How to improve at Pickleball!

10th July 2023 by Zane Navratil

World No. 3 Zane Navratil in action!

“I’m honored to be writing for this UK audience! I can’t wait to make a trip across the pond.

I’m going to share what I believe to be a step by step approach to getting better at pickleball, and it might not be what everybody wants to hear!

Step #1 - Lose Pickleball Matches

Put yourself in competitive situations and lose. I’m not suggesting losing on purpose, but play people who are better than you. I encourage you to put something on the line, whether it’s a small wager, a couple of pushups or situps, or “butts up” (a game where the losing team stands at the baseline facing away from the net while the opposing team takes a couple of cracks at hitting their defeated opponents), to add another level of competitiveness.

Step #2 - Analyse

Why did you lose? What did your opponents do better than you? Did they find your weakness? What shots need the most improvement? Does my opponent hit a certain shot really well? If possible, film your match and try your best to answer these questions and any more than might pop up.

Step #3 - Figure it Out

Once you’ve determined what went wrong, figure out an approach to fixing it. Find a video or a coach that can address the problem. I have hundreds of videos available for free on my YouTube channel. Click here or go to https://www.youtube.com/@ZaneNavratilPickleball

Step #4 - Drill

Guys, it’s not going to happen by playing. Set aside 10-15 minutes to isolate the thing that you want to work on. Let’s say that you lost your match because you simply could not get to the kitchen. Your third shots weren’t consistent enough. In the course of a 15 minute game, you may only have ~10 opportunities to hit this shot. This comes out to less than 1 repetition per minute.

Instead of playing more, play smarter. Go out with a partner and work on your third shot. In one minute, you may be able to hit 30 drops. That’s a nice multiple.

Get reps under your belt by drilling. Drill until the shot becomes an afterthought.

Step #5 - Repeat

There’s always something else to work on!

Conclusion

It might not be fun to hear that the best way to get better is to drill, but it's the honest truth. A little bit of drilling goes a very long way towards improving your game.”