Losing a long pickleball rally rarely comes down to bad luck. In a recent Instagram breakdown, pickleball creator @thatpickleballboy highlighted seven common habits that quietly cost players long rallies.
The first mistake is dinking too high. A dink that floats above net height isn’t a soft shot; it’s an invitation to attack. The fix is aiming dinks low, ideally near an opponent’s feet, forcing them to dig the ball up instead of smashing it down.
The second issue is backing away from the kitchen line under pressure. That single step back hands control of the rally to the other side. Holding position, leaning slightly forward, and blocking with a stable paddle face keeps that control in your own hands.
Third, players often let their paddle speed match their running speed. Fast feet are good; Fast hands during a soft rally are not. The rule here is simple: move quickly to get into position, but slow everything down once you’re set to hit the ball.
Fourth is grip pressure. Squeezing the paddle too tightly stops it from absorbing pace, which is exactly why resets keep floating up instead of dying at the net. A grip pressure around 4–5 out of 10 works far better than a death grip.
Fifth, pressure tempts players into shots they haven’t actually practiced. Under stress, sticking to your highest-percentage shot beats improvising something new.
Sixth is trying to win from no-man’s-land, the awkward zone between the baseline and the kitchen. A low ball hit from there is almost always a reset opportunity, not a chance to attack.
Finally, the biggest one: impatience. Most rally-ending errors happen because a player couldn’t wait one more shot. The fix is disciplined: attack only when the ball sits above the net and your body is balanced; otherwise, reset and wait.
None of these fixes require new gear or extra hours on court. They just require noticing which habit is costing you the most points
Written By Harsh Ahlawat
