different shots, but about being able to switch between pace and control.
Control Is More Important Than Power
One of the most common technical mistakes is trying to hit too hard.
More pace does not automatically mean a better shot.
In many situations, you gain more from:
- better placement
- lower ball trajectory
- greater safety margin
- better balance
- fewer unforced errors
Once your control is stable, you can gradually increase the tempo.
→ See common mistakes in pickleball and how to avoid them
How to Practice Pickleball Technique
Just playing matches is fun, but it's not always the fastest way to improve your technique.
Dedicate some of your practice time to specific drills.
1. Serve and Return
For example, hit 20-30 serves and try to hit a specific area. Then do the same with returns.
2. Dink
Stand at the kitchen line with a partner and try to keep a long dink rally going without attacking.
As control improves, you can start working on placement.
3. Third Shot Drop
One player stands at the kitchen line and the other further back. Practice hitting soft drops that make it difficult for the player at the kitchen to attack.
4. Reset
Stand in the transition zone while a partner plays controlled attacks at you. Try to take pace off and get the ball softly back into the kitchen.
5. Volley
Practice short volley rallies with a focus on control and paddle in front of the body instead of maximum speed.
Which Technique Should a Beginner Practice First?
Don't try to learn everything at once.
A good order of priority is:
- Serve
- Return
- Forehand and backhand
- Basic volley
- Dink
- Third shot drop
- Reset
- Drive and speed-up
- More advanced variation and spin
If you can serve and return stably, keep the ball in play, and control simple balls at the kitchen line, you have a much better foundation than if you try to learn advanced winning shots immediately.
Technique and Tactics Go Hand in Hand
Technique is about how you execute a shot.
Tactics are about when and why you use it.
For example, you might have a fantastic drive but still lose many points if you use it on the wrong balls. Similarly, perfect dink technique helps less if you attack at the wrong time.
When you start to feel comfortable with the shots, the next step is to develop your decision-making.
→ Pickleball Tactics – Learn to Play Smarter
Frequently Asked Questions About Pickleball Technique
What shots are there in pickleball?
Some of the most important shots are the serve, return, forehand, backhand, volley, dink, drive, drop, reset, block, speed-up, lob, and overhead.
What is the most important shot in pickleball?
There isn't one single shot that is most important in all situations. Serve and return are needed to start every rally, while dink, volley, drop, and reset become increasingly important as the skill level rises.
What is a dink in pickleball?
A dink is a soft shot from the kitchen line area that lands in the opponent's kitchen. The goal is often to keep the ball low so that the opponent cannot attack effectively.
What is a third shot drop?
A third shot drop is a soft third shot that the serving team attempts to place in the opponents' kitchen. A good drop can neutralize the opponents' position and allow the serving team to advance forward.
What is the difference between a drop and a dink?
Both are soft shots that are often intended to land in the kitchen. A dink is typically played from the area near the kitchen line, while a drop shot is played further back on the court.
What is a reset?
A reset is a soft defensive or neutralizing shot where the player tries to take pace off an attack and place the ball low in the opponent's kitchen.
Should you hit hard in pickleball?
In some situations, yes. But good pickleball relies on a combination of pace, placement, control, and patience. Hitting the ball as hard as possible every time often leads to more errors and gives the opponent opportunities to counter.
How do I get better at pickleball?
Practice individual elements instead of just playing matches. Serve, return, dink, drop, volley, and reset are good areas to work on systematically. Also try to identify what types of mistakes cost you the most points.
Develop your pickleball technique step by step
Good technique is not built by learning one spectacular shot. It is built by being able to execute the basic shots with control repeatedly.
Start with the serve, return, and groundstrokes. Then develop your kitchen line play with dinks and volleys before spending more time on drops, resets, drives, speed-ups, and other advanced shots.
When your technique becomes stable, you will have more options on the court – and then you can start using your shots tactically instead of just trying to get the ball back.
→ Pickleball for Beginners – complete guide
→ Continue with our guide to pickleball tactics
