Welcome to Part 1 of our series exploring why tennis players are so annoyingly good at pickleball. We delve into the skills that give them the edge and often leave us shaking our heads. Let's unravel the secrets behind their seamless transition and dominance on the pickleball court.

We don’t need to tell you that pickleball is still exploding! Go to your local community center or public courts – especially when it’s not ridiculously hot out – and you will see the flood of people knocking that plastic ball back and forth over the net.

We are seeing similar growth, perhaps even more, at the competitive and elite levels. In particular, there has been a lot of fanfare around the fact that former professional tennis players are now throwing their hat into the ring. And we are not just talking about mid-level, former pro players; we are talking about some of tennis’s household names: The Bryan brothers (Bob and Mike); Jack Sock; and fellow Canadian Genie Bouchard.

If you don’t come from the tennis world, you may be somewhat annoyed about these hotshots showing up at the courts and quickly being hyped as contenders. And not just them! Maybe you have the same experience at your local courts when the college kids are on break or high school is out for the summer – those tennis kids show up and start taking over! In this article, we look at some of the most important reasons why tennis players are very often instantly good at pickleball.

At this point, we should divide skills into two categories: reception skills and projection skills. Reception skills have to do with receiving the ball. After all, you can’t send the ball over the net effectively if you haven’t moved to the right place to hit it. Projection skills, on the other hand, have to do with projecting or sending the ball over the net. This is often the area of focus for average players and even many coaches; projection skills tend to be seen as the sexier skills in pickleball (e.g., did you see how much spin she put on the ball? Wow, his serve is so fast! Her drop is so low! etc.). Let’s look at reception skills specifically and why excellent tennis players have such an upper hand when it comes to mastering them.

Reception Skill Number One: Judgement.

When your opponent hits a serve, a return, a drive, or a dink, you need to figure out where that ball is going and where you need to move to in order to hit it. You have to judge the speed of the ball, the direction it was sent, what kind of spin is on it and exactly how much. You have to judge the depth of the ball and figure out how high it will bounce or whether it will bounce at all. Many calculations have to be made in a split second. This is exactly the same skill set that tennis players need. They have to figure out where the ball is going and exactly where they need to get to in order to set up well for it. And since elite tennis players have seen tens or hundreds of thousands of balls flying their way, it makes sense that their judgement skills are solid. Compare this to an elite skier, swimmer, or gymnast. They have little or no experience tracking down a ball in a split second – it’s a different skill set.

Reception Skill Number Two: Movement.

It’s one thing to judge where a ball is going, but it is quite another to get to it. Again, the skill of moving to set up for a ball is very much in a strong tennis player's wheelhouse. Having a good impact point is critical in tennis. If you’re reaching for the ball or too close to it, it becomes very difficult to hit it well. The same is true in pickleball. Advanced tennis players are quick and agile. They are light on their feet. They know how to move in different directions explosively and safely. Again, this is a huge advantage in pickleball.

Reception Skill Number Three: Anticipation.

Something that is often underestimated in pickleball is the ability to anticipate where an opponent will send the ball before they actually do so. For example, whether a paddle is tilted 30° to the left or 20° to the left will make a significant difference in where the ball goes. Noticing that an opponent has taken a slightly longer backswing may be an indicator that they are about to speed up the ball. The last-second grip change may be a clue that a third shot drive is coming as opposed to a drop. Being able to anticipate both the kind of shot your opponent will send and the manner in which they send it is very important in tennis. And it is even more important in pickleball where the court is smaller and the distance between opponents is less. Tennis players who played at an elite level have a significant advantage here. They have spent decades developing the skill of reading what an opponent is going to do just before they do it. Are they always right? No. Of course not. But they are more adept at doing this right off the bat than someone who comes from a different sports background or none at all.

So there you have it. One of the reasons why elite tennis players are instantly very good pickleball players is their ability to receive the ball well. They can judge the ball right off the bat in ways that most pickleball players initially can’t. After making that judgement, they can move effectively to set up well and prepare for the next shot. Finally, their ability to notice almost imperceptible differences between paddle angle, swing path, and swing speed gives them an advantage over the average player. They have honed their craft in anticipating, and they are now using it effectively in pickleball. Are they perfect pickleball players? No. But they are starting with a huge advantage.

Written by: Mark Renneson