There Are Only Four Shots in Pickleball

Everything you do on a pickleball court comes down to four shots.

Pickleball can feel complicated.

Third-shot drops. Resets. Speed-ups. Blocks. Names for everything.

Here's Coach Brett's simplifier: there are only four shots in pickleball.

The Four Shots

• Dinks
• Groundstrokes
• Volleys
• Overheads

That's the whole game. Every fancy name is one of these four in a different outfit.

Three Tools That Improve Every Shot

You can't change which shot you're hitting. But you can change how you hit it.

• Swing speed. Use it as a tool: slow it down, or speed it up.
• Swing extension. Use it as a tool: keep it short, or make it long.
• Paddle face. Understand the difference between neutral, open, and closed.

Each one is a dial. Learn to turn them on purpose.

Finish the Shot

One more habit to build into all four: learn proper follow-through. Hit and freeze.

Don't pull the paddle away the moment you make contact. Finish, hold it, and see what you did.

The Bottom Line

Four shots. Three dials. One finish.

Master the basics, and the complicated stuff stops looking complicated.

You don't need more shots. You need better control of the four you already have.

Swing speed and swing extension work best with a paddle that feels right in your hand. The DadGummies™ Adjustable Weight System lets you tune your paddle's balance in seconds, with no lead tape or tools.

Play smarter. Play stronger. Play DadGum. Visit DadGumPaddles.com to see the DadGummies™ system in action.

Related: 100 Pickleball Tips from Coach Brett Noel.