9 Beginner Pickleball Mistakes (and How to Fix Each One)

Watch any beginner court and you'll see the same errors on repeat. The good news: each one has a simple fix.

1. Camping in "no-man's land"

The mid-court is where hard balls land at your feet. Either stay back at the baseline or move all the way up to the kitchen line — don't loiter in between.

2. Hitting everything hard

Power feels good but hands you errors. The best players hit soft shots ~70% of the time. Learn the third-shot drop and watch your win rate climb.

3. Ignoring the two-bounce rule

Volleying the return of serve is the classic beginner fault. Stay back until both bounces happen — the two-bounce rule is non-negotiable.

4. Popping up dinks

Reaching and stabbing at dinks sends the ball high — free points for opponents. Bend your knees, take the ball in front, and lift gently. More in our dinking guide.

5. Serving too aggressively

Your serve just needs to be deep and in. Missed serves are the only free points you can give away without your opponent touching the ball.

6. Standing flat-footed at the kitchen

Stay in a ready position — paddle up, knees bent, weight forward. The fast volley exchange is lost before it starts if your paddle is at your waist.

7. Backing up for lobs incorrectly

Never backpedal (it's how ankles get hurt). Turn, run back, then re-set.

8. Blaming the paddle... or ignoring it

A wobbly, tiny-sweet-spot paddle genuinely makes learning harder. You don't need ten paddles — you need one good one. A mid-weight 16 mm paddle like the DYSSC HexCore Pro is forgiving on mishits and stable on volleys.

9. Only playing games

Games are fun; drills build skill. Steal 20 minutes for these drills and improvement compounds fast.