PLAY WITH BETTER PLAYERS
Here are some general pickleball etiquette guidelines, which address these questions and more.
WHEN YOU WANT TO PLAY WITH
BETTER PLAYERS:
• Politely ask if they mind you joining,
and give them an out. For example,
“Do you all mind if I get a game in with
you, or would you rather play on your
own?”
• Ask at the beginning or end of the day,
when they are warming up or cooling
down. DON’T go when they are in the
midst of a streak of higher-level play.
• If you do approach them in the midst
of higher-level play, ask “Hey, do you
mind if I get a game in with you all
before you quit today?” so that they
can continue playing a few more
games, but will hopefully commit to
playing with you.
• If they do play a few games with
you at the beginning of the day, be
conscientious about giving them a
chance to play with other higher-level
players. Let them KNOW that you’re
being conscientious, so that they will
be more likely to want to play with
you again in the future. You might say,
“Hey, I see you can get a good game in
against those guys, I’ll sit this one out
and maybe we can play again later if
you have a chance.”
• If you ask stronger players to join
a game with you, HIT TO THEM!
Especially in a recreational game, no
one likes to sit on a court watching
their partner hit all the balls. The
higher‑level player is doing you a favor
by playing with you, so hit the ball to
him/her at least half the time. It will
make you a better player, make it more
fun for the other players and make it
more likely that they will play with you
again next time.
• Don’t be obnoxious if you beat a
stronger player in recreational play.
We all play our best when we play with
better players. When we play with
weaker players, it can be challenging
to stay focused, so remember that
they may not be playing at the top of
their game. (Or, if your opponents
read the rest of this article, they may
be focusing on improving their own
shots, rather than on winning.)
• If they give you feedback on your
game, have an open mind and be
appreciative of them taking the time
to play and help you.
WHEN WEAKER PLAYERS ASK YOU
TO PLAY:
Remember, someone took you under
their wing when you first started
playing, so pay it forward and make
a point to regularly play with players
who are weaker than you. Perhaps you
regularly play a warmup game with
them, or once a week you decide to
dedicate the last half of your play to
playing with them.
• If people invite you to play but you opt
for a higher-level game, let them know
when you WOULD be willing to play,
perhaps later in the day, or later in the
week.
• When you do play, let them know in
advance how long you’re planning to
play; for example, “I’d love to play with
you all for a game or two, but then I’d
like to get in with those other players.”
• Don’t be patronizing — or overly
aggressive. Instead of focusing on who
wins or loses, find a way to make it
challenging for yourself. Pick a shot
you want to improve upon and focus
on hitting that shot. Or, try to reduce
your number of unforced errors.
Focus on keeping the ball in