Are you new to pickleball and looking to improve quickly?
While many beginners focus on learning rules and basic shots, understanding the fundamental mechanics will accelerate your progress dramatically.
Here are my eight essential beginner pickleball tips, based on science, tol help you develop your technique from day one.
1. Don't Try to Muscle the Ball
Many beginners make the mistake of swinging hard with their arm to generate power.
Instead, understand that real power comes from proper body rotation and technique.
The Paddlespeed approach teaches that your body's rotation creates a natural multiplier effect—for every inch your hip moves, your paddle moves a foot!
This 1:12 multiplier means you can generate tremendous paddle speed without straining. We teach you how to capture and unleash that energy through the Four steps.
2. Wait For the Ball (Like You're Going to Catch It)
Patience is crucial in pickleball.
Don't start your forward motion too early. Instead, get into position, coil your body to store energy, and wait until the right moment to unleash your speed.
This timing allows you to meet the ball at the optimal point and apply maximum controlled power.
My catchphrase?
“Don’t hit it til you have it.”
3. Plant Your Feet to Coil
Your body needs a stable foundation to create proper rotation and torque. Before striking the ball, ensure your feet are firmly planted.
This allows you to coil effectively against the ground, storing up energy through through coiling your shoulders, core, hips,legs and ankles.
Let your body bring the arm back
Instead of consciously pulling your arm back, let your body rotation naturally position your arm.
When you coil by rotating your shoulders and torso, your arm will naturally fall into the perfect backswing position. This creates a more consistent, powerful stroke with less effort.
4. Keep Your Arm Relaxed
Tension in your arm and wrist restricts the natural transfer of energy. Think of your arm and paddle as a whip—the wrist needs to be loose to create that final acceleration.
A relaxed arm and wrist allows for the natural "whip" effect when transferring energy from your body to the paddle.
5. Prepare to Swing Like You're Going to Catch the Ball
A simple visualization technique is to position yourself as if you were going to catch the ball with your hand.
This naturally puts you in the optimal position to strike the ball, with your body balanced and ready to transfer energy efficiently.
6. Master the Ready Position (AKA the “Horseman Stance”)
The ideal ready position at the kitchen line is what I call the "horseman stance"—stand with your head over your shoulders, spine over hips, and weight balanced with stomach in and butt down.
This stance provides optimal stability and mobility, allowing you to react quickly in any direction.
7. Focus on Transferring Momentum Through Your Body
Understand that generating power comes from a chain reaction through your body.
Start by coiling your body from top to bottom, storing energy against the ground.
When you initiate your strike, that energy transfers sequentially through your legs, hips, core, shoulders, arm, and finally to your paddle—much like a cracking whip.
8. Remember "Coil up Tight, Ready to Strike"
This simple catchphrase encapsulates the foundation of proper stroke preparation.
Coil your body to store energy, stay balanced and patient, then unleash that stored energy through your kinetic chain when the time is right.
By focusing on these fundamental principles rather than just hitting repetitions, beginners can develop proper technique from the start and avoid building bad habits.
The science of paddle speed applies to every shot in pickleball, from serves and returns to dinks and volleys.
Master all 4 concepts of the Paddlespeed program early, and you'll progress faster than players who simply focus on hitting the ball without understanding the mechanics behind it.
