Tennis Players, STOP Doing These Things!

Dear tennis players, and many pickleball players too, it’s time to STOP DOING THESE 3 THINGS on the pickleball court.

For many of us, tennis was our go-to athletic outlet before we fell in love with pickleball. So, it’s no surprise a lot of us diehard pickleball fanatics were (or still are) swinging a tennis racket around in our free time. It makes sense to see this tennis and pickleball crossover; the games have a lot in common. However, if you are trying to bring your tennis skills to the pickleball court there are a few habits you might need to break first.

In today’s Quick Tip, pickleball pro Steve Dawson, former two time Big 8 Champion in tennis and owner of Bobby Riggs Racket & Paddle, teaches us three things that might work well in a tennis match but are not good for pickleball. Don’t think that just because you don’t play tennis these tips don’t apply to you, these are tips for anyone that wants to pick up a pickleball paddle.

Tip 1: Don’t Put Underspin on your Aggressive Volleys

A lot of pickleball is played at the kitchen, and while it may seem similar to playing at the net in tennis, there are some big differences. In tennis you might want to slice your aggressive volleys, but that won’t work in pickleball. Instead, put overspin on that ball so it heads down into the court and you will have more luck with those aggressive volleys.

Tip 2: Don’t Step Across on your Volleys

Tennis players are taught to pivot your body sideways when you volley, but tennis does not have a non-volley zone (kitchen). If you bring this habit to the pickleball court you will find yourself foot faulting in the kitchen a lot. Instead, try and keep those feet parallel to the kitchen line and hit with an open stance when you are up at the net volleying.

Tip 3: Don’t Attack Low Balls from Mid-Court

In tennis you might be able to be more aggressive with low shots from mid-court, but in pickleball we call that no man’s land for a reason. It is better to play those shots soft and drop them into the kitchen. Then you will be able to transition up to the net and start getting aggressive.

For as much as tennis and pickleball have in common there are still many things that make these two games play very differently.  Keep these three tips in mind and win more games.

Special Thanks To:

Steve Dawson

Rob Davidson

Bobby Riggs Racket and Paddle

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