5 Things I wish I knew when I started Playing Pickleball

Master Pickleball From the Start: Essential Skills for Beginners Want to start dominating on the pickleball court? Learn from the mistakes of others so you can fast track your skills. Pro player John Cincola shares his top 5 tips to help beginners level up quickly. John vividly remembers his early pickleball days back in 2018. While the sport looked easy at first glance, he soon realized there was far more technique and strategy involved than meets the eye. After years of refining his game, John wants to help new players avoid common pitfalls he sees all the time. This guide will prime your mindset, positioning, shot technique and pace handling. Before you know it, you'll be crushing those smashes and winning more matches! 0:31 - Dink With a Purpose The most common advice given to beginners is "don't pop up your dinks." But constantly thinking about what NOT to do often backfires. Instead, John recommends dinking with purposeful intention. When you tell yourself "don't pop it up," your mind has no clear direction. The ball could go anywhere! However, choosing a precise target like "land it 6 inches over the net in that corner" provides clarity. Giving your shots more purpose builds confidence in your technique. Your mind understands the exact desired outcome. Dinking with purposeful precision is far more effective than just trying not to make mistakes. 1:49 - The Third Shot Drop Isn't That Hard Newbies often hear the third shot drop called the toughest shot in pickleball. But John wholeheartedly disagrees with this narrative. In his view, the third shot is simply an extension of your basic dink. If you can dink consistently from close to the net, nothing fundamentally changes dinking from farther back. Simply maintain the same simple, compact technique on that third shot. There's no need to over-complicate it in your mind. Approach the third shot drop with confidence, not worry. Remind yourself it's just like your regular dink that you've practiced many times. Keeping that positive, simplifying mindset goes a long way on mastering this essential pickleball shot. 3:12 - Master the Ready Position Coaches constantly remind players about proper ready position. Your body should be athletic and alert, paddle neutral and ready to react. But misunderstanding the "why" behind ready position causes many mistakes. Poor ready position often happens not from laziness, but due to overextending on the previous shot. When your weight is too far forward or paddle away from your body, it's physically impossible to get back into ready position in time. The fix? Make preceding shots more compact and controlled. Don't let your momentum carry you outside the optimal ready zone. Staying centered after each shot eliminates scrambling back into position. 4:53 - Court Positioning Matters While John knew on-court positioning was important from the start, he didn't initially emphasize the right elements. He recommends focusing on these three principles: As the returner, urgently get to the kitchen line behind every return. This instantly puts you in an offensive position. As the server, patiently play your way up. Don't just bum rush the net off the serve. Earn your way forward.

Between shots, stay closer to your partner. Squeezing the middle forces shots into the outside corners where more risk exists. Work on nailing down these core concepts first. Proper positioning sets you up for pickleball success. 7:17 - Learn to Handle Pace When John started, lessons all stressed the soft game – volleys, dinks and drops. But he was mystified about losing to players who blasted hard shots right at him. Why didn't his superior dinking translate into wins? The answer: handling pace is arguably the most vital pickleball skill, especially as the sport trends faster and more athletic. Expect speed and smash it back with control. Don't just play pattycake - learn to power up when required. Start Strong By Avoiding Common Pitfalls There you have John Cincola's top 5 pickleball tips to help new players get off on the right foot. Avoid the common mistakes John sees time and time again when people are just starting out. Arm yourself with the basics of purposeful dinking, smooth ready position, strategic positioning, simplified drop shots and pace handling. Combine athleticism with smarts and you'll be dominating the courts in no time. Now grab a paddle and get out there! These essential techniques will have you volleying, spinning and smashing like a pro.