How To Get Started In Pickleball? Newly Player Guide
Learning a new form of sports can give anyone a run for their money, no matter how athletic they think their body is.
I have had so many curious colleagues and peers in the past ask me the same broad-spectrum query “how to get started in pickleball”, but then again, I am in no position to blame them since there are so many elements in this sport that you barely know where to start.
To make matters worse, if you lack a proper coach or a mentor, things can easily get overwhelming, in fact, you could easily lose interest together.
To prevent this form of fiasco from popping up and eliminate the demotivational domino effect, I have curated this guide for both the “willing & curious” so they can rack up some esoteric wisdom that you barely find elsewhere.
Guide To Kickstart Your Pickleball Journey
Knowing the correct route eliminates half the hurdles you may have to face during the endeavors, these tips will provide ample guidance whenever you feel astray.
1. Find A Public Court
At the initial phase, this step might sound like an impossible feat, especially if you are an introvert who is getting into this sport all by yourself, however, it’s totally worth it, you just have to build some courage and walk into a public park where there are pickleball courts readily available.
Public places designed for sports are an amazing way to kickstart your Pickleball career because they will let you bond with other players around the court.
Make sure you communicate with senior and avid pickleball enthusiasts by sharing your experiences and tips which will eventually help you familiarize the nature of sports seamlessly.
2. Find A Mentor Or Coach
I wouldn’t recommend attaining a coach who provides premium services because, in your early phase of getting into this sport, this might be a little excessive and a bit over the top.
As a matter of fact, find someone that you can easily bond with as a mentor in the public court itself. Playing with senior players will help you build a thorough experience and even give you a wider insight into the basics of pickleball as well as ensure that you stay up to the trend as you will be easily able to replicate their synergy.
3. Get Your Own Equipment
If you actually want to show interest in this sport, the least you could do is get your own equipment even if it’s premium grade. Since you would be playing casual games most of the time, try to buy budget-friendly equipment such as a wooden paddle a ball, and some shoes if you don’t own them already.
This will save you from the hassle of borrowing it from your partners every now and then.
4. Patience is the Key
It’s perfectly understandable for a person getting into a new sport to make mistakes that can be easily avoided, leading to frustration and demotivation. Rather than giving up or becoming unnecessarily sentimental, it is wise that you stay focused by remaining calm even if you have short temper issues.
Rather than becoming emotional over petty mistakes, try “taking it on the chin” by learning and evolving with every hurdle you have to face, this will provide a head start and make you polish your skills even sooner than you would expect.
For example, if you are out on the court for the very first time, learn the basics such as serving or simply learning the zones or parameters around the court. There is simply no need for you to learn everything all at once because that could simply overwhelm you which is the last thing you would want.
5. Always Know Your Limits
The best way to get started is to know your boundaries that correspond to your mental and physical limits. In simpler words, try to take things as slowly as possible and learn at your own pace even if it means you are taking “baby steps”.
There are virtually no obligations for you to participate in competitive leagues right away, so make sure you practice in casual sessions with your buddies as much as you can.
This will also make you self-aware of your capabilities which will keep you humble and modest in the court.
6. Maintain Sportsmanship
Understanding that you will lose a lot is also a part of the sport, regardless of the fact how you play the game, never let your anger bring the best out of you especially whenever you are playing in a doubles format.
While Pickleball is known to be extremely addictive once you understand the basics, it can seldom create heated moments which eventually lead to toxic moments which is highly frowned upon because this is a gentlemen’s game and there is no room for griefing and toxicity in it.
7. Exercise Regularly
A little bit of cardio never hurts anybody and there are virtually no downsides to being in healthy shape, however, the benefits it has are well worth the effort. While pickleball in itself will always keep you on your toes once you are out of the intermediate league, it is always beneficial that you build stamina so you can attain a massive head start when getting into this game.
On the flip side, exercise regularly will not only help you maintain a stronger core but will also keep you energetic which will help you sharpen your speed, agility, and endurance so you won’t get demotivated easily.
8. Join Communities
Lastly, there is no better way to get started than to join various communities around your public pickleball court because you never know about the efforts you are putting in this sport that might make you worthy enough to play in big leagues as a professional athlete in a couple of years.
If not, joining communities will help you connect easily with likewise players around, in the meanwhile you could make friends that share similar interests.
Bottom Line
It is never too late to start your Pickleball journey, all it takes is to build courage and hit the courts so you can practice enough to build a sheer amount of endurance and agility allowing you to hone your skills, even if you don’t strive for competitive leagues and simply want to keep it casual.
As for “Getting started in pickleball”, I hope the tips I mentioned above are deemed more than helpful and don’t pose any sort of confusion.
That being said, feel free to comment below if you have any other queries in your mind, I would be much obliged to sort you out.
