When playing competitive pickleball, you want to make things hard for your opponents. Too often, though, we play into their hands, giving them advantages without meaning to.

Advantage #1: Allowing your oppo-nents to take position at the net.
When you're serving, your opponents already have the advantage since one of them starts at the non-volley zone line. Then a few years ago, the "third shot drop shot rule" came into favor. The thought was that using the softer, slower drop shot would allow you and your partner to move up from the baseline (where you were stuck as servers because of the double bounce rule) and get to the net. 

That made sense—but returning a drop shot also allows your opponent in the back court to run up to the non-volley zone. That's not what you want. 

The net position affords many advantages. At the net:

• you can reach a greater number of shots without moving very far;
• you can return balls faster and with more momentum;
• you can target positions on the court with better accuracy;
• your opponents can't target your feet;
  and the greatest reason is . . .
• you can hit DOWN.​

[For in-depth information, read my post, "Get Thee to the Non-Volley Zone Line!]
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​Advantage #2: ​Hitting the ball in an upward arc within the opponent's reach.
The farther you are from the non-volley zone line, the more you must angle the ball up to get it over the net. Any ball traveling in an upward arc is ripe for a put-away smash that may be hard or impossible for you to return. One of the hardest things for me as a new player was to keep the ball low over the net. 

If you have to bend to retrieve a shot or otherwise return an upward-moving ball, return a soft shot: drop shot, dink, or lob. Which you chose depends on where you are on the court and other conditions. From the back or mid court, choose the drop shot. When at the net, dink. A lob over your opponents' heads can sometimes be beneficial as it sends at least one opponent back and may give you time to move up to the NVZ.

Advantage #3: Playing offense more than defense.
More points are won in pickleball by playing a good defense than a good offense.

• Keeping the ball in play is foremost. If you can do only that, you will win every point, because eventually your opponent will fault. You don't need to make fancy corner shots or hard line drives. Just keep the ball in the court and don't fault.
• Think ahead. Consider what your opponents will do next and prepare for it. Watch their eyes and body angles, as those will help you know where they're aiming their shot.
• Study strategies so you'll know automatically which shot to make in each situation and how to counter your opponents' tactics. 

It's up to you to make your opponents' game difficult. Be tough!

One of the hardest things for new players to do is get to the non-volley zone (NVZ) line safely when they are serving. When playing doubles, both serving players begin in the backcourt. This gives the opponents an immediate advantage since one of them starts at the NVZ and the other can run up, while you must wait due to the second-bounce rule. Then they usually hit balls long and hard, forcing you remain back.
 
Being as close to the net as possible provides a huge advantage. You don’t have to move as far to hit a ball, as shown in the diagram above: the woman at the net has much less distance to traverse to return the man's shot when she's at the NVZ. You’re also able to hit balls to the back court more easily and safely because you need less power and the angles are better. Finally, from the NVZ you can dink.

But how do you get there safely?

Current wisdom says your third shot should be a drop shot into the NVZ just over the net. Some players ask why, since you'd be inviting the opponent who's in the back court to run up to the NVZ. As I said earlier, chances are she's already done that, and the drop shot allows you time to move up, too. It also softens the game, making it nearly impossible for your opponents to hit a hard drive your way. When executed well, the ball lands low and soft, and your opponents must return the ball softly to make it over the net.

Executing drop shots and dinks well and consistently requires practice. Lots of it. But that practice pays off when you can remove the opponents' advantage and level the play. 

The other thing new players find difficult is to stand right behind the NVZ line with toes almost touching it. They lag back in midcourt or a few feet from the line because they're afraid they might step into the NVZ and volley. With practice, that doesn't happen often, and knowing where the NVZ is becomes a sixth sense. The main reason to stand close to the line is that your opponents can't target your feet. The height of the net makes that impossible when you're close to the line. Stand farther back and your shoes are perfect targets.

​When you are forced into the back court (by a lob, for example) during a rally and your opponents are at the net, you can turn to the drop shot again. Your hit has to be soft enough to bounce low, giving you time to run up again, and to prevent them from slamming the ball back. If you don't feel competent with the drop shot, a lob will also work.

When I watch high-level pickleball, I notice two things: the players plan and execute shots that seem effortless, and those shots land where they want them to. Their play seems effortless because they’ve practiced long and well (or else they’re naturally great players—some folks have that advantage). They’ve learned what shots work well in various circumstances, and they’ve learned the elements of good ball control and placement.
 
Mastering ball placement is critical for attaining higher levels in pickleball play. What factors determine where your ball will land?
 
1) The angle of your paddle (up and down & left and right)
2) The angle of your swing (up and down & left and right)
3) Your wrist movement, if any
4) The power behind your hit
5) Spin
 
Before you concentrate on ball placement, though, you must first consider how you contact the ball. Focus your attention and skills (such as good footwork and proper form with your stroke) to the contact of the ball. Only after this focus on ball contact should you consider how you place it on the court.
 
Take time to get into position early enough to take a proper backswing before hitting the ball. If that means halting in mid-court, so be it. Stop, prepare your swing, and focus on contacting the ball. Many players say you should think about “swinging through the ball,” as this makes 

In my last tip, I explained why you want to rush to the non-volley-zone (NVZ) line: you are able to cover the court with far less movement. Other reasons are the additional power afforded to hard shots by the shorter distance, being able to target spots close to the net with more accuracy and ease, and the quick response time needed by your opponents to return your net volleys. (Of course, you need good reflexes to hit theirs, too.)

If you are serving, your team is at a disadvantage from the start. One of your opponents is already at the NVZ line, and the opponent receiving your serve will likely hit a long, relatively slow return shot that will provide enough time for them to rush to the net. You can't do anything about that, because you and your partner must remain in the back court to let the ball bounce (because of the "double-bounce" rule). 

Assuming your opponent returns the ball deep to center court, your best shot would be one that will give your team time to rush the net safely. Most players and coaches recommend you make a drop shot (some call this a dink) just over the net into the NVZ. This is a tough shot, as those who deliver the ball too far back in the court or into the net will tell you. This is considered the best shot, however, because 1) your opponents are already at the net, or they're on the way; 2) it is slower and softer, and because it drops in the NVZ, your opponents must let the ball bounce, allowing you time to get to your NVZ; and 3) it has a higher percentage of success than a hard shot against opponents who are ready to volley the ball back.

Discuss this tactic ahead of time, so your partner will know when to move with you. If your shot goes too deep, and you can't get to the NVZ in time, you and your partner must STOP and assume the ready position the moment your opponent hits the ball. Make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart and your paddle points toward the ball. You won't be in a good position, but you'll be ready to make the best of whatever comes your way.

If you've played much pickleball, you know it's important to move up to the non-volley zone (NVZ) line as soon as it's safe to do so--that is, when you believe you'll have enough time to get to the NVZ line and not be caught in midcourt with a ball aimed at your feet or a drive headed to the backcourt that you won't be able to reach. 

In the example above, John served to Mary, who returned a deep shot down the middle. John is about to return the ball. As shown by the lines with arrowheads, if John hits a hard drive to Mary at the baseline, she must guard all 10 feet on her side of the court. If John tries to send a long drive past Sue at the  NVZ line, she must only guard 7-1/2 feet on the inside of her court. Why? Because John can't aim any wider on a drive shot and keep the ball in bounds. (We'll talk about what happens if John hits a soft shot later on.)

What this means is that you shouldn't necessarily stand in the center of your court at the non-volley zone line. Let's concentrate on Sue in the picture above. She's standing where she can reach the drive shots most easily: smack in the center of that 7-1/2 feet. (If Sue were right-handed instead of left and her backhand was weaker, she might move a little to the left.)

Now, what happens if John hits a drop shot — a softer shot that lands just over the net — to Sue and it lands way over on the right inside the NVZ?  It's not a problem, because the shot is much slower and Sue will have plenty of time to get to it from her position.

When you're playing a soft game — dinking back and forth across the net — the best position is shown by Sue, above. Because she's left-handed, she's standing slightly to the right of center. This allows her to move left to cover the center and also reach more easily with her backhand a diagonal dink toward the outside.