Overview: How to Play Pickleball?

This is your beginner’s guide on how to play pickleball. Really, if you are new to the game we urge you to start from here as it will give you step to step directions to learn about the game, practice it, and master pickleball in no time! There are plenty of tips and advice out there that will tell you how to play pickleball and some of that advice is quite useful. But for a beginner all that information could be overwhelming and confusing. This blog will simplify it all and give you an easy road map to learn the game and master it step by step. Again, this is just a starting point.

If you are new to the game and just getting started, then these are the first few things that you must know about and should do to get a good start at the game.

• Equipment: Learn about pickleball equipment like selecting the right paddle, what a wiffle ball is, and how to choose the right shoes for indoor pickleball games and outdoor pickleball games. To play a good Pickleball game, you need to have the right equipment and should know how to pick things that fit you well. So, start there. Research and review various paddles and pickleball shoes and decide which ones are good for you.
• Rules: Once you are ready for the pickleball court with the right equipment, you need to know the rules. Part of how to play pickleball is learning how to score a point! After all, you want to be good at it and win a few games. In order to do that, you need to learn the rules like how to score a point, what to avoid, and how to hit a good serve, dink, and lob.  Knowing basic rules is useful for a beginner. 
• Type of Game: Once you know the pickleball rules, decide what type of game you want to start with. In Pickleball there is singles pickleball where the game is one-on-one and then there is a doubles Pickleball game with two members in each team totaling four players in a game. Although, the basic rules are the same for both games, how you play it and the strategies you use in both these types of pickleball games differ. As a beginner, you need to decide if you want to start with a singles pickleball game and get a good idea of how pickleball is played or if you want to try out a doubles pickleball game along with an experienced partner so you understand it better. It’s all up to you. There is not much difference and it all boils down to what your preference is.
• Court:  Pickleball can be played indoors or outdoors on pickleball courts. There are specific court dimensions in pickleball with clearly defined zones. Familiarize yourself with the court as it will help you during the game and prevent you from committing faults.
• Scoring:  In a pickleball game one must score 11 points and 2 points above this to win a game. Scores are earned when the opposite team commits a fault or violates any of the rules. How do you play pickleball?

These are some of the basic aspects that you need to know and master before you play a pickleball game. But merely knowing about equipment, rules, and scoring is not enough! how do you play pickleball is a great deal dependent upon strategy and tips that are useful during a pickleball game.  You need a good strategy and tips and here are some pickleball tips to improve your game. Some of the strategies that work best for beginners.

• Learn to serve well. The serve shot is the first shot that the team that won the toss initiates. The idea is to serve deep and hard so it lands at the back of the court. Also, the return of the serve shot should also be deep and hard and must land i
• Master the third and fourth shots. Once the game picks up pace, the shots during a pickleball game become fast-paced and deep. Hitting a good third and fourth shot is about your positing as the ball is less bouncy. So, for a good shot, bend a little and hit hard, so the ball can go as high and far as possible on the other side of the court.
• Learn to dink: As the game gets fast-paced, a good strategy would be to slow it down and take the opposite team off guard. A dink shot is soft and lands in the non-volley zone area. Usually during the serve, the return of the serve, and the third and fourth shot, the ball is hit hard and deep so it lands at the far end of the opposite team. That is how the game picks its pace, therefore, when the team is playing in that mode, it is good to hit a dink and change the pace. This could result in earning a point. The trick is to use a dink shot wisely and know when to hit it.

How to play pickleball is about playing pickleball like a pro against any opponent in both singles pickleball games and doubles pickleball games.  For each type of game i.e., singles or doubles, you need different types of strategies. Like in a doubles game you need to know how you and your partners are positioned on the court, how you coordinate and communicate and anticipate a hit from the opposite team. As the game gains pace, it is about thinking on your feet to maintain an edge over the opponent. So, strategy is all about the mental vigor that you show during a game and it is developed with constant practice and learning the ins and outs of the game thoroughly. So have a strategy that is based on knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents and your own and using them wisely. Develop a strategy and stick to it and master the game as you keep playing.

The way to play pickleball is to practice pickleball as often as you can. If you have access to a pickleball court then that is the perfect place to do that. But in case you don’t have a pickleball court near you and if you want to know how to play pickleball on a tennis court then you need to know about pickleball court dimensions. Yes, you can play pickleball on a tennis court with some simple alterations i.e., adjust the next height to 36 inches at the posts and 34 inches high in the middle and redraw the lines to 6.10 m wide and  13.4 m long. A tennis court is slightly bigger and the net height is higher, so with simple tweaks like this, you are good to play pickleball on a tennis court.