Top Reminders Pickleball Amateurs Use

Phrases and reminders amateur players use to improve their pickleball game and mindset. It turns out there's a lot in this game you actually can control.

Jan 08, 2025

I did a brave thing the other day: I posed a question on a Facebook pickleball forum. It was brave since even the most benign questions on social media can lead to bitter arguing—not my cup of tea, and probably not yours either. Even though the pickleball community is mostly wonderful, there are lots of opinions in it, and you never know when you’re going to hit a nerve.

My question: “What are very short phrases/reminders that you have used or still use to help your pickleball game?”

Then I provided a couple examples which may or may not (read: very much are) be relevant to the things I continue to work on:

"Earn your way to the kitchen." This is my reminder to be strategic about moving to the kitchen with my partner, and read what’s happening on the other side of the net.
"Watch the ball.” Apparently this basic Little League baseball teaching from childhood didn’t really stick.
“Head down.” Speaking of Little League,sSometimes I play pickleball like I played baseball—way too many “pop-flies.”
“Paddle face.” This simple reminder came from a YouTube short I wish I could find again, which showed a very simple demonstration of adjusting the paddle face to get my dinks just over the net. Something about his teaching just… clicked…as he showed what not to do, and what to do. I’m grateful for all kinds of good coaching, however I can get it.

It turns out I had no reason to fear: The nearly 100 responses I received were helpful and humble. And covered a lot of ground. From what I could tell, most contributors were sharing reminders they still use to improve their game, regardless of skill level. And that is a most welcome reminder why this game is so fun—there’s always something to work on, to improve, to remember, and most people are happy to be helpful to others.

Major life lesson here—most reminders had to do with what is in your sole control and happening on your side of the net.

As I culled, batched, sorted and reviewed the spreadsheet of tips for similar tips, it became apparent that—major life lesson here—most reminders had to do with what is in your sole control and happening on your side of the net. Not a single one was about what your partner “should” be doing. A lot of the tips had to do with what’s going on above the neck (mindset), and only a few were about what happens with other people, or what you’re going to try to make happen on the other side of the net. Something about focusing on what you can control comes to mind?

If you take issue with my taxonomy, feel free to complain loudly. Or instead, be like the nice people whose tips I’ll share below, and just weigh in with the short reminder you find most helpful when you’re playing. It’s going to be really hard to not belabor the fact that so many of the reminders could be a powerful analogy for life. And, if this were a column for my intentional living publication, More to Your Life, you’d better believe I’d elaborate. Here, I’ll hold back. Mostly.

By category, here are top reminders other amateurs are using in their pickleball games:

Reminders people shared involving other people or the other side of the net:

“Move with your partner.”
“Yours!” (This one was shared in jest, but highlights the importance of communicating with your partner. So I made the executive decision to include it.)
“Where is your partner?”
“Play the X.” I had to Google this one, and I assume she is referring to the concept explained in this video. Side note: this particular contributor shared that she has drawn symbols on the edge of her paddle to remind her of her practices. Next level!

Reminders of things for you to do or not do:

“Serve and stay.” There were many variations of this shared, like it might be an issue for amateur players. “Serve and stay, return and run” was an elaborated version of this.
“Count 1…2…3…” One contributor repeats this to remind herself to stay back.
“Let it bounce.”
“Get to the line.”
“Hold the line.”
“The middle solves the riddle.” Having not heard this particular phrase, I was surprised that several people shared it. “3 feet in or middle,” was one man’s take on it, and a reminder to not aim for the lines.
“Shoulder high, let her fly.”
“Every shot with purpose.”
“Have an intention for every ball.”
“Make it playable (on serve).”
“Placement over power.”
“Keep it simple, don't force it.” Okay, I can’t help making an aside here. This advice applied to relationships, business growth, creative endeavors, emotional or physical healing? Profoundly true. Related to both pickleball and life: “Loose grip.”
“Stay low.”
“Get under the ball.”
“No running while hitting.”
“Move your feet.”
“Fast feet, slow arm.”
“Move forward into it.”

dude breathe sticker on gray post — Photo by Kyndall Ramirez on Unsplash

Mindset reminders:

"Yes." Repeating this simple word helps one man put his mind into a positive state. This reminds me of a key principle of improv comedy: "Yes, and…" in which you always build on what was presented or has just happened, with a positive, versus correcting, approach.
“Patience.” This one got multiple votes, including variations like, “You have more time than you think” or “Don't rush, slow down” or “You have time” or “Breathe!” or “Breathe, and slow down.”
A couple comments are about forgiveness: “It's in the past” and “Next” or ““Next point” or “It's zero x zero.”
“I can do better.” The commenter referenced research, possibly something like that shared in this article, which indicates that “Telling yourself [you] can do better, can really make you do better at a given task.”
“Get it over, get it in.”
“Control the point.”
“Keep the ball in play.”

A couple reminders don’t fit neatly into any of the above, but they’re worth ending with: One woman reminds herself, especially at tournament time, how much she “loves chasing pickleballs.” Another contributor tells himself to, “Have fun—you're not paying the mortgage with this game.” Some amateurs sure play pickleball like they are, but most people—thankfully—play for the fun and personal growth of it all.

What was or is one of your most helpful pickleball reminders? Feel free to share in comments below.

Pickleball-related happenings:

Dreamers taking action: While traveling cross-country in August, I used the PicklePlay app to find a local community court in Concord, New Hampshire. On that same day in August, I also discovered the world’s best Korean BBQ Salmon tacos, but I digress. A new friend, Becka, and I chatted for over an hour after open play ended—about pickleball, family, and pickleball business opportunities. She and her business partner have since launched the coaching program they were dreaming of, and it’s exploding. They’re teaching multiple Parks & Rec programs, are running their own clinics out of facilities, and are essentially doing the thing they were hoping to do, and more. Check them out at LiveFreeAndPickleball on Instagram.
Creative product: Moment Pickleball is doing all kinds of creative things in the pickleball space. Their latest offering is a “Magic Pickleball,” based on the timeless Magic 8 ball. I bet this did very well over Christmas, and will do well for year-round pickleball-related gifting.
Wisdom from the community court: Jacki, one of the the organizers of a weekly women’s pickleball event, asked visitors to introduce themselves and share what they are going to work on this year—in pickleball or life in general. She went first: “I’m going to work on staying true to my own playing style in this game, instead of adopting so much from the playing styles of others.” Such good advice. Learn from others, absolutely, but stay yourself.