Once you know how to serve and keep score, the next question is usually the same: how do I actually win points? Pickleball rewards patience and good positioning far more than raw power, which is good news if you are new to the game. Here are six approachable tactics that win points without hitting harder or learning complicated shots, plus where in Australia to find coaching and match play that lock them in.
1. Get to the non-volley line as a team
The single biggest habit that separates beginners from intermediate players is where they stand. Players who hang back near the baseline give up too much court, while players who control the area just behind the non-volley line tend to dictate the rally.
The non-volley zone (everyone calls it the kitchen) extends 7 feet (2.13 m) from the net on both sides. You cannot volley while standing in it, but the line just behind it is the best position to play from. From there you can hit down on balls, react faster, and apply pressure.
The goal in doubles is for both you and your partner to reach that line together and stay roughly level with each other. Move up as a pair, not one at a time, so there are no gaps for your opponents to exploit.
2. Use the third-shot drop to move forward
There is a problem to solve: the serving team starts at the baseline because of the two-bounce rule. The serve must bounce, and the return must bounce, so the serving side cannot rush the net straight away. That is where the third shot comes in.
The third-shot drop is a soft shot hit from near your baseline that lands gently in or near your opponents’ kitchen. Done well, it forces them to hit up on the ball, which buys you time to walk forward to the line.
- Aim for a high, arcing trajectory that drops, rather than a flat shot.
- Target the kitchen so the ball is difficult to attack.
- Do not expect perfection. Even a decent drop that lets you move up a few steps is a win.
If the drop feels too hard at first, a deep, soft “drive and follow” works too. The point is to keep advancing toward the line rather than trading hard shots from the back.
3. Dink with patience, not power
A dink is a soft shot hit from near the kitchen line that just clears the net and lands in your opponents’ non-volley zone. Dinking is not stalling. It is how you wait for a ball you can actually attack.
Many beginners lose points by trying to end the rally too early, hitting a low percentage power shot when a controlled dink would have kept them safe. The patient player usually wins, because the impatient one eventually hits the ball into the net or pops it up for an easy put-away.
When you dink, keep your paddle out in front, use your legs rather than your wrist, and aim to keep the ball low. If your opponent’s return floats up above net height, that is your signal to step in and put it away.
4. Keep your returns deep
When you are returning serve, depth is your friend. A deep return pushes the serving team back toward their baseline and makes their third shot longer and harder.
Aim to land your return within a metre or two of their baseline. A deep return gives you more time to get to the kitchen line and makes your opponents’ job tougher. A short, soft return does the opposite, letting them step in and take control.
You do not need pace for this. A loopier, slower return that lands deep is often more useful than a flat, fast one that lands short.
5. Talk and move together in doubles
Pickleball doubles is a two-person game, and a surprising number of points are lost to silence and confusion rather than bad shots. Two simple habits fix most of this.
- Call the middle. When a ball comes down the centre, one player should call “mine” or “yours” early. The middle is where most doubles confusion happens.
- Move as a unit. Picture a short rope tying you to your partner. If they slide to cover the right sideline, you slide right too, so the court stays evenly covered.
A few other useful calls: “bounce it” when a ball looks like it is drifting out, and “switch” if you have crossed over to chase a ball. None of this requires skill, just the willingness to speak up.
6. Target the middle and the feet
Where you aim matters as much as how you hit. Two targets win a lot of points at the beginner and intermediate level.
The middle of the court, between two opponents, creates hesitation about who should take the ball, and it also removes the sharp angles your opponents can hit back. When in doubt, hit it up the middle.
The other target is your opponents’ feet. A ball at the feet is awkward to return cleanly and usually produces a weak, high reply that you can then attack. Aim there rather than at the open space they can easily reach.
Where to get coaching in Australia
Articles and videos only get you so far. A coach watching you play will spot the one habit actually costing you points, and beginners usually guess that habit wrong. Pickleball coaching is now easy to find in most states, and much of it is built around exactly these skills. A few examples from our directory:
- Victoria: Elsternwick Park Tennis Centre in Brighton runs a weekly Pickleball IQ coach-and-play program during term, with 1.5-hour sessions at $37 each on termly enrolment or $39 casual, alongside a separate adult coaching and drills class at $22 per session termly.
- New South Wales: Vision Pickleball in Queanbeyan East runs Adults Coaching on Thursdays at 6pm as a 9-week term for $235, then a Level Up program on Mondays at 6pm ($250 per term) once you outgrow it.
- Queensland: UQ Sport Tennis Centre in St Lucia offers year-round coaching sessions from beginner to advanced.
- Western Australia: Perth Pickleball Centre in Wanneroo, a nine-court indoor venue, runs coached sessions with accredited coaches alongside its graded social sessions.
If a term commitment feels like too much, look for one-off skills-and-drills sessions instead. Port Stephens Pickleball Club in Nelson Bay, for instance, runs Friday Skills and Drills from 9 to 11am with Level 1 coaches.
Test your tactics in a league
Once the kitchen line and the deep return start feeling automatic, graded competition is the fastest way to pressure-test them. Plenty of venues run leagues with an entry level for newer players. DINX Pickleball in Grovedale, near Geelong, grades its leagues in three steps: a Beginner League on Tuesdays (5 to 7pm and 7 to 9pm), an Advanced Beginner League on Wednesdays from 7 to 9pm, and an Intermediate/Advanced League on Thursdays from 6 to 8pm. On the NSW Central Coast, Gosford Pickleball Club runs a Monday Night League over a 10-week season with two divisions for intermediate to advanced players rated 3.0+ DUPR.
At the top of the pyramid sits the National Pickleball League, Australia’s professional teams competition. You will not start there, but it helps to know the pathway exists: social play, then coaching, then graded leagues and tournaments.
Put it into practice
You do not need all six tactics at once. Pick one, focus on it for a few sessions, then add another. Getting to the kitchen line and keeping returns deep are the easiest places to start, and both can be practised at any social session. Some venues put the whole loop under one roof: Royal Pickle Club Carrum Downs, a three-court indoor centre in Melbourne’s south-east, runs both coaching sessions and social play nights.
If you are still learning the basics, our beginner’s guide to playing pickleball and pickleball rules explained are worth a read first. When you are ready, browse every court in the directory or use the interactive map to find a venue near you. Strategy sticks far faster on court than on paper.
