Where to start with pickleball
If you just found pickleball and have no idea where to begin, start here. This page gives you a simple path from zero to ready. Follow the steps in order. Each one builds on the last.
You do not need to read everything on this site. Just these six things first.
Step 1 — Get your gear
Before anything else, you need a paddle and the right shoes. You do not need to spend much. A solid first setup costs under $120, and a lot of that is optional. The shoes are not optional. Running shoes can roll your ankle on a pickleball court.
→ What you need to start playing pickleball
→ How to choose your first paddle
→ Court shoes vs running shoes
Step 2 — Learn the rules
The rules look complicated written down. They are not. You can learn enough to play in about five minutes of reading. Focus on three things: the serve, the two-bounce rule, and the kitchen. Everything else you will pick up on the court.
→ Pickleball rules for beginners (the simple version)
Step 3 — Understand scoring
Scoring trips up almost every beginner. The three-number system sounds confusing until someone explains the logic. Once it clicks, you will never forget it.
→ How to keep score without getting confused
Step 4 — Find a court
Courts are everywhere. You probably have beginner-friendly open play within a few miles of your house. Here is how to find it fast.
→ How to find pickleball courts near you
Step 5 — Show up
This is the hard one for most people. Walking up to a court full of strangers, alone, for the first time feels awkward. It stops being awkward after your first game. Here is exactly what to do and say.
→ How to join open play when you know nobody
→ Pickleball etiquette for beginners
Step 6 — Learn from your mistakes
Every beginner makes the same ten mistakes. Knowing what they are before you play means you will avoid most of them. And when you do make them, you will know how to fix them.
→ 10 common beginner mistakes and fixes
→ How to get better as a beginner
That is it. Six steps. You now know more than most people who walk onto a court for the first time. Go play.
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