Simple Is Better:
Stop Overcomplicating your Pickleball

Hey friend,

I'm in your inbox this week with a simple reminder: bread-and-butter pickleball will raise your level faster than any flashy new shot.

We think improvement comes from learning something new.

More often, it comes from finally doing the simple things consistently.

I posted a new positioning video on YouTube last week (see below), and many comments said the same thing:

“So simple, but so helpful.”
“Good reminders. I needed this.”

I didn't teach anything groundbreaking, but in pickleball, foundational stuff just works.

I saw it again this week in a 3&Me session. We didn’t work on new shots. No advanced patterns. We just cleaned up a few fundamentals, and the level of play jumped almost immediately.

A handful of simple habits will improve your game faster than learning another flashy shot.

At every level, 3.0 to 5.0.

Here are four that I see over and over:

1. Get to the kitchen off your return.

You hit the return, you head in. Not halfway. Not “I’ll get there next shot.” Your return is your ticket to the kitchen and gaining instant advantage - use it every single time. Your return is your ticket to the kitchen and an instant advantage—use it every single time. That means starting farther back on returns so you can move forward, not backward.

2. Split step through transition.

Stable beats fast. If you’re moving when your opponent makes contact, you’re less in control, period. Split step for balance, then decide whether to reset or attack based on what you see. It might feel slower, but you’ll handle more balls and make better decisions.

3. Don’t try to bully from transition.

A speed-up off the bounce in transition gives your opponents plenty of time to recognize the shot and keep you pinned back. Earn your way to the kitchen first. If you hit a quality drop and can attack the next ball out of the air while moving through, that's a completely different story. Just choose wisely.

4. When you’re under pressure, dink to the middle.

The middle buys you time, takes away angles, and helps you get the point back to neutral. If you're stretched or scrambling, soften your hands and aim for something shallow through the middle. When you're on defense, neutral is a win.

We all overcomplicate pickleball.

But fundamentals win matches.

The players who improve the fastest usually aren't doing more—they're simply doing the basics better.

→ Watch the full video and see all 7 positioning mistakes that cost players points every game:

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🎁 Your Free Dinking Cheat Sheet 📄

One of those fundamentals is having a reliable push dink.

If that's the shot that breaks down under pressure, or you've never been taught the right technique, I made something for you: The Ultimate Push Dink Cheat Sheet. It’s a free PDF that breaks down exactly how to hit one of the most important shots in pickleball.

👉 Grab it here:Push Dink Cheat Sheet.pdf​

Still struggling with your push dink?

I also filmed a step-by-step lesson that pairs perfectly with the cheat sheet.

🎥 Watch it here → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWb6hjl6AvA&t=7s​

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Hit Reply

Which fundamental gets you most often?

1️⃣ Not getting to the kitchen

2️⃣ Forgetting to split step

3️⃣ Attacking too early from transition

4️⃣ Not resetting to the middle

Just hit reply with the number. I read every response, and they genuinely help me decide what to teach next.

See you on the court,

Jess

P.S. If a friend forwarded you this, you can subscribe here: athenapickleball.kit.com​

Here's a video on resets that you might find useful:

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Cali Smash Weekly Clinic Schedule

All sessions are held at California Smash in El Segundo, CA.

To register for any clinics, get the Cali Smash app:
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Also, the weekly plug for the CRBN Barrage Series ​
>>>> Get yours at www.crbnpickleball.com ​
10% off with code: COACHJESS
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