Training Notes 2.0- 4.0
2.0 Skill Level Training Notes
Skills taught in beginner are: serving, forehand, backhand and dinking
Goal: Keep the ball in the court/play.
Things to Emphasize:
• Serving – step like a bowling motion as head stays down watching the ball, reach for the
target
• Ground stroke techniques
o Turn sideways as soon as you determine forehand or backhand
o Step with front foot towards your target
o Contact out in front, near front foot
o Angle of paddle at contact determines flight of ball
o LiIf ball over the net, remembering to bend knees
• Dinking – behind the ball, move feet (don’t reach) liIf with legs and push from the
shoulder, wrist and elbow are quiet (do not move them)
Also work on – scoring, safety, rules and court position
2.5 Skill Level Training Notes
Skills added are: return of serve, moving to non-volley/kitchen line, volley
Goal: Keep the ball in the court/play and start to see that points are won from the non-volley
zone, from the back you just stay in the point.
Things to Emphasize:
• Return of serve – ready positon, use ground stroke techniques to hit deep
• Move to the non-volley zone/kitchen line – move forward while the ball is traveling to
the opponent (stop when opponent hits the ball and teach split stop technique)
• Volley – ready positon, no back swing and contact out in front with a firm wrist, block if
hard shot, punch if soft shot
Also work on – scoring, safety, rules and court position
3.0 Skill Level Training Notes
Skills added are: lobs, 3rd shot drops, and overhead smash. Become aware of your partner and
the opponents posiDon on the court.
Goal: Keep the ball in the court/play and start to be more aware of openings on the court and
place the ball where your opponent is not! Hit the ball at opponents feet.
Things to Emphasize:
• Third shot is the same as a dink except for further back positon, paddle hand is locked
with a firm wrist, bend knees, liI the ball and paddle face is parallel to the ground. Keep
the eyes on the ball watching it hit the center of the paddle (do not look at the target)
• Lob -reach forward and liIf using legs, a lob is more like throwing a ball underhand.
• Overhead smash – point at the ball, paddle face flat, chin up, snap follow through, aim at
opponents feet or angle off or in the middle of the court
Also work on – safety, rules and court position
3.5 Skill Level Training Notes
Skills added are: shoulders and hips face the direction the ball is coming from, at the non-volley
zone face forward, changing the direction of the ball is a more advanced skill (crosscourt to
down the line). Know when you are responsible for the middle on the forward and when the
person across from you diagonally is hitting the ball.
Goal: Keep the ball in the court/play and start to be more aware of openings on the court and
place the ball where your opponents is not! Hit the ball at opponents feet.
Goal – middle, middle, middle
Things to Emphasize: Percentage pickleball
• Not making mistakes
• ‘being under control
• Being patient
• Being in the right place at the right time
• Hitting to the right place at the right time
4.0 Skill Level Training Notes
Skills added are: In addition to working on your skills, you’ll also need to develop a sound
strategy. A good 4.0 player always has a plan and knows how to put their opponents under
pressure. Speed and power are important but not everything. Learn to spin the ball, and to
reset/slow down play
Goal: Be able to play in all phases of the game. This means being able to control the rally from
the baseline, attacking at the net, and playing well in defense. Learn to anticipate opponents
shot.
Goal – Practice and drill to improve skills
Things to Emphasize: Percentage pickleball
• Play offensively
• Use dinking to your advantage, be very comfortable at the non-volley zone
• Take the ball out of the air to take opponents time away.
• Work on footwork
• Execute effective drop shots and drives