Switching from Tennis to Pickleball
Also known as: tennis to pickleball, tennis player playing pickleball, pickleball for tennis players, transitioning from tennis to pickleball, tennis vs pickleball differences, what's different about pickleball, how is pickleball different from tennis
Tennis players pick up pickleball fast, but a few habits need to change. Serve underhand, let the serve and the return bounce, and get to the kitchen line. Shorten your swing and win points with patience and placement rather than pace.
The rules change the shape of every point. The serve must be an underhand volley serve or a drop serve. The serve and the return must each bounce before anyone volleys. You may not volley while touching the non-volley zone, the 7-foot kitchen on each side of the net. Singles and doubles use the same 20 by 44 foot court. The net is 34 inches high in the middle.
Several tennis habits cost points here. A big takeback leaves you late against fast hands at the net. Many coaches teach a compact swing from the shoulder instead. Staying at the baseline hands the kitchen line to the other team. In doubles, the pair that gets there first usually controls the point. Hitting every ball hard rarely works either. A low ball at your opponent's feet forces them to hit up. A drive that arrives waist-high gives them an easy volley. The paddle has no strings and the ball has holes. Expect less spin and less pace than tennis gives you.
A lot carries over. Your split step, footwork and volleys give you a head start at the net. Many coaches teach a continental grip for dinks and volleys, as in tennis. Your eye for angles helps with dinking. Learn the dink, the third-shot drop and the reset early. These soft shots matter more in pickleball than any tennis weapon.
Tips by skill level
In your first sessions, follow your return of serve all the way to the kitchen line. Then dink until someone hits a ball high enough to attack.
Use your tennis groundstrokes on the third shot when the return is short. Keep the drop and the reset ready for when a drive comes back hard.
Example
A club tennis player loses her first games by driving every return and staying back. Her coach has her follow the return to the kitchen line and dink until a ball rises. She starts winning the long exchanges.
Why it matters
Tennis skill transfers to pickleball, but some tennis habits hold you back. Changing a few of them early makes the switch much faster.
Common mistakes
- Swinging with a full tennis backswing at the kitchen line
- Staying at the baseline after the return instead of moving up
- Driving every ball instead of mixing in drops and dinks
- Serving with a tennis toss or an overhead motion
Frequently asked questions
I'm a tennis player, what do I need to change for pickleball?
Serve underhand, let the serve and the return bounce, and move up to the kitchen line. Shorten your backswing and learn soft shots like the dink and the third-shot drop. Patience and placement win more points than pace.
Does tennis help you in pickleball?
Yes. Footwork, the split step, volleys and court sense all transfer. The parts to unlearn are the big swing, the habit of staying back and trying to hit through every ball.
Can I use a tennis serve in pickleball?
No. A volley serve needs an upward arc, contact no higher than the waist and the paddle head not above the wrist. You can also use a drop serve, hit after the ball bounces.
Sources
Related terms
- Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone)The kitchen is the 7-foot non-volley zone on each side of the net. You may not hit a volley (a ball out of the air) while standing in it or touching its line. You must let the ball bounce first.
- Two-Bounce RuleThe two-bounce rule requires the ball to bounce once on each side before either team may volley. The serve must bounce on the return side. The return must bounce on the serving side, and only after those two bounces may either team hit a ball before it bounces.
- DinkA dink is a soft, controlled shot hit from near the kitchen line. It arcs just over the net and lands in the opponent's kitchen, forcing them to hit upward and preventing an aggressive return.
- Third-Shot DropThe third-shot drop is a soft, arcing shot hit from the baseline that lands in the opponent's kitchen — forcing them to hit upward and giving the serving team time to advance safely to the kitchen line.
- Compact BackswingA compact backswing is a short, controlled preparation where the paddle is drawn back only as far as needed — usually to hip level — before the forward swing. This reduces reaction time and improving consistency.
- Underhand Serve RuleA pickleball volley serve, hit out of the air, must use an upward swing, with contact below the waist and the paddle head below the wrist. The drop serve, hit after the ball bounces, is exempt from those three rules.
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