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A Guide to Pickleball: Expert Tips, Where to Play, & More!

8 months ago

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Pickleball is a great game to play with some of your more competitive friends and family members. Blending aspects of tennis, badminton, and ping pong, it is a fast-paced sport that offers plenty of exercise and enjoyment. Whether you are new to pickleball or you have a few games under your belt, this guide provides pickleball tips that can help you improve your game, places to play in the Las Vegas area, and more.

Young man and woman playing pickleball after studying pickleball tips from experts in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Basics of Pickleball

Pickleball can be played by two or four people, called singles or doubles play, respectively. The ball is served underhanded, diagonally across the court, and it must bounce once before the serve is returned. The ball must bounce another time as the serving team gets the ball back, then it is legal to either volley the ball from the air or let it bounce first. Players must not hit the ball from the kitchen or non-volley zone, and they must not let it travel out of bounds.

Only the serving team can score, and that happens when the opposing team commits a fault, such as hitting the net, letting the ball go out of bounds, or hitting the ball from the kitchen. If the serving team commits a fault, the serve goes to the second player on the team in doubles play, or it goes to the opposite team in singles play. The server must alternate between the left and the right service area in doubles play. In singles play, the server serves from the right side when the score is even and from the left when the score is odd.

The winner is the first team to reach at least 11 points, with a score that is 2 or more points higher than the opposing team.

Up Your Game With These Pickleball Tips

Once you have the basics of the sport down, here are a few tips that can help you to improve your game:

  • Rather than hitting the ball hard, focus on hitting accurately

  • Practice alone with a target like a water bottle to improve your accuracy

  • Avoid serving the ball hard or near the sidelines to keep it in-bounds

  • If you need to slow down the rally, use dinks (light hits) or lobs (high arcs)

  • Move towards the kitchen quickly after the second shot for a better position

  • Watch the opposing player’s paddle to anticipate the ball’s trajectory

  • Target the ball toward open areas or the player’s weak side

  • Give your partner plenty of room to hit the ball

  • Don’t let the gap between you and your partner get too large

  • Practice both your forehand and backhand swings

  • Keep a low, slightly crouched position to return short shots or dinks

Where to Play in Las Vegas

In Las Vegas and the surrounding communities like Henderson and Mesquite, there are plenty of places to enjoy a game of pickleball, including commercial sports facilities, parks, and community centers. Each will have different fees and reservation requirements, but here are the most popular pickleball courts in the area:

Custom Pickleball Courts in Las Vegas

For more pickleball tips and tricks, check out our blog at Sport Court Las Vegas. Our company is a leading installer of professional-grade pickleball courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, and more in the Las Vegas area. We feature advanced court surfaces, like our exclusive Sportgame Pickleball surface that offers impressive grip while reducing joint stress and injuries.

To request a quote for a custom pickleball court in Las Vegas or the surrounding areas, call 702-883-8386 or contact us online.