Mastering Pickleball Shots: Essential Strokes, Varieties, and Pro Tips

First of all we completely know what pickleball is. Pickleball is just like a racket or paddle sport in which two players or four players hit a perforated, hollow and light weight plastic ball with paddles over a net. Pickleball is played both outdoors and indoors. Word on the street is that people are getting addicted to pickleball so fast because those pickleball shots are incredibly fun. Pickleball is an amazing sport that has similarities to table tennis, tennis and badminton also.

A stroke is completely different from a shot. A stroke is a simple and basic thing that is how to apply action or hit the ball. On the other hand, a shot is what the result is after you make a stroke. A shot is much more unique and specific. But the stroke is totally based on principles and also is broader.

What are the different shots in pickleball?

The most amazing and exciting thing in pickleball is to try different shots. The basic shots are very important in pickleball. So keep the best command on pickleball basic shots. There are a great number of shots in pickleball. Some of the important shots are given below.

• The serve is that shot where the point is started. It is not a ground stroke and volley stroke. It’s only the serve. And there are a number of different ways that you can serve perfectly.
• The lob shot is very much famous in pickleball. This is a nice shot where you hit it at high position and also over the head of your opponent player. It makes your opponent confused and forces you to turn around very fastly to hit the ball that is falling down in the backcourt. So the quick change of pace can surely make your opponent player disturb and panic. That’s why the opponent player’s risk of mistakes increases. This shot is basically used for one great reason that it greatly helps to manage and reset the tempo of a point. For example, if your opponent player is smashing ball over ball directly at you and you do not slow down the pace then the lob can perfectly help you to reset all this.
• A cross-court dink is basically a dink stroke that is simply sent from one side of the playing court to the opposite side of the opponent. This is a very effective shot in pickleball. This shot is very hard to play. That’s why it is a very frustrating shot in pickleball. So you can first learn the cross-court dink because this shot is very crucial in pickleball. You can easily understand your distances. A dink that goes straight ahead of you is much shorter in distance as compared to those dink that go cross-court. It is too long. So you have to use much more power and strength to get it over there.
• A drive is a simple volley or ground stroke. The drive shots are very fast, unstoppable and too hard. This shot is best for those people who have great upper body strength to pull it off quickly. But very difficult for those people who are not so strong and have no power and strength. You can use drives as a tool in the court.
• The block shot is also used in pickleball to perfectly stop the third shot drive and also the regular drives that give your opponent any advantage. When the opponent player hits a hard shot at you then you can easily mess up with the help of a block shot. The block shots are specially for slowing down the game. That’s why the opponent player doesn’t get any advantage.
• The deep return serve is not very difficult but it takes some time to learn. This shot is very crucial in pickleball so learn it very well. It is very much difficult to understand how far you hit the ball in the backcourt. When you try to measure the distance then it is always wrong. So the easy and good way to train this is to find a buddy or pickleball co-player and return serve to the buddy. So he can completely tell you how far you hit and also help you in different ways. After all this your mind set a great pattern and then always used it.
• The backhand punch is a very unique and little shot. This shot is basically made at the net but it also involves you punching at the ball. So this shot is specially designed to turn a great high dink. That is why your opponent player made a little shot that perfectly shoots straight for them. This shot is very simple to perform in the court. First you easily put your paddle in the backhand position and just simply pretend like you are punching with your fist.
• The overhead smash is specially designed to completely destroy the ball and also totally make it impossible for your opponent player to return it. This is also called an opportunity shot. When your opponent player pops up a shot that goes just over your head. So after this it’s totally your chance to put it away. If you play with accuracy then it’s going well. You can use lighter paddle and much more wrist action when you hit them out the baseline of your opponent player.
• The third shot drop is very important and a master shot in pickleball. It is very important to learn this shot for advanced pickleball play. The player lost many points in the third shot drop because all the players take great pressure when playing this shot. These shots are very soft and smooth that directly arc upward and then also land smoothly into the kitchen.  The smooth and soft landing will completely force your opponent player to quickly dink the ball. If you are playing roughly and hit the shot too far or too high then your opponent suddenly can drive the ball and you may lose the point.
• The dink fake is the sneakiest shot in pickleball. This shot is good, if it is done perfectly. But it is very difficult to make this shot. This shot is used to shock the opponent player. And it is also very much effective if it is done perfectly to your opponent player. So there are two basic requirements to make the shot properly successful: the ball is to be very high enough, and you must have enough topspin.
• The backspin return serve is a very unique and effective shot when it is done correctly. When you try to play this shot then you can weight for a semi-high serve to come then you softly hit the ball downward with your paddle. The ball then sailed in the air smoothly but landed with many sidespin. So it is nearly impossible for your opponent to hit the ball. That’s why this shot is very hilarious when it’s done properly and perfectly.
• Around the post shot is very unique and rare. You can perfectly perform this shot when your opponent player makes a great and powerful cross court shot towards you on the playing court.
• The backhand spin dink is a very special and comfortable shot. This shot is working only when you make a cross-court dink shot and also it is made with your backhand. If you are playing with your right hand then you will always be on the left side of the court. You can play this shot perfectly if you are a confident player. The player makes a mistake while playing this shot is to hit the ball too high.

The two types of shots in pickleball you must know:

There are two types of shots in pickleball that I always remember are “push” shots and “hit” shots. These two shots require different body mechanics and the angles of the paddle.

• A push shot: is a third shot drop, dink or any other ball you connect that must bounce low in the kitchen. It needs proper touch and also accuracy.
• A hit shot: is the good shot that must drive the ball with some degree of power and strength.

The people who play pickleball are very comfortable with hitting the ball because hitting the ball is the basic and natural reaction. Push shots are properly played when you place the ball very low and smoothly at your opponent player’s feet. When playing this shot always puts stress on big muscles. It means you always push with your own legs and core to a degree and to a bigger degree you must push from the shoulder. So this makes a great and repeatable stroke. Don’t use the small muscles of wrist, forearms and hands to touch and hit the ball to your target because it will cause tension and pain also.

When starting these types of shots the face of the paddle always opens. Gently and softly push the ball with no backswing and then drop the ball on the net. When you are deeply in the playing court then these drop shots move you forward and also play from the kitchen line. According to physics, when you hit the low ball with great strength just near the kitchen area then this ball is destined for the net on the court. If you properly learn these shots and apply them at the best time then it will make your game much better. It makes your game more exciting and challenging, especially for the opponent player.

What are basic strokes in pickleball?

A stroke is completely different from a shot. A stroke is a simple and basic thing that is how to apply action or hit the ball. The three basic and general types of strokes are given below.

• Groundstroke: The groundstroke is a shot that is made after the ball has completely bounced. This is a very common type of stroke that will usually occur. And most of the player’s shots are groundstrokes. So there are two types of groundstrokes: Forehand groundstroke & Backhand groundstroke. The forehand groundstrokes are mainly used because this shot provides you great force and accuracy. This shot must occur very much close to the baseline. The backhand groundstrokes are very wonderful and surprisingly the much more used groundstrokes. This stroke is the best choice for many players and also the players mostly prefer this shot. When the ball is going towards your arm then it is the best time to use this great shot.
• Volley: The volley always occurs when the ball is hitting before touching the ground. In this situation the placement of shots does not matter at all. If your ball has not bounced then you are in a good position. The volley shots are basically much more powerful. A great and best type of volley is the overhead smash. And always remember that you cannot volley in the kitchen.
• The dink: The dink is also the type of groundstroke that is used only near the net on the court. The main thing about the dink is that this shot is perfectly done in the kitchen. This shot is very soft and smooth. There are a number of different types of dink shots and you can use all these during playing pickleball matches with passion.

The purpose of dink shot is to make your opponent player totally mess up. You can perform the dink stroke when and however you want and need. But always remember that this shot is very focused, mindful and controlled. It also requires a great amount of touch and precision during play. If you practice this shot very well then you permanently play well.

What is the difference between a stroke and a shot?

	Stroke	Shot
Definition	A stroke is a simple and basic thing that is how to apply action or hit the ball.	A shot is what the result is after you make a stroke.
Types	There are three basic types of strokes.	There are many types of shots.
Types names	Groundstroke, Volley and The dink	The serve, The lob, Cross court dink, The drive, Block shot, Deep return serve, Backhand punch, Overhead smash, Third shot drop, The dink fake, Backspin return serve, Around the post shot Backhand spin dink etc.

How to hit every shot in pickleball ?

There are a number of shots in pickleball.  These shots include serve, Drive, Around the post, over heads, third shot drop, dinks etc. All these shots are certainly different but some have much more similarities than others. So hitting every shot matters very much if they are hard shots and soft shots. Here are some tips and techniques that are must used on every shot you are hitting.

• Make movement before and after the shot
• Effective coil and uncoil
• Best use of your off arm
• Appropriate backswing
• Eyes on contact
• Must contact in front and good spacing
• Appropriate follow through

In pickleball, you need to move before and after each shot. First, get ready by doing a small jump called a split step. This helps you be prepared for where the ball might go. Your split step can change depending on where you are on the court and what’s happening in the game. If you’re far back, be ready to move side-to-side and forward. If you’re closer to the net, your split step doesn’t need to be as big because you’re mostly using your hands.

After you hit the ball, quickly get ready for the next shot by moving back to the right spot. This way, you’re ready for whatever your opponent sends back. It’s important to do these movements smoothly to play well.

The second is effective coil and uncoil on shots. For this shot use your whole body, starting from the legs up. For big swings like groundstrokes, load up more, but for softer shots or volleys, you need less. Keep your hips and knees bent more than your feet and chest, and your shoulders more bent than your hips. Don’t just rely on your arms use your whole body to hit the ball with power. Watch top players—they always use their entire body to hit shots.

The third is the best use of the off arm. It has different jobs for forehand and backhand shots. On the forehand, it helps you get ready and stabilizes your body. On the backhand, it sets up the paddle and acts as a balance to your swinging arm. It’s important for stability and making good shots.

The fourth is to have appropriate backswing in pickleball. In pickleball, how you swing matters a lot. On your forehand, don’t go for big swings just focus on turning your shoulders right. But on the backhand, keep it short by twisting your body correctly. When you’re aiming for gentle shots, like drops, remember not to swing too much simply set your paddle low, push it forward, then swing gently. The key is to use less swing for softer shots, ensuring better control and accuracy.

The fifth is eyes on the contact when playing pickleball. keep your head and eyes down when you hit the shot so you track the ball into your paddle to make the perfect contact right in the sweet spot. In short for all your shots always keep your eye on the ball very keenly all the way. But when you are in a heated volley exchange it is very difficult to make eye contact with the ball every time. So keep your eyes a little softer at that time. So track the ball with your eyes is the best and the number of shots are successful when you perfectly use your eyes connection.

The sixth is the contact in front and also good spacing for every type of shot in pickleball. You always make contact with every shot. When you hit a drive on a one-handed backhand then you must contract it well in front as compared to a one-handed backhand slice. It is very necessary to have different contacts for shots but the basic rule is that it is always in front of your body. Because it is the best way to transfer energy. So you can make contact perfectly close to your body but always remember that it is in front.

The seventh is an appropriate follow through in pickleball. When you hit a powerful shot, make sure to follow through with your arms and shoulders. Extend fully on the forehand and reach up high on the backhand. This gives more power and control. The shots like dinks, drops, drive, block, reset etc. are all soft shots. So for these shots you do not hit a very loose shot. You always use a shorter follow through. For block shots you must hold the paddle in a right way with perfect angle on your face and then bounce off your paddle and also go back over net with no follow through.

How to keep the ball low in pickleball ?

To keep the ball low in pickleball has many benefits because low shorts are much more difficult to return. The low ball also maintains your paddle angle and hits the ball very fastly and early. So there are different tips and tricks to keep the ball low in pickleball.

• Manage your paddle angle
• Best topspin
• Time your hits
• Loose the grip
• Manage body position
• Use cross-court dinks
• Simplify the spin

First, completely understanding the relation between your ball’s trajectory and your paddle’s angle is very important. You can perfectly maintain a downside paddle angle for a low drive shot. This is best for executing those shots that are a bit close to the net. The topspin is a very strong and important tool to keep the ball low. Let start the backswing from a lower position and then hit the ball from beneath so this impart the spin. Always use moderate power because its not affect your topspin. But the excessive force can waste the benefits of topspin and send the ball much higher.

Always hit the ball early because it allows for a downward shot angle. So wait when the ball drops all the forces you hit upward and then raise the flight of the ball. The tough paddle grip always hinders your shot. So always make a relaxed grip to increase the paddle ability and also the shot accuracy. The light grip is specially for very critical low shots. The body position can greatly impact your shots angle. So adjust your body according to the position of the ball. Manage your entire body to drive the shot that properly stays low across the net.

The dinks are very valuable and best way to maintain the low ball trajectory. When you target the cross-court shots then you must get benefits from more distance over net. Its perfectly give you the great margin for properly control the height of the shot. This angle make difficult for your opponent player to return the ball. And it’s totally make the game in your favor. The much lengthy backswing can directly increase the height of the ball and also decrease your control. So the short backswing is keeping the ball low.

What is a pickleball smash called?

The smash is also called the pickleball overhead smash shot. It is much aggressive shot in pickleball. The smash shot is aggressive due to its great speed, power and downward angle. This shot is basically perform after a lob. The smash is started through a strongest hit. The player executed smash shot as high as he can reach. This shot is completely impossible to defend. For example, you are on the court and you see that the ball go up then you suddenly ready to deliver a smash shot but at the main time your toes are point towards the net. So you face the ball but genuinely fail to turn and then get into proper position.

This is very difficult to execute the smash because when you turn your body sideways then you not be able to use your shoulders. To perform overhead smash always keep in mind these following steps.

What is the “Shake and Bake” in pickleball?

The shake and bake is a strategy in double pickleball. And this is mostly popular among the much more aggressive and stylish pickleball players. This strategy is executed in double pickleball when one partner of the serving team perfectly drives the third shot while the second partner runs to crash the pickleball net. The second partner who runs to the pickleball net is genuinely trying to put away the fifth shot when the opposite team pops the drive up in the air.

This phenomenon is very effective for pickleball players with fast footwork and great drives. This can put great pressure on the opposite team. The best shake and bake on the pickleball is executed then some of these points keep in your mind.

• Hit a quality third shot that is low over the pickleball net.
• You have a great and strongest placement of the third shot.
• You can move your feet to crash the pickleball net.
• It is very important to set up the right partner.

Properly communicate with your partner because it is very crucial when you execute a shake and bake.

What are the aggressive shake and bake shots?

The shake and bake is one of the important shots in pickleball because the player is very aggressive in it. So the key is to hit a third shot drive in the middle and confuse your opponents. They are going to pop it up and then you crush them. So that is the aggressive shake and bake.

What is a pickleball drop shot?

This difficult shot is hitting from deep within the court. It is a very soft shot that is usually played off the bounce to directly land in your opposite player’s kitchen or non-volley zone. This is a very challenging shot for all the new pickleball players. It takes great and top level of skills to maintain the accuracy and that perfectly makes this a winning shot of the match. This advanced and critical shot is also called the third shot drop.

When you properly command on this shot then it will allow you to follow the shot into the net. So put great pressure on your opposite players and then put yourself in the best position for that shot that comes from your opposite players.

Every player knows that the third shot drop is a very difficult shot to master. It takes many days to seek the tricks of the best third shot drop in every way like the back court and all the areas of the kitchen. You can also great command to execute the drop best on both your backhand and forehand side. So if you want to execute the great drop shot you softly turn your shoulders toward those side which you want to hit the ball. Now properly set your paddle according to your shot and hit the ball. There are some important things to keep in mind when you execute a great drop shot.

Always make sure that the pickleball reaches the apex of its flight trajectory before the ball crosses the net.

• The ball should always be descending and it also crosses over the net.
• The ball bounced perfectly just near the opponent non- volley zone.
• The ball always makes a low contact point for your opposite player so it is very difficult to attack.

What are the basics of drop shots?

The drop shot in pickleball is a gentle, strategic move usually made after the ball bounces from deep in the court. Its aim is to land softly in the opponent’s non-volley zone near the net. This shot, often the third shot, gives the serving team a chance to advance to the net. It’s tricky to master, but key to this shot is to face the net and softly hit the ball underhand just in front of your body, aiming for the opponent’s feet. After hitting, move towards the net for better position.

How to aim pickleball shots?

When you aim a shot you must have a 5 foot distance from the baseline and also one foot from the center line. The placement is much more important than speed. So hit the ball harder or softer just according to your need. Its totally depend on where the players are at the court. When your opposite player is deep and just aim for one foot behind the feet on their backside only. And when all the four players are on the net then just aim for the dominant hand. So this situation jam them and make much difficult to return. The main point of this shot is accuracy so always hit the ball gently.

What’s the most critical pickleball shot?

The most critical pickleball shot is drop shot which is also called third shot drop. It needs a smooth and soft touch with some enough spin to just keep the ball very low to the net. So it means that the ball drops in the opposite player’s kitchen. This shot is very difficult because you need great control and accuracy to perform it perfectly. It’s extremely tactical because it needs wonderful judgment and also the best court awareness.

Do you struggle with paddle angle?

The paddle angle is a fundamental aspect of pickleball that can greatly impact your game. The paddle angles greatly affect the clearance of the net, direction of the ball and generation of spin. When you are catching airborne balls the players must visualize their paddle that is lying flat on the table to settle the suitable angle for creating a lifting motion and also the forward momentum. The paddle tip must come around and through the ball for all the side hits. On the other hand the angle on the follow-through properly discovers the direction of the ball.

The pickleball players must let their paddles to just finish the shot instead of too early pulling off, and also avert the pop-ups. The angle of the paddle greatly affects the engagement of different body parts also.

What are the pro tips to improve your pickleball shots?

You can improve your pickleball game with different pickleball techniques and tips that the pro players use.

• Hit the serve and return deep
• Serve and stay or return and run in
• Just keep your paddle up
• Consider your contact point
• Don’t afraid of the kitchen
• Keep volley swings compact
• Must invest in quality gear
• Must use loose grip for a smooth and soft shot

If you are a previous tennis player then properly adjusting to the bounce serve can be difficult. That’s why, the technique to keep the ball in deep condition before its approach to the kitchen is just similar on the pickleball court. This is a very crucial technique. So when you hit a deep serve then it makes it much more challenging for your opposite players to just get to the kitchen after returning. It helps you to make your third shot much more easy when the opponent sends back the ball short.

The first two shots of any point in pickleball always need to bounce. That’s why this is very crucial to assure that you are just staying back with your own game partner after you serve. But on the other hand, when you come back then you just want to try to get to the kitchen very fastly to join your partner quickly who is already in the kitchen.

 The versatility in your game and also maintaining a ready position will completely allow you to hit different shots. And it totally depends on how your opposite player returns the ball. You just keep your pickleball paddle up and also ready. So you are always ready with your paddle up in between every shot. That’s why I suggest being fully ready for the very quick shot as compared to the slow shot. This is also very crucial to keep your knees bent and the feet moving so you are properly ready to rush to get the ball.

If you want to optimize your shot than you must get behind the ball and also keep contact point just in front of your whole body. Always completely make sure that your contact point is just in front of your body. Because it mainly affects the standard of the shot you hit perfectly.

It is very important for pickleball that you must keep in mind all the rules of the kitchen. So always make sure that you can perfectly hit the balls without letting them bounce. For that time your feet are just behind the kitchen line.

It is very alluring to try to put a ball away by the use of a smash or big follow-through on a volley. It is very simple to fall into the trap of completely trusting that if you have a long swing it generates great power on your volleys. The trick which actually generates power is your great ability to hit the sweet spot of your paddle. It is very much easy  to do if all your swings are best  and also short.

It is very important to purchase pickleball equipment and these things are very necessary for pickleball game. And also the pickleball shoes are best for great performance and safety. Some of the pickleball players wear running shoes when it comes to having the right gear. So the most common and ordinary mistake is that the player’s wearing running shoes on the court. This is incorrect because the running shoes are not manufactured for lateral movements. So always wear pickleball court shoes than you can properly focus on your game.

The grip has much significance in pickleball because it can totally change the base of the shot you just want to hit. If you are trying to hit soft in pickleball then you must have a loose grip.

Here are some pickleball tips of pickleball that the pro players used.

Conclusion

In this wonderful and informative blog we describe all about pickleball shots and types. The three basic strokes are fully explained. The number of shots also increases your knowledge. The pickleball techniques and playing tips should properly help you to enhance your basic knowledge about pickleball paddle shots. You must enjoy reading this blog because the fact is that  if you never know the pickleball game but when you read this blog you just play the game properly.

FAQs

What shot in pickleball is typically the most powerful and most accurate shot used near the baseline?

The forehand groundstroke is the most powerful and most accurate shot in pickleball.

What is the 2 bounce rule?

When the player serves the ball then the opposite team must let it bounce before coming back. And the serving team also let it bounce before returning.

Can you hit a ball twice in pickleball?

There is a unique rule in pickleball for double hits. You can hit the ball twice but it just happens during unintentional, single direction and continues stroke by only one player.

What is the kitchen in pickleball?

The seven step zone on every side of the net is called the non-volley zone. It is also commonly called the kitchen.

How do you aim better in pickleball?

The aim is that when you perfectly hit the ball with the middle part of the paddle.  It is also called the sweet spot.

What is pickleball scoring called?

The pickleball score sequence is like, receiver score, server score and in doubles just the server number one and two. When the pickleball match started the score was zero, zero, two.

What is an illegal serve in pickleball?

The illegal serve in pickleball occurs when you don’t serve cross-court.

What is the most common injury in pickleball?

The most common pickleball injuries are muscle strains, knee sprains and also meniscal injuries.