How to Beat Anyone at Pickleball: The Ultimate Strategy Guide
Whether you’re playing for fun at your local club or competing in tournaments, winning consistently requires more than just hitting the ball hard. If you want to dominate your opponents and win more games, you need a smart strategy, tactical shot placement, and court awareness.
In this ultimate guide, we’ll break down proven strategies that can help you beat anyone at pickleball, whether they’re a beginner, intermediate, or an advanced player.
🔹 The Mindset of a Winning Pickleball Player
Before we dive into techniques, let’s start with the winning mindset. The best pickleball players don’t just rely on physical skills—they play smarter, stay patient, and force their opponents into mistakes.
Winning Mindset Tips:
✔ Be patient – Pickleball is not about rushing points but forcing errors.
✔ Stay positive – Losing a point doesn’t mean losing the game; adjust and adapt.
✔ Analyze your opponent – Identify their weaknesses and exploit them.
✔ Control the pace – You dictate the tempo, not your opponent.
🔥 Pro Tip: Winning at pickleball is 80% strategy and 20% power!
1️⃣ Master the Third Shot Drop – The Most Important Shot in Pickleball
The third shot drop is the most important offensive shot in pickleball. This soft shot lands in the opponent’s kitchen, forcing them to hit up, and allowing you to move to the net—where most points are won.
How to Hit a Perfect Third Shot Drop:
✅ Use a loose grip to keep the shot soft.
✅ Hit the ball with a gentle arc, landing it in the kitchen.
✅ Follow through towards the target to maintain accuracy.
✅ Aim for your opponent’s feet to limit their attack options.
🔥 Pro Tip: If you hit a bad third shot drop, stay back! Don’t rush the net unless it’s well executed.
2️⃣ Dominate the Kitchen Line – The #1 Position to Win Games
Winning at pickleball is all about controlling the Non-Volley Zone (NVZ), aka the kitchen. If you let your opponents hold the kitchen line while you stay back, you’ll lose every time.
How to Take Control of the Kitchen:
✅ Move up to the net as soon as possible after your third shot.
✅ Keep your paddle up and ready to block fast volleys.
✅ Dink patiently and wait for your opponent to make a mistake.
✅ Never step into the kitchen on a volley—it’s an instant fault.
🔥 Pro Tip: The team that controls the kitchen wins 80% of the time.
3️⃣ Attack Your Opponent’s Weaknesses
Winning is all about strategy. You don’t have to hit the ball harder than your opponent—you just have to be smarter.
How to Identify & Exploit Weaknesses:
🎯 Target their backhand – Most players struggle with their backhand shots.
🎯 Make them move – Hit deep, then drop a dink to force them forward.
🎯 Test their reaction speed – If they’re slow, use quick volleys and fast exchanges.
🎯 Use spin and angles – Mix in topspin, slice, and crosscourt dinks to keep them guessing.
🔥 Pro Tip: If your opponent is tall, hit low dinks. If they’re short, lob over their head!
4️⃣ Master the Art of Dinking – The Ultimate Control Shot
Dinking is not just a defensive shot—it’s a way to set up winning points. If you can out-dink your opponent, you can force errors and take control of the game.
How to Become a Dink Master:
✅ Keep the ball low – Never give your opponent an attackable shot.
✅ Aim for crosscourt dinks – They give you more margin for error.
✅ Vary your dinks – Mix in short dinks, deep dinks, and angled dinks.
✅ Use soft hands – Hold the paddle loosely to absorb impact.
🔥 Pro Tip: If your opponent is dinking well, keep them dinking longer until they crack!
5️⃣ Use the Drop Shot & Lob to Keep Opponents Off-Balance
Two of the most underrated pickleball shots are the drop shot and the lob.
Drop Shot – When to Use It
✔ When your opponent is deep in the court.
✔ To bring them forward and disrupt their positioning.
✔ To set up an easy put-away at the net.
Lob Shot – When to Use It
✔ When your opponent is standing too close to the kitchen.
✔ When playing against slower players who struggle to move backward.
✔ As a defensive shot to reset a rally.
🔥 Pro Tip: Use a topspin lob instead of a high lob to make it harder to smash!
6️⃣ Play Smart in Doubles – Work as a Team
Winning in doubles pickleball requires teamwork and communication. If you and your partner don’t move together, you’ll leave huge gaps on the court.
Winning Doubles Strategies:
✅ Move as a unit – If your partner moves left, shift with them.
✅ Cover the middle – Most shots land down the centre of the court.
✅ Call your shots – Avoid confusion by saying “Mine!” or “Yours!”.
✅ Stacking Strategy – Keep your strongest player’s forehand in the middle.
🔥 Pro Tip: If you and your partner keep hitting the same ball, you’re not communicating enough!
7️⃣ Stay Consistent & Limit Unforced Errors
The #1 reason players lose games is because they make too many unforced errors. If you simply keep the ball in play longer, you will win more matches.
How to Reduce Errors:
✔ Play high-percentage shots—avoid unnecessary risks.
✔ Keep the ball low—high balls get smashed.
✔ Control your serve placement—don’t serve too deep or wide.
✔ Stay calm under pressure—the more consistent player usually wins.
🔥 Pro Tip: Let your opponent make mistakes instead of trying to force winners.
Final Thoughts – How to Beat Anyone at Pickleball
Winning at pickleball is not about power—it’s about strategy. If you master shot placement, positioning, and patience, you will beat stronger and faster opponents every time.
Key Takeaways:
✅ Master the third shot drop – It’s the key to moving up to the net.
✅ Dominate the kitchen line – The team that holds the net, wins.
✅ Attack your opponent’s weaknesses – Force them into mistakes.
✅ Out-dink your opponents – Control the rally and dictate the pace.
✅ Use lobs and drop shots – Keep them off balance.
✅ Communicate in doubles – Play as a team, move together.
✅ Stay consistent – Unforced errors lose games.
If you implement these winning strategies, you will dominate your opponents and win more matches—whether you’re playing at your local club or in UK pickleball tournaments.
