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Important tips no one taught you

Important tips no one taught you

Paul from Pickleball Daily
February 03, 2026

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Tip of the day

7 Essential Pickleball Tips to Level Up Your Game

Tanner.pickleball revisits his most impactful viral videos, providing updated insights on serving, dinking, defending, and hitting powerful drives to help players of all skill levels improve.

To increase your serving power, avoid standing completely sideways; instead, point your lead foot toward your target to naturally align your hips and shoulders.

Engaging your full body weight by rocking back and then driving forward through the court is much more effective than relying purely on arm strength for your serve.

Identify your ideal contact point for serves by letting your arm rest naturally at your side in an athletic stance, then reaching slightly out in front.

Stop popping up your dinks by treating the motion as a soft "push" rather than a mini-stroke, keeping your wrist locked and extending through the ball.

Imagine pushing two stacked balls toward your opponent with a closed paddle face to ensure your dinks stay low and land consistently in the kitchen.

Avoid the "drop volley" when your opponents are at the baseline, as anything less than a perfect shot gives them a free path to the kitchen line.

Handle heavy slice returns by waiting for the ball to reach its apex and start declining, rather than trying to "short hop" it right off the bounce.

When facing slice, get lower than usual and "dig" under the ball like a shovel to counteract the spin that naturally pulls the ball downward.

Execute a backhand flick by turning your feet sideways to engage your obliques and leading with your elbow up and paddle head down.

Defend against attacks at the kitchen line by taking one or two quick steps back the moment you or your partner hits a "dead" ball.

Key Points:

Use your lead foot to direct your body's energy toward your target on every serve for better accuracy and pace.
Think of dinking as a controlled extension toward your opponent to maintain a low ball flight and high consistency.
Pressure opponents at the baseline with deep volleys instead of risky drop volleys to maintain your tactical advantage at the net.
Create extra space when returning heavy slices to allow the spin to settle before you make contact.
Point at the ball with your non-hitting hand during drives to ensure your shoulders rotate fully for maximum top-spin power.

Watch the full tutorial here.