I think it was Dave Weinbach, a well-known pickleball pro and instructor, who coined the adage that the first three rules in pickleball are: (1) Don’t hit the net, (2), Don’t hit the net, and (3) Don’t hit the net.
Here are 10 ideas to help you stop hitting the ball into the net in pickleball:
Focus on follow-through: Ensure that you are following through with your shot after making contact with the ball.
- Following through helps generate more power and lift on the ball.
- This is a relatively simple fix to try.
Change your grip: Adjusting your grip on the paddle may help you hit the ball higher and clear the net.
- Changing your grip is a quick fix that can be done mid-game.
- This can help you generate more spin and control on your shots.
Move closer to the ball: Getting closer to the ball may help you make better contact and clear the net.
- Moving closer to the ball can help you get more power and lift on your shots.
- This is a simple adjustment that can be made during gameplay.
Change your paddle angle: Adjusting the angle of your paddle may help you hit the ball higher and clear the net.
- This is a quick and easy adjustment that can be made during gameplay.
- Changing the paddle angle can help you generate more spin and control.
Use a different shot: Trying a different shot, such as a lob, may help you get the ball over the net.
- Using a different shot can add variety to your game and keep opponents guessing.
- Lobs can be particularly effective against opponents who like to play at the net.
Practice footwork: Improving your footwork can help you get into better position to hit the ball over the net.
- Better footwork can improve your overall game and help you avoid other mistakes.
- This is a fundamental skill that can be practiced on and off the court.
Visualize hitting the ball higher: Visualizing yourself hitting the ball higher and clearing the net may help you make better contact.
- Visualization can be a powerful tool for improving performance.
- This is an easy mental technique that can be practiced anytime.
Practice your serve: Improving your serve can help you start the point on a strong note and avoid hitting the ball into the net.
- A strong serve can put pressure on your opponent and help you win points.
- Serving is a fundamental skill that can be practiced on and off the court.
Play against a wall: Hitting against a wall can help you practice hitting the ball higher and clearing the net.
- Playing against a wall can help you get more repetitions and practice your shots.
- This can be done on your own time, without a partner.
There are not many videos about how to not into the net. One short one is “How to Stop Hitting the Net in Pickleball” from Pickleball_Health.
These tips are relatively simple adjustments that can be made during gameplay or practiced on and off the court to help improve overall performance.
The information in this blog post comes from my research and experience playing pickleball and can be found in my books — HOW TO GET STARTED PLAYING and HOW TO IMPROVE FROM BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE IN PICKLEBALL — both are available on Amazon. I hope you learn something from this post that you can take onto the courts to help you improve your game. An excellent related post for beginners that you might find helpful is 10 Pickleball Mistakes That Will Make You Look Like a Beginner.