Pickleball Shots for Beginners - Grip, Footwork and Core Strokes

You do not need a dozen shots to enjoy pickleball. These pickleball shots for beginners are the handful that show up in almost every rally: the serve, the return, the dink, the third-shot drop, the drive and the volley. Add a solid grip, a ready position and a bit of footwork, and you have everything you need to play your first rec games with confidence.

New to the game? The complete pickleball guide covers the court and rules overview.

The grip: start with continental

Most coaches teach the continental grip first. Hold the paddle as if you were shaking hands with it, with the edge of the paddle pointing up and down. The V between your thumb and index finger sits roughly on top of the handle.

Why continental:

• You can hit forehands, backhands and volleys without switching grips.
• It works for soft shots near the net, where there is no time to change.

Grip pressure: on a scale of 1 to 10, aim for about 3 to 4 for soft shots like dinks and drops, a little firmer for drives. A death grip makes soft shots pop up.

Ready position

Between every shot, reset to the same position:

• Feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, weight on the balls of your feet.
• Paddle up in front of your chest, tip roughly level or slightly up.
• Eyes on the ball and on your opponent's paddle.

At the kitchen line, the paddle stays up. Many points are lost because the paddle was down at your knee when a fast ball came at your chest.

Footwork basics

• Split step. Make a small hop and land on both feet as your opponent hits. It gets you ready to move in any direction.
• Shuffle sideways rather than crossing your feet for short movements.
• Stop before you hit. Hitting while running forward is a top cause of balls into the net.
• Move up in stages. From the baseline to the kitchen, take a few steps, split step as the opponent hits, then continue.

Pickleball shots for beginners: the core strokes

Serve

Start with a reliable serve, not a powerful one. Aim deep in the service court, with good margin over the net. A volley serve must be hit with an upward arc, below the waist, with the paddle head not above the wrist. A drop serve (drop the ball, hit it after the bounce) has no motion requirements, which makes it a friendly choice for beginners. See pickleball rules for the details.

Return of serve

Hit it deep and high enough to be safe, then walk forward to the kitchen line. Depth gives you time; pace is a bonus.

Dink

A soft shot from near the kitchen line that lands in your opponents' kitchen. It is meant to be hard to attack because it lands low and short. Most rec players win more points by dinking patiently than by hitting hard.

Third-shot drop

The serving team's third shot of the rally, hit softly from the back so it lands in the opponents' kitchen. It gives you time to move forward. It is one of the hardest shots to learn, so practice it early and often.

Drive

A firm, low shot, usually from the back. Use it when you get a ball that is high or when your opponents are not set. A good drive is aimed low over the net and at the feet or the middle.

Volley

Hitting the ball before it bounces, usually near (but outside) the kitchen line. Keep the swing short; think "punch", not "swing". And remember: no volleying while you are touching the kitchen.

Lob

A high, deep shot over opponents who are at the net. Useful as a surprise, but risky: a short lob is an easy smash for the other side.

How to hit a pickleball dink

1. Set up at the kitchen line. Stand just behind the line, knees bent, paddle out in front around waist height.
2. Use a relaxed continental grip. Keep grip pressure light so the paddle absorbs the ball's pace.
3. Let the ball come to you. Wait for it to drop after the bounce; do not reach up and chase it early.
4. Make a short, smooth lifting motion from the shoulder. Keep the wrist quiet and the paddle face slightly open. There is no backswing.
5. Aim low over the net into the opponent's kitchen. A target a foot or two past the net is plenty. Crosscourt gives you more margin because the net is lower in the middle and the court is longer on the diagonal.
6. Hold the finish briefly, then reset. Bring your paddle back to ready and split step as your opponent hits.

A simple 30-minute practice routine

Track a few matches as you practice. Kèo's free scorekeeper records the score so you can compare results over time. To see how skills map to levels, read pickleball skill levels explained. And if you are still deciding on gear, how to choose a pickleball paddle explains what matters.

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