As pickleball continues to grow in popularity, more and more people are learning the basics of the game. But did you know that there are skills you can learn outside of the court that can help you ace pickleball? Let’s take a look at how other skills crossover into pickleball.
Chess Strategy
If you’ve ever played chess, then you know how important strategy is. The same goes for pickleball! When playing pickleball, it’s important to have a strategic plan in mind before each shot. This includes foreseeing your opponent's likely shots and anticipating where they will go next. For example, if your opponent hits a backhand shot, do you expect them to hit it right back at you or try to surprise you with something different? With the right chess-like strategy, you can stay one step ahead and outwit your opponents on the court.
Golf Course Management
Golfers often say that golf is as much about managing the course as it is about hitting good shots. Well, this is true for pickleball too! Pickleball pros recommend that players always have an overall strategy in mind when playing so they can get ahead of their opponents. Planning which shots to hit when, and where to place those shots on the court will help keep your opponents guessing and give them fewer options for returns. Not only that but having a plan also helps conserve energy so that by the end of a match, players aren’t completely exhausted from running all over the court trying to make every single shot.
Dance Moves
Okay okay - hear me out! While dance moves may not be able to directly help improve your skills on the court (unless of course there’s a dance-off!), they can definitely come in handy when playing doubles matches. Why? Because great communication between both doubles partners is key - especially when playing against experienced teams who know how to move around their side of the net well. Being able to quickly convey instructions with hand signals or head nods (or even better - some salsa moves!) helps partners anticipate each other’s movements better and makes it easier for them to cover any gaps in defense or offense quickly and effectively!
It turns out that picking up extra skills outside of just hitting dinks and serves can actually be beneficial when it comes to improving your pickleball game! From chess-like strategic thinking to golf course management techniques, these skills can give you an edge over your opponents on the court – not just physically but mentally too! So why not give them a try? Who knows – maybe with enough practice these skills might even make their way onto our courts someday…only time will tell!