3 simple off-court habits that will improve your pickleball game
Last Edited
Mar 25 2025
Category
Instruction
There is no magic pill to help you get better at pickleball. If there was, it wouldn’t be in stock for very long.
But there is a very common evolution of pickleball players.
Most people learn about the game from a friend or see people playing in their community and give it a try. Some naturally pick up the game from previous racket sports backgrounds and others have a harder time figuring everything out because they didn’t come into this world with a racket in their hand.
Either way, everyone starts out as a beginner.
As time goes on, you start picking up some of the nuances of the game and you start playing more and more and one day you look up and you are actually pretty good a pickleball.
Good job.
Then something happens. You sit back and realize you've stopped improving. You miss the same shots or you aren’t moving like you should, or a whole host of other things. Basically you are stuck.
You are doing all the same things that got you to this point but for some reason you cannot make it to the next level. You are not able to find that extra gear to step your game up.
This is where you have to make a decision: Are you comfortable with where you are in your pickleball game or do you want more?
Think of the definition of insanity in your head and apply that to pickleball. If you got to your current level by drilling once a week or simply playing rec games a few times a week, you can't keep those same habits and expect to keep going up and up in skill level.
If you want more out, you're going to have to put more in.
There are tons of areas that we could focus on but let’s stick to 3 key points that you can easily adapt to mix up your routine and improve your overall game.
Hydration
Did you know that 60-75% of people are dehydrated? Yeah, look it up.
This is the easiest and most effective way to up your game without really doing anything but drinking more water. If you want to take it a step further you can mix in some electrolyte packets to start your day.
It’s recommended to drink at least half your body weight in ounces per day.
The effects of proper hydration on and off the court are astounding. Simply drinking water can enhance performance, recovery time, mental sharpness and your mood.
Exercise
You're not wrong if you think to yourself, "Pickleball is exercise." In fact, it's great exercise.
But there will likely come a point where spending time on the court just isn't enough to keep increasing your fitness level.
If you think you might have reached that point, there's an obvious solution: Hit the gym.
Combining a workout routine with your normal amount of drilling or playing will make you better at pickleball. Period. End of story.
So go find a tennis or pickleball specific workout routine and start going 2-3 times a week.
Try that for a month. If you do, you won’t be stuck anymore. That's a guarantee.
Stretching
This one might surprise you.
If you've never really been a "stretcher," you're missing out on a list of benefits that's too long to put here.
The high notes are this: Stretching has a weird therapeutic effect that helps you get out of your own head for a second and focus on something else. On top of that, it helps to prevent injury, and perhaps most importantly: It feels pretty darn good.
So roll out a yoga mat and get to it.
Conclusion
If you do any one of these things -- let alone all of them -- it will completely change who you are as a pickleball player.
It will open you up to a whole new level you did not even know you had.
It’s easy to get stuck in the rut of going to open play, putting together games with friends, drilling and just messing around in pickleball. For a lot of people that’s enough.
But if you want to reach your full potential, these 3 things will help you get to that point.
Test what works for you but the most important thing to remember is this: If you’re feeling stuck, it’s time to mix it up.
Frank Hines loves the game of pickleball and sharing that passion with as many people as possible. He found the game over two years ago and hasn't let up since. Follow Frank on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
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