The game of pickleball is played on a badminton court, with wooden paddles like those used in table tennis, and a plastic Wiffle-type ball. Unlike badminton, however, the net is set low, at 34 inches from court surface to net top. Pickleball is a game of skill rather than strength, thanks to the non-volley zone on either side of the net. Players aren't allowed to get close to the net and smash the ball over the other side; instead, they must rely on their volleying skills to keep the ball in play. You earn points when your opponent fails to return the ball, or hits the ball out of bounds.
Serving Skills
You can only score points when your team is serving, so having a reliable serve lets you make the most of scoring opportunities. Serves are to be hit underhand, with several requirements. The paddle must be below your wrist when you hit the ball; you must hit the ball below waist level; and the ball must travel diagonally across the court, to the opponent on the opposite side of the court from you. Your serve must also clear the non-volley line, seven feet back from the net. If you are able to serve the ball so that it barely clears this line, you might be able to make your opponents believe your serve won't be good, so they don't try to return it --- and thus earn yourself a point when falls in.
Line Judging Skills
During a rally, balls that land on any court line are considered to be in play. If you have sharp eyes, and good skill in judging where a ball will land, you can make the most of shots that seem to be going out of bounds --- but are in fact legal, and would result in a point for the other team if they were missed.
Drop-Shot Volley Skills
Perfect your drop-shot volley, and you can take advantage of the times when your opponent positions himself too far back in the court. The goal is to hit a soft drop shot that lands near the front of his court --- a shot he's probably too far away to return. The drop-shot volley is best made from your non-volley line. Keep the shot light and short, so the ball plunks down near the net, and well out of reach of your opponent.
Lob Shot Skills
The lob shot is a high, deep shot that forces your opponent all the way to the back of the court. If you notice that your opponent consistently plays near the front of the court and the non-volley line, use your lob shot to break him out of his comfort zone. The danger inherent in lob shots is that your shot will go out of bounds; it takes practice and skill to develop a lob shot that's soft enough to stay in play, but hit well enough to reach all the way to the back of the court.
Overhead Slam Skills
Just because you aren't allowed to slam the ball at the net doesn't mean you can't make an aggressive slam shot from behind the non-volley line. If your opponent's lob falls short ,or she hits an awkward return that takes a hard bounce near you, use it to your advantage. Hit the ball with a hard overhand motion to slam the ball down over the net. This works especially well if your opponent is near the back of her court, and you can slam the ball in the front. The ball will bounce quickly, and she'll have to scramble to hit it before it makes an illegal double bounce.
Dinking Skills
Dinking is the art of hitting the ball softly and gently so it just barely taps over the net into your opponent's court. It's a good way to confuse an opponent who consistently plays in the backcourt. To do it well, you need a very soft stroke with no backswing --- imagine a smooth forward motion that simply pushes the ball over the net. The tip of your paddle should be extended, closer to the net than your wrist.
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