The Pickleball Improvement Secret Nobody Talks About

As a coach who has helped improve players from very young children to seniors, players who have gone through many physical changes, and even players competing on the professional tour, I have noticed there are some common denominators in how all of them got better.

You might think there is some secret sauce to improving quickly in pickleball, but I don’t believe that is true.

The secret weapon is actually each player themselves.

Every player is different. We all move differently, think differently, learn differently, and have different strengths and weaknesses. That is exactly what makes each player unique.

One of the biggest mistakes, in my opinion, is trying to make every player play the same way.

Let me explain in more detail.

The Player’s Skill Set

You know when you see someone who seems very athletic, moves fast, and has an easy time executing many pickleball shots even though they only started playing recently? You might wonder, how come I cannot execute the same shots as well?

The answer is simple. It comes back to all of the experiences you have had in your life up to this moment.

What sports did you play when you were younger or later in life? How good is your hand-eye coordination? How well do you see the ball? How quickly can you move? How good is your balance? There are many different things involved in a player’s skill set.

Someone who played tennis for 20 years will probably pick up certain pickleball shots much faster than someone who has never played a racket sport. Another player might have amazing hands from playing volleyball, table tennis, baseball, or another sport.

That does not mean one player will always be better than another. It simply means they are starting with different tools.

The key is to focus on your own skill set and maximize what you can actually do instead of focusing on what you think you should be able to do.

Just because you have seen a certain shot on YouTube does not mean that shot automatically becomes part of your skill set. You still have to work on it, practice it, and develop it. Even then, your current skill set might not allow you to execute that shot the same way as the player you watched.

That does not mean you cannot improve. It simply means you have to understand where you are right now and build your game from there.

Build Your Game Around Your Strengths

Even if you are a beginner, you’re usually already better at one shot than others.

For example, you might love hitting a put-away volley as hard as you can. You might be very good at blocking volleys, have great feel when dinking, hit an amazing lob, or maybe you already have a strong forehand drive.

You need to recognize what you already do well and build on it.

Don’t focus on learning every shot you think you should be able to execute. Instead, focus on building your game one piece of the puzzle at a time.

By improving your strengths, you will also build confidence in your game. You always want to have at least one shot you know you can count on when you need it.

When you improve the shots you already feel comfortable hitting, your confidence grows, your game becomes more consistent, and you will probably enjoy playing much more as well.

Once you have something you can rely on, then you can slowly start adding more pieces to your game.

The Secret to Improving One Shot at a Time

Once you know which shot you want to improve, the next step is understanding that there is not always only one way to execute it.

One of the things that I believe not enough pickleball coaches talk about is that different players might find slightly different ways to produce the same result.

For example, one player might become very good at placing the ball into the corner of the kitchen. Another player might naturally hit a deep ball through the middle close to the baseline. Someone else might have an amazing high lob they can use whenever they need it.

The most important thing is understanding that the way you hit a shot might not look exactly the same as the way your friend hits it, or even the way someone teaches it in a YouTube video.

Your body, movement, timing, grip, experience, and feel for the ball are all different.

Of course, there are fundamentals that matter. You still need control, balance, good contact, and a motion that you can repeat without hurting yourself. But within those fundamentals, there can be room for your own way of executing the shot.

The goal should not always be to make your shot look exactly like someone else’s.

The goal is to find a way that allows you to execute the shot consistently and place the ball where you want it to go.

How Do I Know This Is the Right Way for Me?

When you are able to hit a shot to a specific spot over and over again, you might still not feel completely comfortable with how you are hitting it.

Maybe you slightly adjusted your grip, transferred your weight more toward the ball, changed your contact point, or started holding the paddle much looser than usual.

But if the result is the one you want, pay attention to that.

The technique might feel awkward at first simply because it is different from what you are used to doing. If you are getting the result you want consistently, give yourself some time to get comfortable with it instead of immediately going back to your old way.

Sometimes finding the right way for you takes time.

You might need to slowly adjust the stroke, test different grips, change your contact point, or experiment with how you move your body until something finally clicks.

When you find something that gives you the result you want consistently, feels repeatable, and does not cause pain or unnecessary stress on your body, you might have found your way of hitting that shot.

That is when the shot starts becoming yours.

What If I’m Stuck and My Game Isn’t Improving?

If you are trying to improve by playing with your friends but feel like you are stuck, start by asking the players around you who have improved a lot.

Ask them what helped them. What did they change? Did they practice differently? Did somebody help them?

Sometimes hiring a pickleball coach can help.

I say sometimes because not everyone who calls themselves a coach is necessarily the right coach for you.

A good coach should help you understand your game, recognize what you already do well, identify what is holding you back, and give you something you can actually use.

If you are taking lessons for a long time but you are not seeing any improvement or getting the results you want, you should ask yourself whether that coaching is really helping you.

You should also pay close attention to what happens during practice.

If you are able to execute a shot during a lesson or practice session but cannot execute the same shot during a real game, then your technique might not be the biggest problem anymore.

The problem might be confidence, nerves, decision-making, timing, or your ability to execute the shot when there is pressure.

That is a completely different problem.

Luckily, there are ways to build confidence and learn how to execute those same shots during a real game.

How to Play Well in a Real Game

How often do you feel like your practice session is amazing, or at least pretty good, compared to how you play in a real game?

The reason can be simpler than you think.

Nerves, pressure, the score, your opponents, your partner, and the conditions of the game can all play a role.

When you are playing a real game, start by focusing on the shots you already know you feel comfortable hitting instead of trying some crazy shot you saw on TV or YouTube.

By starting with the shots you already trust, your consistency can improve and your confidence can start growing as the game goes on.

You should also focus on the things you can actually control.

You can control your own game. You can control your shot selection, your effort, your positioning, your attitude, and how you react after making a mistake.

You cannot control how well, or not so well, your partner is playing.

Spending too much time thinking about your partner’s mistakes usually takes attention away from your own game. Instead, stay focused on what you can do to help your team play better.

The same goes for your opponents. You cannot control whether they are having the best game of their life. You can only control what you do with the next ball.

Focus on the things you know you can do well instead of the things you think you should be able to do well.

That small change in mindset can make a huge difference in how you play under pressure.

The Real Secret to Getting Better at Pickleball

The real secret to improving your pickleball game is not finding some magical drill or copying exactly what the best player in the world is doing.

It is understanding yourself as a player.

Know what you are good at. Know what you are not good at yet. Build around your strengths. Improve one piece of your game at a time. Find techniques that produce consistent results for you, and then learn how to trust those shots when the pressure is on.

Your pickleball game does not have to look exactly like someone else’s game.

It has to work for you.

That is what makes every player different, and in my opinion, that is also what makes the process of getting better so interesting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest way to improve at pickleball?

Start by identifying one or two areas that will make the biggest difference in your game. Do not try to improve everything at once. Work on one specific shot or situation until you become more comfortable and consistent with it, then move on to the next piece.

Should I copy professional pickleball players?

You can absolutely learn from professional players, but you should not expect to copy every shot exactly. Their athletic ability, experience, movement, timing, and skill set might be completely different from yours. Take ideas from them, but find a way to make those ideas work within your own game.

Should I work on my strengths or my weaknesses?

You need both, but I like building confidence by developing the things you already do well. Having a few shots you can trust gives you something to rely on during games. You can then slowly improve your weaknesses without feeling like your entire game needs to change at once.

Why can I hit a shot during practice but not during a game?

Practice usually has much less pressure. During a game you are thinking about the score, your opponents, your partner, and whether you are going to make a mistake. Start using the shot in lower-pressure situations and gradually learn to trust it during competition.

How do I know if a pickleball coach is helping me?

You should be able to understand what you are working on and why you are working on it. Over time, you should also see some improvement in your consistency, confidence, shot selection, or overall understanding of the game. A coach should be helping you build your game, not simply asking you to copy theirs.

Do I need to learn every pickleball shot?

No. You should understand the different shots in pickleball, but you do not have to master everything at the same time. Build your game one piece at a time and develop shots you can actually trust during a real game.

How long does it take to get better at pickleball?

That is different for every player. Your athletic background, age, movement, practice habits, experience, and how often you play can all affect how quickly you improve. Instead of comparing yourself to somebody else, focus on whether your own game is moving in the right direction.

Improve Your Game With Hawaii Pickleball Academy®

At Hawaii Pickleball Academy®, this is exactly how we look at player development.

We do not believe every player needs to play exactly the same way.

The goal is to understand your current skill set, identify what you already do well, figure out what is holding you back, and help you build a game that works for you.

Whether you are a beginner trying to become more consistent, an experienced player who feels stuck, or a competitive player looking for another level, the goal is the same:

Build on what you have, improve one piece at a time, and create a game you can trust when it matters.

If you feel stuck even though you play often, read why you may not be improving at pickleball. If movement is the main limitation, start with our pickleball footwork guide.