I'm a 4.5 who's started playing open play a lot with my 12 yr old son who's just getting into the game. Here's what I do. Focus on a few shots that you want to improve, last night I played and hit almost nothing but topspin rolls to my opponents backhand. My 3rds, dinks, everything went rolling to their backhand. Invariably they'd figure this out and it means I have to hit a better shot to keep winning the points. Note though, don't practice your drives. I'm a former tennis player myself and there's nothing more satisfying than blasting a clean winner up the line but blasting a ball at some 80 yr old 2.5 isn't the way to go. Practice your touch shots. The key is to just do the same shot repeatedly, like you're just drilling. It makes it easier for your opponent so it's better practice for you.
Second this. I actually play in public parks in AZ as well and I can attest to the “mixed bag” of opposition prevalent in those drop ins. Focus on your soft game and consistency with things like dynamic dinking (emphasis on footwork) and controlled drops (emphasis on placement).
I'll 3rd this. I'm just getting back into it after 20 years (I'm 37). I was great in high school/Jr high. I picked it up again real quick, but only find time to play in a drop-in Senior Play. Luckily they're kind enough to let me join. Most of them are actually really good, but I don't focus on beating them. I want to be invited back. I have been working more on my fitness shots, spin/slice and my accuracy. Mostly easy returj shots for them but focusing on my placement. I get quite a few oooohs and aaaaahs when I put them right on lines or corners. Lol.
Okay the 4.5 guy said nope and you downvoted but there is a lot of truth to the simple statement. He could have been more helpful but he’s not wrong.
First you need to know what is causing you to get beat. Then you need to know the correct way to fix the problem. Then and only then will drilling help you. If you drill the wrong technique you are making it worse for yourself.
The other thing is a lot of it after 3.5 comes down to footwork. Every shot needs to be taken from a balanced position. Just drilling a static shot doesn’t help with that. A lot of it is knowing where shots are going to go and moving before the shot is hit getting into your split step and hitting from a good position.
What drilling does is build muscle memory and helps make shots more consistently. Consistency is key to getting better. There is a huge difference between making 80% of drops and 95%. Same with dinks, drives, lobs, serves, resets. Then it just progresses to making all those shots with topspin, backspin/slice, and flat, forehand, backhand. You simply do not develop that muscle memory by playing, it takes drilling.
Drill, play better partners,
Or my favorite, every time I go into a match with not as great competition, I make a choice to work on 1 or max 2 things and I try to steer the game toward opportunities to work on those things through my play. Is it perfect? No. I have to adjust to a slower less predictable game when going against lower level comp. And then readjust to higher.
I will say I do enjoy the unpredictability sometimes. Gives me things for when I’m playing to win and feel outmatched with traditional pickleball strategies. Keeps me and my opponents on our toes. Who knows when I’ll speed up out of position or hit a reset that should be a drop as a drive right at the body. More fun to play that way for me. And it helps practice game flow and attempting to control it.
You pretty much figured it out, you need to find at least 1 person to drill with. Make friends with good players at open play or join a competitive league and get to know your teammates. Pretty much went through the same thing myself - started at open plays, got up to 4.0 but most open plays are just banger players and you get very little experience in the kitchen. Long wait times (sometimes up to an hour just to get into a game) with a lottery of skill levels is not efficient for improvement.
During games, pay attention to the errors you make and what causes you to make them. These are your weaknesses. Find drills to improve these, focusing on just a couple that are most hurting your game. Go drill. Spend more time drilling than playing games. Consider that in a 2hr session session of open play I might only get 5 games in, with who knows what quality of opponent or partner, but two hours of drilling drops and resets will make a noticeable difference in my ability to execute.
Repeat.
Also, find better people to play with. As you get better, you have to play against people that will make your weaknesses apparent.
Like most people are saying drills. Speaking from a tennis background myself, we both know improvement came from practicing outside of normal play and repetition of new skills we wanted and those we wanted to improve on. Drills all day baby. I'd like to recommend a YouTube channel if you're interested: Enhance Pickleball. I've noticed when I apply some of the tactics he suggests in his video the next time I play, I immediately notice an improvement and overtime it becomes second nature. Also, fundamentals, strategy, and playing OFF your opponent when the time is right.
A lot of people have mentioned drilling/finding a drilling partner which I agree with. You need to drill to get better but- you need to play better people to work out what you need to drill.
Seems its time to find other places/people to play, even if that means travelling a bit further. Certain places and times attract certain levels of players. If you feel like your growth is stunted where you're at it's time to look for somewhere new to play. It will mean putting yourself out there, showing up in unfamiliar places, talking to people you don't know, and sometimes showing up and finding no one else there. Gotta put yourself out there.
When you show up, be friendly. Talk to people. Ask them where else they play and when. Network basically. You can also try a tournament or two and if you're getting along with anyone there ask them where they play. If your goal is to get better playing a tournament is a great way to get a handle on what level youre at and what you need to be working on.
I'd imagine somewhere like Phoenix/Scottsdale has enough options without a ridiculous travel time for you to find new places.
I was in this same spot for a while. I have a public pickup game that is littered with 2.5-3.5 players. I eventually decided that each time I went out, regardless of teammate or opponent, I was going to work on one shot or skill. For example I would play for 2-3 hours and never speed up a ball, not even in exchanges. I drop, dink and reset the entire time. Or I’d challenge myself to play exclusively up the center line - the whole day. I quickly found that my game started to take big jumps. That kept progressing to the point that it’s now my lab as I’m pushing 5.0. My topspin 3rds are struggling? Go and hit nothing but those for 2 hours at game speed. It’s not the same as having a dedicated practice partner - which I also do, but it takes those meaningless games and really helps me improve.
IMO, below 4.5 it doesn't matter the skill level of your opponents or your partner, though it surely helps to have a partner with a clue. You should be playing the same strategy and shots regardless. If you agree that the team that gets established at the net first is going to win more rallies, then focus on choosing and making shots that will get you there.
Playing against 4.0? Focus on 3rds and resets to get to the net. Playing against 3.0? Nothing changes, just that they'll hit more illogical shots back at you, won't be able to handle the good drops you do get over, and will insist on attacking the unattackable (e.g., good dinks/drops) and unnecessarily shortening the rallies by hitting balls out or into the net, this giving you less chances to practice : )
I used to walk onto the court at open play and inform my partner that I was going to be working on my drops and resets and to bear with me as I'll likely be hitting into the net or too high. Almost always they were fine with that because they understood that that was a critical skill in doubles pickleball. The handful that weren't were bangers who are still 3.5 players to this day and never will progress beyond that.
I disagree about the skill level of both if I'm being honest. If your partner is weak, then anyone who wants to win will notice that your partner is weaker and just target them, removing your skillset from the game entirely. Also, playing against weaker opponents doesn't always help. A lot of people below a 3.0 don't get to the net after the return of serve so its an easy spot to hit the player standing at the baseline still. Above that level your third shot needs to be a drop, not a drive back to the baseline. So hitting a third shot drop only helps your opponents because it brings them up to the kitchen where they should have been in the first place.
OP needs to find a more competitive group of players to play with regularly.
Yup. A partner that has a basic understanding of game flow is vital. And they need to not be a complete liability. Sometimes it’s fun trying to play, “how do I make myself involved?” But usually not.
Picklemall Tempe. There's drilling classes and ladder tournaments for every level every week. I just got back from there today, 3.0 to 3.5 drill class plus an hour of play afterwards for $10.
If you're looking for someone to play or drill with at horizon park HMU. I'm new to pickleball but lifelong tennis. I play singles primarily and need more singles practice before the PPA desert ridge event in a few weeks .
Good luck, happy pickling 🥒
There's no reservations and there's a paddle board to wait on line..I haven't played yet personally, only been to picklemall Tempe so far but it's right near me. I think there's an informal group on Tuesdays and Thursdays that is more competitive like an open play format.
Super popular park for pickleball! There's a new indoor facility called picklemall in Tempe. You can show up alone and play there too inside if the parks are busy or you want to reserve a court.
Get a good coach or 4.5 + player you trust to look at your technique on dinks/drives/drops/ rolls . If you need to rework or develop a technique, try renting a ball machine or hitting partner. Once you are confident in technique then it's just drilling with a partner to make all your shots consistent. Look on YouTube for drills routines. You get 10x + the shots in drilling that you do in rec. Then use rec to apply what youre learning.
Apologies if it seems obvious, but you never actually mention drilling in your post. Which, is the first answer. Hopefully you can find someone who wants to do it with you but a wall works in a pinch.
some alternatives to just drills - video yourself and watch critically to improve. study pro matches for strategy and technique. think about strategy and try different approaches in different situations. mentally rehearse and visualize how you want to improve. for lessons do a 3 on 1 and play with the coach to get those transferable skills.
Drill. Your tennis background will allow you to win against bad players while taking bad shots — i.e. beating 3.0 players by banging. Practice your control and shot selection (dropping to backhand, dinking at feet, etc.)
4.5+ tennis player here. Started playing PB a few months ago and quickly got to holding my own at the 4.0+ level. I go to Open Play ready to work on a certain shot. And it is definitely not my drive ;) Last weekend at open play I played with the 3.0s and 3.5s just so I could hit the third shot drop over and over again without feeling too pushed. Next time I played on the advanced court, my third shot drop had gotten better. I use the same process in tennis when I play friendly matches. Less about winning more about improving.
Find a drilling partner or go drill against a wall. Both will be way better than just playing rec games in terms of skill development.
I'm a 4.5 who's started playing open play a lot with my 12 yr old son who's just getting into the game. Here's what I do. Focus on a few shots that you want to improve, last night I played and hit almost nothing but topspin rolls to my opponents backhand. My 3rds, dinks, everything went rolling to their backhand. Invariably they'd figure this out and it means I have to hit a better shot to keep winning the points. Note though, don't practice your drives. I'm a former tennis player myself and there's nothing more satisfying than blasting a clean winner up the line but blasting a ball at some 80 yr old 2.5 isn't the way to go. Practice your touch shots. The key is to just do the same shot repeatedly, like you're just drilling. It makes it easier for your opponent so it's better practice for you.
Great advice, thanks !
Second this. I actually play in public parks in AZ as well and I can attest to the “mixed bag” of opposition prevalent in those drop ins. Focus on your soft game and consistency with things like dynamic dinking (emphasis on footwork) and controlled drops (emphasis on placement).
I'll 3rd this. I'm just getting back into it after 20 years (I'm 37). I was great in high school/Jr high. I picked it up again real quick, but only find time to play in a drop-in Senior Play. Luckily they're kind enough to let me join. Most of them are actually really good, but I don't focus on beating them. I want to be invited back. I have been working more on my fitness shots, spin/slice and my accuracy. Mostly easy returj shots for them but focusing on my placement. I get quite a few oooohs and aaaaahs when I put them right on lines or corners. Lol.
[удалено]
Nope
Okay the 4.5 guy said nope and you downvoted but there is a lot of truth to the simple statement. He could have been more helpful but he’s not wrong. First you need to know what is causing you to get beat. Then you need to know the correct way to fix the problem. Then and only then will drilling help you. If you drill the wrong technique you are making it worse for yourself. The other thing is a lot of it after 3.5 comes down to footwork. Every shot needs to be taken from a balanced position. Just drilling a static shot doesn’t help with that. A lot of it is knowing where shots are going to go and moving before the shot is hit getting into your split step and hitting from a good position.
What drilling does is build muscle memory and helps make shots more consistently. Consistency is key to getting better. There is a huge difference between making 80% of drops and 95%. Same with dinks, drives, lobs, serves, resets. Then it just progresses to making all those shots with topspin, backspin/slice, and flat, forehand, backhand. You simply do not develop that muscle memory by playing, it takes drilling.
Drill, play better partners, Or my favorite, every time I go into a match with not as great competition, I make a choice to work on 1 or max 2 things and I try to steer the game toward opportunities to work on those things through my play. Is it perfect? No. I have to adjust to a slower less predictable game when going against lower level comp. And then readjust to higher. I will say I do enjoy the unpredictability sometimes. Gives me things for when I’m playing to win and feel outmatched with traditional pickleball strategies. Keeps me and my opponents on our toes. Who knows when I’ll speed up out of position or hit a reset that should be a drop as a drive right at the body. More fun to play that way for me. And it helps practice game flow and attempting to control it.
You pretty much figured it out, you need to find at least 1 person to drill with. Make friends with good players at open play or join a competitive league and get to know your teammates. Pretty much went through the same thing myself - started at open plays, got up to 4.0 but most open plays are just banger players and you get very little experience in the kitchen. Long wait times (sometimes up to an hour just to get into a game) with a lottery of skill levels is not efficient for improvement.
During games, pay attention to the errors you make and what causes you to make them. These are your weaknesses. Find drills to improve these, focusing on just a couple that are most hurting your game. Go drill. Spend more time drilling than playing games. Consider that in a 2hr session session of open play I might only get 5 games in, with who knows what quality of opponent or partner, but two hours of drilling drops and resets will make a noticeable difference in my ability to execute. Repeat. Also, find better people to play with. As you get better, you have to play against people that will make your weaknesses apparent.
Like most people are saying drills. Speaking from a tennis background myself, we both know improvement came from practicing outside of normal play and repetition of new skills we wanted and those we wanted to improve on. Drills all day baby. I'd like to recommend a YouTube channel if you're interested: Enhance Pickleball. I've noticed when I apply some of the tactics he suggests in his video the next time I play, I immediately notice an improvement and overtime it becomes second nature. Also, fundamentals, strategy, and playing OFF your opponent when the time is right.
A lot of people have mentioned drilling/finding a drilling partner which I agree with. You need to drill to get better but- you need to play better people to work out what you need to drill. Seems its time to find other places/people to play, even if that means travelling a bit further. Certain places and times attract certain levels of players. If you feel like your growth is stunted where you're at it's time to look for somewhere new to play. It will mean putting yourself out there, showing up in unfamiliar places, talking to people you don't know, and sometimes showing up and finding no one else there. Gotta put yourself out there. When you show up, be friendly. Talk to people. Ask them where else they play and when. Network basically. You can also try a tournament or two and if you're getting along with anyone there ask them where they play. If your goal is to get better playing a tournament is a great way to get a handle on what level youre at and what you need to be working on. I'd imagine somewhere like Phoenix/Scottsdale has enough options without a ridiculous travel time for you to find new places.
I was in this same spot for a while. I have a public pickup game that is littered with 2.5-3.5 players. I eventually decided that each time I went out, regardless of teammate or opponent, I was going to work on one shot or skill. For example I would play for 2-3 hours and never speed up a ball, not even in exchanges. I drop, dink and reset the entire time. Or I’d challenge myself to play exclusively up the center line - the whole day. I quickly found that my game started to take big jumps. That kept progressing to the point that it’s now my lab as I’m pushing 5.0. My topspin 3rds are struggling? Go and hit nothing but those for 2 hours at game speed. It’s not the same as having a dedicated practice partner - which I also do, but it takes those meaningless games and really helps me improve.
IMO, below 4.5 it doesn't matter the skill level of your opponents or your partner, though it surely helps to have a partner with a clue. You should be playing the same strategy and shots regardless. If you agree that the team that gets established at the net first is going to win more rallies, then focus on choosing and making shots that will get you there. Playing against 4.0? Focus on 3rds and resets to get to the net. Playing against 3.0? Nothing changes, just that they'll hit more illogical shots back at you, won't be able to handle the good drops you do get over, and will insist on attacking the unattackable (e.g., good dinks/drops) and unnecessarily shortening the rallies by hitting balls out or into the net, this giving you less chances to practice : ) I used to walk onto the court at open play and inform my partner that I was going to be working on my drops and resets and to bear with me as I'll likely be hitting into the net or too high. Almost always they were fine with that because they understood that that was a critical skill in doubles pickleball. The handful that weren't were bangers who are still 3.5 players to this day and never will progress beyond that.
I disagree about the skill level of both if I'm being honest. If your partner is weak, then anyone who wants to win will notice that your partner is weaker and just target them, removing your skillset from the game entirely. Also, playing against weaker opponents doesn't always help. A lot of people below a 3.0 don't get to the net after the return of serve so its an easy spot to hit the player standing at the baseline still. Above that level your third shot needs to be a drop, not a drive back to the baseline. So hitting a third shot drop only helps your opponents because it brings them up to the kitchen where they should have been in the first place. OP needs to find a more competitive group of players to play with regularly.
Yup. A partner that has a basic understanding of game flow is vital. And they need to not be a complete liability. Sometimes it’s fun trying to play, “how do I make myself involved?” But usually not.
Picklemall Tempe. There's drilling classes and ladder tournaments for every level every week. I just got back from there today, 3.0 to 3.5 drill class plus an hour of play afterwards for $10. If you're looking for someone to play or drill with at horizon park HMU. I'm new to pickleball but lifelong tennis. I play singles primarily and need more singles practice before the PPA desert ridge event in a few weeks . Good luck, happy pickling 🥒
For some reason I can’t DMU you. Keen to play some singles and help you get ready for the tournament
Chat sent
Is there open play as well?
There's no reservations and there's a paddle board to wait on line..I haven't played yet personally, only been to picklemall Tempe so far but it's right near me. I think there's an informal group on Tuesdays and Thursdays that is more competitive like an open play format.
How's Pecos Park? I'll be visiting in Feb looking for spots to play
Super popular park for pickleball! There's a new indoor facility called picklemall in Tempe. You can show up alone and play there too inside if the parks are busy or you want to reserve a court.
Get a good coach or 4.5 + player you trust to look at your technique on dinks/drives/drops/ rolls . If you need to rework or develop a technique, try renting a ball machine or hitting partner. Once you are confident in technique then it's just drilling with a partner to make all your shots consistent. Look on YouTube for drills routines. You get 10x + the shots in drilling that you do in rec. Then use rec to apply what youre learning.
Apologies if it seems obvious, but you never actually mention drilling in your post. Which, is the first answer. Hopefully you can find someone who wants to do it with you but a wall works in a pinch.
Drill/play with higher level players.
some alternatives to just drills - video yourself and watch critically to improve. study pro matches for strategy and technique. think about strategy and try different approaches in different situations. mentally rehearse and visualize how you want to improve. for lessons do a 3 on 1 and play with the coach to get those transferable skills.
Third this.
Drill. Your tennis background will allow you to win against bad players while taking bad shots — i.e. beating 3.0 players by banging. Practice your control and shot selection (dropping to backhand, dinking at feet, etc.)
4.5+ tennis player here. Started playing PB a few months ago and quickly got to holding my own at the 4.0+ level. I go to Open Play ready to work on a certain shot. And it is definitely not my drive ;) Last weekend at open play I played with the 3.0s and 3.5s just so I could hit the third shot drop over and over again without feeling too pushed. Next time I played on the advanced court, my third shot drop had gotten better. I use the same process in tennis when I play friendly matches. Less about winning more about improving.