CJ Johnson Headshot
CJ Johnson
Tony Roig
Tony Roig

4 Pickleball Errors Costing You Games

These 4 pickleball errors are making you lose more games, and more rallies. They all stem from pressing.

Essentially it’s pushing too hard. Hitting shots that you don’t need, attacking when an attack isn’t available, playing a hard ball when a soft one will do.

When you find yourself pressing, you are simply trying to do more than the situation requires. That’s causing errors in your pickleball game. Errors that are causing you the rally and potentially the game. Another example is pressing is trying to hit the ball too low to the net. You think you need to hit the pickleball shot really low, really low, to avoid an error, and by doing so, you hit the net. by the net.

Another pickleball error and an example of pressing is attacking where attacks don’t exist. The most common situation is when you think there’s a hole in the middle, and you go for the hole in the middle. A lot of times that hole is a phantom hole. It doesn’t exist.

And if you want to check that out, we did a whole game breakdown in this pickleball video. https://youtu.be/hiL54qx-g3o

0:00 Introduction to the Pickleball Error – Pressing
0:26 Pickleball Error 1 – Overhitting your attack shots
0:57 Pickleball Error 2 – Hitting too Low Over the Net
1:32 Pickleball Error 3 – Attacking when no attack exists
2:20 Pickleball Error 4 – Attacking Under Duress
3:09 Don’t miss the Miniseries
4:07 How to Solve this Pickleball Error – Rhythm of the Pickleball Rally

If we can help you along the way, that is our jam, and you can reach us at betterpickleball.com. Join our mailing list to make sure you stay connected on all our latest.

Tony Roig

Hola. Hello. Konichiwa. After 40 years playing tennis, I am now a full-time pickleball player and professional. As a 5.0 rated Senior Pro Pickleball Player and an IPTPA-certified Master Teaching Professional, my focus is on helping players like you learn to play their best pickleball. In 2016, shortly after starting to play pickleball, my friend Tom and I jumped into the highest division at the first US Open in Naples, Florida. That morning it became clear just how much there is to learn in this seemingly simple sport – a lifetime of learning if you so choose. Since 2018, I have been on a mission to share my knowledge of pickleball so other players can enjoy the game at a higher level and attain their pickleball objectives. When not studying or playing pickleball, I like to travel with my other half, Jill.

3 Comments

  1. Avatar photo Cameron Douthitt on October 9, 2022 at 3:21 pm

    Great advice. I make these mistakes often. Thanks.

  2. Avatar photo jul lav on October 10, 2022 at 12:31 am

    OHHH! I am such a presser! I need to relax and hit soft shots instead of panicking and hitting the ball too hard and it goes out. Unforced errors are the worse. Thank you both for trying to make us all better players. You break the game down so well for me. Love you guys.

  3. Avatar photo Daniel Pettigrew on October 12, 2022 at 8:25 pm

    As a guy, I fall victim to the macho reaction of trying to hit hard balls back even harder. This is an ego-based response comes from a misguided inner voice that says, “oh yeah, you think that’s hard!” However, those times when I stay relaxed and focused, and don’t overhit, I generally do much better. Thanks for this important reminder on pressing.

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