5 Must- Dos for Beginning Pickleball Players
It’s true. There are only 5 pretty simple things you have to do to get started playing pickleball. Everything else? Optional!
First, join the BVPA and use this site. All content here is free to use for non-commercial purposes. Or, if you want to involve yourself further, sign up for free newsletters and other cool stuff that can be found on various pickleball sites. Just Google “pickleball” and you’ll get 27,200,000 hits at your disposal!
Second, spend a little time familiarizing yourself with basic rules HERE and with watching a video or two on the game. [hint: click on the back arrow on the site you go to in order to get back here]. There are literally thousands of them on You Tube. It’s easy to get carried away and check out the top players and some excellent finals matches in the big tournaments, but for right now stay with the basics, OK? The basics could include watching an introduction to pickleball HERE (ignore the ads) or chose from one of many available.
Third, find a place to play. You can check out the BVPA places to play HERE or Pickleball Canada’s places to play section HERE. If you cannot find a place to play, you can create one. Go HERE for info on how to create a temporary court.
Fourth, get the equipment you need. The big-box sporting-goods stores nearby generally have beginner-ish pickleball stuff, but it wouldn’t hurt to call your local tennis shop and ask them – these days they often either have pickleball stuff themselves or know where you can get it. The equipment consists of the correct court shoes, paddles and a few balls…three will suffice.
Fifth, get out there and hit a few balls. Start at the Non-Volley Zone doing what is called “dinking” to warm up and get a feel for the ball. Then move back and hit from about mid-court to each other. Then go to the baseline (the furthest point back) and hit longer shots to each other. Look into the “pickleball beginner drills” sections of You Tube for advice as to how to do these things. Then play a game. If there are only two of you, divide the court into halves and play diagonally to each other (not straight across). In this case all balls must stay in the diagonal box of your opponent when you hit and same for them. Don’t worry too much about how to score, or any rules except two. Serve underhand and read up on the “two-bounce” rule and follow those two. Otherwise just get a feel for it.
Sounds too easy? It is easy, and you can’t really make a mistake. It’s pickleball, after all!