Developing as a more competent pickleball player requires more than simply playing more games. Every good pickleball player develops through consistent practice of key skills, strong positioning, experience against different opponents, and monitoring how their game progresses over time.

Whether you are a beginner or trying to take your game to the next level, here are five ways to develop as a more competent pickleball player.

1. Create a Foundation Through the Basic Shots

Every great pickleball player develops a solid foundation. Focus on consistently practicing the fundamental shots that appear in nearly every game, such as:

• Serves
• Returns
• Dinks
• Volleys
• Third-shot drops
• Drives

Instead of trying to win every point by hitting a difficult winner, aim for consistency. By reliably keeping the ball in play, a skilled pickleball player can control rallies and create additional scoring opportunities.

2. Develop Your Positioning on the Court

Positioning can significantly impact how well you perform on the court. One of the most important areas to position yourself effectively is the non-volley zone, often referred to as “the kitchen.”

Knowing when to advance toward the net, when to stay back, and how to move with your partner can help you cover more of the court and minimize open lanes that opponents can exploit.

A better pickleball player is aware of both the location of the ball and their own position in relation to it.

3. Play Opponents at Different Skill Levels

While there is comfort in knowing which pickleball players you will be facing each week, exposure to different skill levels can contribute more quickly to any pickleball player’s overall improvement.

Try playing against:

• Players who are more experienced than you
• Players with completely different playing styles
• New partners
• Tournament opponents

More skilled players can reveal weaknesses in your game that you may not notice during casual pickleball play. Exposure to different types of players can also help you become a more flexible pickleball player, rather than relying on the same approach every time.

4. Train With Intention

Simply playing more pickleball does not necessarily mean your skills are improving.

Choose one or two aspects of your pickleball game that you would like to improve and dedicate a practice session specifically to those areas. For example, you could spend one session focusing on third-shot drops and another session concentrating on returning serves.

Any pickleball player who trains with a purposeful approach can more easily observe improvements in their skills and recognize where additional development is needed.