​Getting to the next level, whether 3.0, 3.5, or higher, isn't easy. The answer is practice, of course, but just getting out to the court every day isn't enough. You must practice with a goal in mind, and you must know HOW to practice to achieve that goal.
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 One "simple" way to get better is to concentrate on the skills that are missing from the level above your current level (based on these criteria as noted by the USAPA). ​

Let's say You haven't been playing pickleball that long and you want to get to be a 4.5 player. What do you need to do? What are the major differences between 3.0 and 4.5?

The table below (info from the USAPA website) lists these definitions:

I highlighted the two items in the table that popped out at me most often: CONSISTENCY and STRATEGY. Other elements are important, of course, but by the time a player has achieved 3.0-level skills, he or she knows how to do a lot of things—just not how to do them well, or consistently. What that player doesn't really know yet is the strategy that goes along with what is known: when to hit a dink instead of a drive, when to break out of dinking, and so on. That's the strategy bit, and learning is not all—it's also being able to know how to do it automatically and not have to think about it.

If you've read my posts before, you know I stress PRACTICE, and not just aimless hitting back and forth over the net. It's important to have a goal—one that's reachable and measured. Like consistently hitting that forehand that sometimes goes out of bounds or into the net.

Get a friend to work with you (or better yet, take classes) and make sure 1) you're doing the stroke correctly before you continue to learn it wrong; 2) concentrate your focus not on everything about that shot but rather small parts of it: hitting it at about the same height and to roughly the same spot on the court.

Once you have mastered that, move the shot to other areas. When that's easy, work on your backhand and do the same thing. All of this takes time, but if you do this practice consistently (couldn't resist putting that in), your game will improve.

Take things slowly and methodically, knowing it took a while to get from novice to 3.0. With patience and some help from your friends, you'll get there.

If you've had an opportunity to watch a tournament and saw stacking in action, you may have wondered why the players were moving around the court, standing together, or standing outside the court completely. If you're curious about stacking and how and when to incorporate it into your game, read on.

Stacking is used during tournament play to exploit a team's strength and minimize its weakness. The technique increases the number of times a person plays on the right (even) or left (odd) side of the court.

According to the rules, the non-serving partner or the receiver's partner may stand in any position (even off the court), as long as they stay on their side of the net. Therefore, both team members may stand inside their service court, and partner of the person receiving the serve may stand outside the court at the time of the serve. 

Some examples may help explain how and why stacking works, and why you might want to try it.

3) When receiving. The players in example 1 above are receiving the serve. Judy is the receiver, and John would normally be up at the non-volley-zone line in the left court. However, since John would rather be on the right, he stands outside the sideline, just behind the non-volley zone line on the right. ​After Judy returns the service, John moves in, and Judy rushes to the non-volley-zone line on the left.

Stacking isn't something you must do, but it can help your team play better and more consistently. You can choose to stack during only a portion of the game. Stacking can confuse your opponents and is sometimes good as a way to change things up. 

If you understand what stacking is and how your team (and your opponents) can use it, you'll have an advantage over those who don't.

​Happy stacking!

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