Prepare early
Get your body, feet and paddle ready before the ball arrives, read it early, and recover after every shot. That gives you the time to make the simple shot easy.
Prepare early. Create time before you need it.
Builds your control
Create time before you need it
Get your body, feet and paddle ready for the most likely next shot before the ball gets to you. That is early preparation, and it comes down to one idea: create time before you need it.
More time gives you room to set your spacing, choose your contact point, settle your balance and use simple, repeatable mechanics. Late preparation squeezes all of that, and the shot comes out rushed or improvised.
Control first showed this as a chain. This lesson works through its front end: read the ball, get set, and be ready again after you hit.
- 1
Read the ball early
Watch where the ball is going, how fast, and what your opponent’s body is doing. The sooner you know the likely next shot, the more time you have.
- 2
Set your body and feet
Move your feet and body toward where you will hit it, and get set before the ball gets to you, not as it arrives.
- 3
Set your paddle
Bring your paddle into position early, so once you know where the ball is going you only need a small move.
- 4
Play the simple shot
With the time you created, you have room to hit with normal, repeatable mechanics. Make the simple shot easy.
- 5
Recover and go again
After every shot, get back to a ready position so you can control the next one. Then read the next ball early, and start again.
Read the ball early
You cannot set good spacing or timing if you see the ball too late. So the first step is not a move at all: it is looking. Read these as early as you can:
- the ball’s path, its pace and its spin
- your opponent’s body position
- the direction they are likely to hit
This is anticipation. Earlier recognition gives you more time, more time lets you use your feet, better footwork gives you better spacing, and better spacing gives you better contact. Waiting too long to recognize the incoming ball is a typical way to lose that time.
Get set: body, feet and paddle
Prepare for the most likely next shot, not for every shot. You do not need to be certain, only ready.
Your paddle is part of that. Paddle preparation means getting the paddle into position early, so once you know where the ball is going you do not need a large movement. This matters most at the kitchen, the no-volley zone beside the net, where much of your control comes from not needing a large movement.
The habit to drop is moving the paddle only after the ball is already close. That forces a late, big movement, and late preparation is often covered with a wristy or improvised swing.
One coach’s example, in the Videos tab: when you can see your opponent is about to drive the ball hard at you, set your paddle already out in front, then meet the ball instead of going to it.
Prepare early without giving your shot away
Preparing early does not mean showing your shot early. A better player prepares early, keeps several options open and disguises the final decision until late.
Deception is built on top of control. It is not a way to make up for poor preparation. What to avoid is being late and then trying a fancy, wristy, low-margin shot to escape. Prepare early, then execute cleanly.
Recover after every shot
Control does not end when you hit the ball. After every shot, get back into a position where you can control the next one.
This is why the size of your swing matters. A huge swing can give you a good first shot and leave you unable to deal with the next ball. A compact swing helps you recover.
Cues to take on court
Pick one and say it to yourself during a rally:
- Prepare early.
- Get set before the ball gets to you.
- Create time before you need it.
- Make the simple shot easy.
A few things you might wonder
How can I get ready for a shot when I don’t know what it will be?
You can’t, and you do not need to. Get ready for the most likely shot, using what you can read from the ball and your opponent, and keep your options open for the rest.
Should I keep my paddle down until I see where the ball goes?
No. Waiting until the ball is close means moving the paddle late, and a late paddle often leads to a wristy, improvised swing. Bring it into position early, so you only need a small move once you know where the ball is going.
What if I’m late anyway: should I try something clever?
Play the simple shot. Deception works when it is built on control, not when it covers for being late. Rushing into a fancy or wristy shot usually leaves little margin.
Do I need to recover even after a good shot?
Yes. Control does not stop at contact. A huge swing can produce a good first shot but leave you unable to deal with the next ball, so recover into a ready position every time.
Ready before it arrives
Choose a clear court and a partner who feeds you easy balls. Work on one step at a time, and aim for being ready, not for winners.
Read first
Before each feed, say out loud where you think the ball is going. Use what you can see: its path, its pace, its spin and your partner’s body. Try ten balls.
Get set before the ball arrives
As soon as you have your read, move your feet and body so you are set before the ball gets to you. Try ten balls, and aim to finish moving before the ball arrives.
Set your paddle early
At the kitchen line, with soft feeds, bring your paddle into position as soon as you know where the ball is going, so you only need a small move. Try ten balls.
Recover every time
After every hit, get back to a ready position before the next feed. Try ten balls with a compact swing, then ten with a big one, and notice which leaves you readier for the next feed.
Repeat your weakest step
Pick the step you missed most often and repeat the set with only that one.
Check your understanding
Your answers reset when you leave this lesson. Sign in to keep your progress.
What does preparing early give you?
What does an early paddle give you at the kitchen?
Which habit helps you see the next shot sooner?
How do preparing early and hiding your shot fit together?
What can a huge swing cost you?
Before you move on
Use these as a personal check. Your selections reset when you leave this lesson. Sign in to keep your progress.
Practice answers are for learning, not certification.
Learn from a real player
Another explanation can help things click. These videos belong to their creators.
Sit the right way! (opens in a new tab)
On YouTube, by Richard Pickleball (opens in a new tab)
Thirteen seconds on how to set up for a backhand by where the ball is: two hands when it is wide, one hand when it is right in front, neutral when it is to the right. The shots go beyond this lesson. The idea that fits is setting your paddle before the ball arrives, in the way the ball’s position calls for.
How to defend against a hard drive to your body! (opens in a new tab)
On YouTube, by tanner.pickleball (opens in a new tab)
One minute on being mistimed against a hard drive at your body. The fix is to set your paddle already out in front, and meet the ball instead of going to it.
Chapters
Stop Being Late! The Key to Playing Better Pickleball! (opens in a new tab)
On YouTube, by Richard Pickleball (opens in a new tab)
The title says late, but this is about one shot, the third-shot drop, and the drop details go beyond this lesson. Watch the chapters “Why Is Taking the Ball Early Important?” and “Examples of Hitting the Ball Early”, where Richie sets up early and meets the ball well in front of him.
Chapters