Pickleball has been in the news a lot lately. Since India hosted the World Pickleball League (WPBL) 2025, the sport has spread to the Indian audience as well. The tournament was a hit, with Bengaluru Jawans taking the trophy. There are several US Pickleball tournaments and World Tours ongoing. If you want to play Pickleball, then check out Pickleball: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide, Tips, and Top Gear for 2025.
The Pickleball tournaments and World Tours will last until December 2025. Each month is filled with tournaments being held in the US. Whether you’ll be watching the games or not, you must be curious about how it works.
In this post, we will provide you with tips, tricks, and basic guides about Pickleball. The information will be enough to teach you the basic theoretical part of the sport, after which all you’ll need to do is implement it.
Pickleball: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide
Let’s start with the categories of the sport; there’s a singles and doubles section for men and women, along with mixed doubles. This categorization and some of the rules of Pickleball are a lot like tennis.
The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide
The court Pickleball is 44 feet in length and 20 feet in width. Seven feet from the net on either side of the court is the Non-Volley zone or the Kitchen.
Here are the Pickleball: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide, including Tips, and Top Gear for 2025.
- The player will serve the ball on the diagonal side of where they are standing.
- You serve from behind the baseline of the court.
- The serve should be done below the waist when the hand moves upward (similar to table tennis).
- The ball needs to bounce once on both sides, including the serve.
- The players can use volley strikes after the above point.
- The players cannot use volley strikes in the Kitchen/Non-volley zone.
- If the ball is served on any side other than the diagonal, it’s a fault.
- If the ball crosses the sideline or the baseline, that’s another fault.
- Suppose the ball touches the net and falls on your side; it’s a fault.
- The players can only score points during their serve.
- If you are the server and fail to return the ball, the opponent won’t gain any points.
- The scoring points are usually the first to reach 11, sometimes 15 or 21 points.
- You need a lead of two points to win when you reach the final point; otherwise, the round keeps going.
- When you perform any faults mentioned, the serving switches to the opponent until he causes a fault.
- If you cause a fault in doubles, your partner gets to serve.
- If your partner causes a fault, then the opponents get to serve.
- The players must call out the points before serving in a 3-digit (0-0-1) format.
- The first and second digits indicate your and your opponent’s points. The third digit points out the server (in doubles)
Tips
There are a few tips to be a better player, and it’s a lot like any other sport. To be a better player in Pickleball, you must practice every day.
- Practice by yourself as much as you can and try the squash sports style for it.
- Get a mentor to teach you (if you aim to be a professional)
- Increase your reflex actions and stay on your toes to move quickly.
- Perfect your basics like it’s your second nature.
- Learn the backhand serving and shots.
- Perfect the dink move (hit a ball so it lands in the non-volley zone of the opponent)
- Focus on positioning and staying close to the kitchen.
- Practice teamwork with your partner (for doubles).
- Always stay alert and ready to move with good footwork.
Top Gear for 2025: Pickleball
While a good player doesn’t focus on their gear, a better player utilizes it to enhance their performance. It’s also an important aspect to perform better.
- Get a paddle based on your playing style. Paddles with different materials focus on different aspects. Pick a paddle that enforces your weaker point without hindering your strengths.
- Get comfortable shoes with a better grip on the court. Something with a breathable material to fend off the heat.
- A ball depends on whether you’re an indoor player or an outdoor player. There’s a difference in the balls based on it. Try getting both so you can train with both.
- Pickleball glasses for protection from sunlight outdoors or dust. You can also use it for better vision.
- A water bottle and a bag to pack your essential gear.
- A pickleball paddle eraser to clean your paddle so your strikes aren’t affected due to the dirt.
- A couple of lead tape strips for your pickleball paddle to enhance its capabilities.
