Jordan Briones breaks down the 7 pickleball practice mistakes that are sabotaging your improvement and shows you exactly how to train with purpose instead.
If you’re grinding on the court but not seeing results, you’re probably making one of these pickleball practice mistakes without even realizing it.
Most players waste reps on drills that feel productive but don’t actually translate to real match situations.
The good news? Once you know what you’re doing wrong, fixing it is straightforward.
Jordan Briones, founder of Briones Pickleball Academy, recently broke down the seven most common pickleball practice mistakes that hold players back, regardless of skill level.
Whether you’re below a 4.0 or above a 5.0, you’re likely committing at least a few of these errors during your warm-ups and training sessions.
Love pickleball? Then you’ll love our free newsletter. We send the latest news, tips, and highlights for free each week.
Here’s the thing about crosscourt dinking: most players stay glued to the sideline while hitting back and forth. It looks like practice, but it’s not realistic.
When you’re locked in one spot, you’re not simulating actual gameplay where you need to recover to the middle after each shot.
Briones explains that static drilling creates bad muscle memory.
You’re training your body to stay in one position, which is the opposite of what happens in a real match.
In competition, after you hit a crosscourt dink, you immediately need to shade back toward the center of the court to cover the next ball.
The fix is simple: move your feet intentionally. Hit your crosscourt dink, then use a shuffle step to recover to the middle.
Your partner should do the same. This way, you’re building the footwork patterns you’ll actually need when the pressure’s on.
Pickleball Practice Mistake #2: Hitting Returns Stationary
The return of serve is one of the most important shots in pickleball, yet most players practice it all wrong.
They stand in one spot, hit a deep return, and call it a day. But that’s not how returns work in real matches.
When you return serve, your goal isn’t just to get the ball in play.
You need to return with momentum so you can advance toward the non-volley zone and be ready for the fourth shot counter.
If you’re practicing returns while standing still, you’re training yourself to stay back, which puts you on defense immediately.
Briones recommends practicing returns to the fourth shot.
Have your partner serve, hit your return with forward momentum, work on your split step as they hit their drive, and then execute your fourth shot counter.
This trains the complete sequence you’ll face in actual play, not just an isolated shot.
The 4 essential pickleball return targets can help you develop the right habits from the start.
💡
Mistake #3: Sitting on Your Backhand During Fast Hands Drills
When players practice their hands at the non-volley zone, they often camp out on their backhand side.
The logic seems sound: you’ll take most of your counters on the backhand, so why not practice there?
The problem is that at higher levels, opponents attack your dominant side relentlessly.
If you’re only practicing backhands, you’re leaving your forehand vulnerable. Fast hands drills should be balanced, not one-sided.
You need to practice returning to neutral and opening up to your forehand when opportunities arise.
This is one of the most overlooked pickleball training habits at every skill level.
The solution is to have your partner feed you on your forehand side at 60 to 70 percent pace.
This forces you to cover your backhand, your body, and your dominant side all in one drill.
You’ll develop the footwork and hand speed needed to handle attacks from any angle.
The Simple Drill to get Lightning-Fast Hands in Pickleball
You’re not just getting quicker hands. You’re getting smarter hands. And in pickleball, that’s the real difference.
Mistake #4: Driving Multiple Times in a Row
Players with strong drives often get stuck in a pattern: they hit drive after drive from the baseline while their partner sits at the non-volley zone.
It feels productive, but it’s not how pickleball actually works. In real matches, you rarely get to hit multiple drives in succession.
After you hit a drive, your opponent is going to keep you back with low volleys.
If you get another ball in front of you in a low position, driving again is usually a mistake.
Instead, you need to gain positional advantage and drop after your drive so you can move forward and reach the non-volley zone.
Practice this sequence: have your partner feed you a deep ball, hit your drive, then immediately prepare to drop the next ball.
The key is staying balanced and stationary after your drive so you can handle the volley in front of you and execute a smooth drop shot.
This is a deliberate pickleball practice drill that mirrors what actually happens in matches.
Beginner Pickleball Mistakes That Are Costing You Points
Most beginner pickleball mistakes come down to a handful of repeatable patterns, bad positioning, the wrong shot at the wrong time, and unforced errors you can fix this week. This guide breaks down the most common ones and gives you practical corrections to start winning more points immediately.
Pickleball Practice Mistake #5: Dinking With Zero Intention
Walk onto any public pickleball court and you’ll see players warming up with lazy, dead dinks.
They’re hitting balls back and forth, but they’re not moving their feet, not applying pressure, and not learning anything. This is wasted court time.
Intentional reps matter far more than volume. Every ball you hit should teach you something or help you improve.
When you’re practicing dinking, warm up your feet right away using angled shuffle steps.
Move the ball around to apply pressure on your partner and force them to work on their footwork too.
High-level players don’t just dink; they dink with purpose.
They’re moving, they’re creating angles, and they’re building the footwork patterns they’ll need in matches.
If your forehand dink needs work, this is the most overlooked fix in any pickleball training routine.
5 Pickleball Mistakes Keeping You Stuck Below 4.0
Intermediate pickleball players often hit a plateau around the 3.0-4.0 level, not because of lack of effort, but because of repeated habits. A new breakdown identifies five specific pickleball mistakes that limit progression and explains exactly how to correct them.
Mistake #6: Not Taking Volley Dinks Out of the Air
At the 4.0 level and above, one of the most important pickleball skills is taking balls out of the air at the non-volley zone.
It takes time away from your opponent and sets up offensive opportunities.
Yet many players practice dinking while constantly backing up, expecting the ball to bounce.
When you retreat, you leave more real estate open at your feet and put yourself on defense.
Leaning in and taking volley dinks is more mental than physical.
You have to be intentional about seeking those balls out of the air and creating a wide stance to handle them.
This mindset shift alone can change how opponents perceive you at the kitchen line.
The fix requires a commitment during practice. Commit to leaning in and taking balls out of the air whenever your opponent’s dink puts pressure on you.
This creates tension on the other side of the net and gives you the offensive advantage.
Check out these 2 essential pickleball techniques you’re missing at the kitchen line to build on this habit.
Avoid These 3 Deadly Mistakes to Master Aggressive Dinking
The aggressive dink isn’t about overpowering your opponent. It’s about creating pressure through placement, using deception to keep them guessing, and understanding when to attack versus when to reset
Pickleball Practice Mistake #7: Prioritizing Shots You Won’t Actually Use
This is the biggest one, and it’s why many players plateau.
They watch professional pickleball and see amazing Erne and backhand flicks, so they spend hours practicing these flashy shots.
But if you’re below a 4.0, these shots won’t help you improve.
Skill prioritization matters. At each level, there’s a clear set of skills you should focus on.
Below 4.0, you should be working on your transition game, your counters, and your footwork.
These fundamentals will get you to the next level far faster than practicing trick shots you’ll never use in a match.
This is one of the most damaging pickleball practice mistakes because it feels like progress when it isn’t.
Whether you’re at 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, or 5.0, identify the skills that are actually holding you back and prioritize those.
Stop wasting reps on things that look cool but don’t move the needle in your game.
For players below a 4.0, these 2 shots deserve your full attention before anything else.
5 Pickleball Mistakes Trapping You at 3.0-4.0
Most pickleball players plateau at the 3.0-4.0 level because they’re making the same five critical pickleball mistakes over and over. Enhance Pickleball breaks down exactly what those mistakes are and how to fix them.
The Bigger Picture: Training With Purpose to Fix Every Pickleball Practice Mistake
The common thread running through all seven mistakes is a lack of intentionality.
Players show up to the court, go through the motions, and hope they improve.
But improvement requires deliberate pickleball practice that mirrors actual match situations.
Briones emphasizes that court time is precious. Every rep should have a purpose.
Every drill should teach you something or build a pattern you’ll use in competition. When you practice this way, your improvement accelerates dramatically.
According to CBS Sports, deliberate practice and structured skill-building are the primary separators between players who plateau and those who consistently improve.
The path forward is clear: stop grinding mindlessly and start training with intention.
Fix these seven pickleball practice mistakes, and you’ll see results faster than you ever thought possible.
A simple 4-step system to win more games in 2026 can help you put intentional structure around everything covered here.
Players who make this shift often unlock rapid improvement across their entire game, from their transition zone decisions to their speed-up attacks.
The difference between plateauing and progressing is almost always practice quality, not practice quantity.
For a deeper look at how pros structure their pickleball training, ESPN has covered the rise of structured sport-specific training as the defining factor in accelerated athletic development.
Understanding the pickleball plateau and how to break through it is the next logical step once you’ve identified these habits.
And if you want the complete 12 drills to play your best pickleball in 2026, that resource pairs directly with everything in this breakdown.
💡
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common pickleball practice mistake players make?
The most common pickleball practice mistake is practicing without intention. Players hit balls back and forth without moving their feet, applying pressure, or simulating match situations, which creates bad habits that carry over directly into competition.
How should I structure my crosscourt dinking drills to avoid bad habits?
Move your feet intentionally after every single shot. Use a shuffle step to recover to the middle of the court after each dink, just like you would in a real match, because this builds the footwork patterns you’ll actually need under pressure.
Why is hitting multiple drives in a row a bad pickleball practice habit?
In real matches, you rarely get to hit multiple drives consecutively because your opponent will keep you back with low volleys. Practice the full sequence instead: hit your drive, then immediately prepare to drop the next ball to advance toward the non-volley zone.
How can I improve my return of serve through better pickleball training?
Practice your return as a complete sequence, not an isolated shot. Have your partner serve, hit your return with forward momentum, execute your split step, and then play out the fourth shot counter to train the full pattern you’ll face in actual play.
What shots should I prioritize in pickleball practice if I’m below a 4.0?
Focus on your transition game, counters, and footwork. These core fundamentals will move you to the next level far faster than practicing flashy shots like Erne or backhand flicks that rarely appear in matches at that skill level.
Nguồn: thedinkpickleball
