Learning to play pickleball is easy but mastering it takes a lot of time. Once you get good at the foundation, you should start fixing advanced pickleball players’ mistakes.
These mistakes are like a double-piercing sword as you’ll have to give up the bad techniques and relearn the correct method. But if you learn to avoid the advanced mistakes from the very beginning, that’ll help you become a better player and have a strong base.
To help you achieve that, we’ll cover some of the most common advanced pickleball players’ mistakes that you should learn to avoid. Make sure to read it thoroughly and take notes.
Read more “Best Pickleball Paddles for Advanced Players“
Top 6 Advance Pickleball Players Mistakes
Below, we’ll go over 6 of the most critical advanced pickleball mistakes that players make when they are in the game. Let’s check them out and also discuss how you can avoid them.
Being Too Stiff
What transforms a “Good” player into a “Great” player is the ability to let loose. Any pickleball player who wants to take their gameplay to the next level should focus on making their body act on its own.
Being too stiff will make you slower and less accurate. That will cause you to be less dynamic in your gameplay, which is not a good thing. So, make sure that you are loose in your body and letting all the practice pay off rather than tensing up mid-game.
A relaxed body will act fast and you’ll be able to hit your target more accurately. That’ll give you an edge over your opponent, which is super helpful.
Not Keeping Up with the Score
Most advanced players are guilty of not keeping up with the score. They just want to score more and they think getting more and more scores will secure their win. But that’s not the case all the time.
You see, pickleball is a game of strategy as well. You need to keep track of your score to figure out your play, to see whether you need to play offensive or defensive.
As you get more and more skilled at the game, you’ll be able to make a great strategy when you’re playing against your opponents on the go. And that will be only possible if you keep track of your score.
Not Planning Out the Aim Beforehand
A basic rule of thumb for you should be to plan out where you’re aiming before you hit the ball. That should become so intuitive for you that you shouldn’t have to think about it ever again.
Most beginner players make the mistake of playing whichever direction they feel comfortable playing. That’s not a good approach and that’ll definitely get you stuck at one point. So, it’s best to fix it from the very beginning.
Remember, you’re not only hitting over the net, and you have to have a precise aim in your mind before you hit the ball with your paddle. That’ll make you a better player once you get good at this skill.
Develop a “Pickleball Ready” Stance
One of the worst things to do in the game of pickleball is to lose your stance. You should always be in a “pickleball ready” position so that your opponent can’t catch you off guard. By staying in the correct stance, you’ll gain more control over the game, and therefore, the win rate will skyrocket as well.
Being in that stance is super simple as you only have to paddle up and towards the center of your chest and stay focused on the ball. Whether you’re playing on the forehand or a backhand, you’ll get an advantage over your opponent as you’ll never be left off guard.
And if you’re good enough, you’ll start to develop that awareness. Eventually, you’ll start to catch your opponents off guard as well, which is pretty amazing.
Having a Bad Opening Shot
Openings are perhaps one of the most important things of a game. Most beginner players ignore that part completely, and that’s why they never get better at pickleball. A good opening can turn the table for you and make the game easier for you to play.
You basically want to aim towards the feet of your opponent when you’re delivering the opening shot. Give it all you’ve got and it’ll be a superb opening without any doubt. However, it’s very important to find out what opening works for you.
That will come with experience as you play more and more. But the awareness of developing a good opening will help to make it a reality. So, be sure to avoid any mediocre opening shots if you want to take your game to the next level.
Lack of Efficient Practice in Your Practice Regiment
What differentiates a pro pickleball player from all the other players is his practice routine. If you work on everything all at once, you won’t develop anything. It’s just a waste of your time and not the right approach.
Rather, you want to make smaller segments and work on these one at a time. Also, you should chunk out time for each segment, and that way, you’ll get the best out of your practice routine.
Also, the key to getting good at pickleball is practicing regularly. Practicing for 20 minutes every day is better than practicing for 6 hours once a week. Keep that in mind and you’ll make great progress.
Final Words
Hopefully, you find these advanced pickleball players’ mistakes somewhat eye-opening. Few of them might seem like on the surface and not that difficult to avoid at all. But they can be a silent progress killer that you must not overlook.
Take your time to find out which mistakes are hindering your growth in the game of pickleball. And from then, you can easily start working on fixing the mistakes. Make sure that you work with one thing at a time for the best results.
