10 common intermediate mistakes in pickleball

You’ve developed a reliable serve, improved your dinks, and become more comfortable at the kitchen line. But you still lose points because of avoidable decisions.

Many intermediate pickleball mistakes aren’t caused by poor technique. They happen when players practice shots without understanding patterns, attack from difficult positions, or move forward without assessing the previous shot.

Here are 10 common mistakes intermediate players make, and how to correct them.

Watch my video below to see these mistakes and corrections demonstrated on court.

Why intermediate mistakes in pickleball can hold you back

At the beginner level, improvement often comes from developing basic technique and consistency.

Intermediate players face a different challenge. You might know how to hit a third-shot drop or execute a speedup, but choosing the wrong moment can put you at a disadvantage.

The key is connecting your shots, recognizing patterns, and understanding how each decision affects the rest of the rally.

The 10 most common intermediate mistakes in pickleball

1. Practicing shots instead of patterns

Practicing individual shots matters, but rallies rarely repeat the same shot in isolation. Getting used to patterns and tendencies will help you anticipate and stay prepared for the next ball.

Common patterns you might see include: hitting consecutive dinks wide before speeding up through the middle. Or attacking a backhand dink, then flicking into your partner’s body. You should also recognize when opponents are setting up that same combination against you.

How to fix it: Practice multi-shot patterns instead of focusing exclusively on individual techniques.

Practice them from both sides: run the pattern on offense and on defense, and read the wide dinks so you’re ready for the middle attack if you hit a pop-up.

This develops your anticipation and helps you prepare for faster kitchen exchanges.

2. Watching the ball instead of the opponent

Many intermediate players focus so heavily on the ball that they overlook critical information from their opponents.

Your opponent’s body position, paddle angle, and swing preparation can clue you into their next shot.

A larger swing may signal an aggressive shot, while a player reaching down in front may hit softer shots or a lob.

How to fix it: Watch your opponent’s preparation while your ball is bouncing on their side.

This helps you anticipate offensive and defensive situations without guessing where the ball will go, and it keeps you calmer and more composed.

3. Poor paddle positioning

Keeping your paddle too low is a common problem when defending against speedups at the kitchen.

If your opponent has an opportunity to attack, holding your paddle below your hip makes it harder to react to a fast ball aimed at your upper body.

How to fix it: When anticipating a speedup, raise your paddle higher just below your chin and further out in front of your body.

The goal is to reduce long travel distances between shots so you can respond and recover more quickly when your opponent attacks.

4. Trying to win the point in one shot

An offensive opportunity doesn’t always mean you should try to win the point immediately.

I often see intermediate players force an attack and try to end the point with 100% power, instead of using the opportunity to build more pressure.

This can lead to unforced errors, and just when you think the point is over, the ball comes back, leaving you surprised and unprepared for the net ball.

How to fix it: Focus on moving your opponent around and setting up an easier attack opportunity, rather than ending the point too soon.

Think about the patterns and placement over power.

5. Attacking from an imbalanced position

Attacking while reaching, lunging, or contacting the ball too close to your body not only makes the shot harder, it also makes recovery harder.

Even if your attack goes over the net, you may be poorly positioned for the counterattack.

How to fix it: Assess your own balance before choosing an offensive shot.

Ideally, keep your knees slightly bent, your weight toward the balls of your feet, and your paddle comfortably in front of your body.

Avoid forcing attacks when the ball is too low, behind you, at your feet, or outside your comfortable reach. Be aware of timing as well. Attacking a ball right off the bounce is extremely difficult and a low percentage decision. Instead, give yourself more time and wait for the ball to bounce up a little higher.

Lastly, consider what happens after your attack. You need enough time to recover and prepare for the next shot.

6. Rushing through the transition zone

Some players treat the transition zone as an area they need to run through as quickly as possible.

However, rushing forward without evaluating the quality or “attackability” of your shots can leave you unprepared for the next ball.

How to fix it: Move through the transition zone in stages, and reset as you assess ball trajectory, not by taking big swings.

After each reset, assess whether your opponent can attack. Quickly recognize the height and speed of your ball over the net.

A slower, controlled reset will give you more time to advance because the ball stays in the air longer.

A faster shot generally gives you less time before the next ball comes back, so you’ll have to stop and stabilize your body sooner.

7. Automatically advancing after a third-shot

Hitting a third-shot drop or drive doesn’t automatically mean you should rush toward the kitchen.

Your ability to advance depends on the shot's trajectory and quality.

A high, slow drop may allow opponents to attack. A low, fast drop may be hard to attack but gives you less time to move forward.

How to fix it: Evaluate your third-shot height and speed.

A low, slower drop that forces your opponent to contact the ball below net height generally creates a better opportunity to advance.

If your drop sits high, prepare to defend or hit a reset rather than rushing forward.

Let your shot quality determine how far you move.

8. Speeding up the wrong ball at the kitchen

One of the most costly intermediate mistakes in pickleball is attacking a ball that isn’t suitable for a speedup.

Balls that are too low, at your feet, or too far out of reach are hard to attack effectively.

Before attempting a speedup, consider three important factors:

• Balance: Are you lunging or reaching for the ball?
• Height: Is the ball at least knee height?
• Timing: How soon after the bounce are you hitting the ball?

Balls between knee and hip height can provide good speedup opportunities when you’re balanced and have sufficient preparation time.

How to fix it: Become more selective about which balls you attack.

It’s also good practice to think about your recovery time: when the next ball comes back, will you be balanced and ready to hit that?

9. Dinking without a purpose

Intermediate players become comfortable dinking but don’t always think about what each placement accomplishes.

How to fix it: Give each dink a specific purpose, and think about moving your opponent around with 3 or more dinks.

You might dink wide to move an opponent, target their weaker side, or place a ball deeper toward their feet.

For example, moving your opponents toward the sidelines can create opportunities to attack through the middle.

If an opponent struggles with balls near their feet, a controlled deeper dink may put them under pressure.

Your objective is to build the point to earn a weaker return that is even easier to attack.

10. Not utilizing the third-shot drop enough

Some intermediate players rely heavily on baseline drives, repeatedly driving their third, fifth, and seventh shots.

While drives can be effective, relying on them exclusively can make it harder to reach the kitchen line.

How to fix it: Develop a reliable third-shot drop and recognize when to use it.

A well-executed drop travels into the kitchen and forces your opponent to contact the ball below net height.

Because the ball moves more slowly, you and your partner may have more time to advance.

If your opponent then returns a pop-up, you’ll be better positioned to attack once you’ve established yourselves near the kitchen.

Conclusion

Improving at the intermediate level requires more than hitting individual shots consistently.

You need to recognize patterns, read opponents, stay balanced, and know when to attack, defend, or advance.

Many intermediate mistakes in pickleball come from making decisions too quickly or not considering what happens after their immediate shot.

Start by identifying one mistake from this list and practicing the correction during your next session.

If you’re unsure which mistakes are holding you back, private pickleball lessons can help you identify specific weaknesses and work on them with personalized feedback.

For a more structured approach, join the Bay Area Pickleball Skool community for video courses, targeted drills, and skill-progression roadmaps that help you practice with clear goals.

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