On the surface Pickleball seems like a fairly simple sport, but don’t be fooled! Pickleball’s basic elements are simple, but it is far from a “simple sport.”

Almost every skill needed to excel in other racket/paddle sports is needed in Pickleball. When you take into account the non volley zone and the fact that the ball can go around the net and still be a valid winning shot (if it lands appropriately in the opponent’s court), one might be able to argue that it is even a bit more complex, but let’s not go there.

I am a relative beginner when it comes to Pickleball having played for just under one year. I hadn’t played a racket sport in nearly forty years before I discovered Pickleball fun! So take this as it is, i.e. from a beginner’s point of view.

Over the year, I have learned a lot. I have made many mistakes, but I have tried to learn from those errors. One thing that I have come to appreciate is that the Pickleball net is not on your side. It is not your friend.

What I mean by that statement is this. I often see players watch the ball as it heads for the top of the Pickleball net and on both sides, play seems to slow or stop. So what is wrong with this picture? The problem is that the ball is going to end up on one side of the net or the other and it might remain playable.

Both sides need to be ready to react. Continue to play the ball as though it is going to be a valid shot in the event that it does make it over the net. Don’t give up on the play!

If you are prepared, you might be able to salvage one or two points in a given game just by being able to return a ball that sneaks its way over the net and remains “playable.”

I have lost a number of games by just one or two points that have escaped my team in this fashion. If I had only been ready to respond as the ball fell just on “our” side of the net, I may have salvaged that one more point.

Watch the better players and notice that even when a ball hits the net, they are in line with the ball, paddle in hitting position and waiting to respond.

Don’t give up on the play. Continue the play until the ball is “dead.”