Let’s be honest, pickleball gets frustrating fast when you know what shot you want to hit… and then the ball sails wide, clips the net, or lands somewhere you didn’t intend. Whether it’s your forehand, backhand, serve, or dink, poor aim ruins good ideas.
The good news? Aiming in pickleball is simpler than you think—once you understand what actually controls direction.
And no, it’s not your body position or your stance.
The Core Truth: Your Paddle Face Controls Everything
Most players (especially if you’re coming from tennis) assume that aiming is about body alignment, stance, or swing path. But in pickleball, the ball is on your paddle for a fraction of a second—far less than 1/60th of a second, according to video analysis.
And in that sliver of time, the only thing that really matters is the angle of your paddle face or paddle tip at contact.
Let’s say it again:
Where your paddle face is pointing at the moment of contact is where the ball will go.
That’s it. Sounds obvious—but so many players still swing without checking where their paddle face is actually aimed.
Watch this point played out by the pros—it’s a masterclass in how precision placement catches opponents completely off guard:
Why You Miss: The “Moving Parts” Problem
Here’s where it gets tricky: a lot of things can interfere with your paddle angle at contact. Your:
- Wrist might flick
- Elbow might lag
- Shoulders might over-rotate
- Hips might shift mid-swing
All of those little movements can knock your paddle face a few degrees off—resulting in big misses.
So what’s the fix? Strip things down. Focus on fewer moving parts.
Rebuild Your Aim: Shot by Shot
Let’s rebuild your mechanics for each major shot. These drills work for all levels and help you reconnect paddle face with ball control.
1. The Serve: Build From the Ground Up
Start simple:
| Step | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Face your target. Lock your wrist and paddle straight ahead. Use only an underhand pendulum swing. |
| Step 2 | Add proper stance and body rotation—but keep the swing motion the same. |
| Step 3 | Gradually reintroduce wrist, elbow, and hip action—but always check your paddle angle at contact. |
Goal: Learn to steer direction first, then layer in power.
Check out our friends at Universal Rackets—they’ve got 4 solid tips to help you dial in your serve placement:
2. The Volley: Start Like a Crossing Guard
This one’s all about compact control:
| Step | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Stand square to your target. Hold your paddle like a STOP sign. “Punch” the volley with no swing—just a short push. |
| Step 2 | Add proper footwork and body positioning, keeping the punchy swing. |
| Step 3 | Slowly add footwork or wrist flicks (if part of your style), but always maintain directional control. |
Reminder: The volley isn’t about power—it’s about clean, square contact.
3. The Groundstroke: Use the “Laser Pointer” Trick
Imagine there’s a laser beam coming out of your paddle face. Wherever the beam points when you strike the ball, that’s where the ball will go.
Drill idea: Shadow swing your forehand and backhand while watching the “laser” path. Now do the same with a ball. Match the swing path to the intended target.
4. The Dink: Aim with Intent
Start small:
| Step | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Choose your target before swinging—crosscourt, straight on, middle, or at their feet. |
| Step 2 | Use a short, soft swing with the paddle face pointed directly at your target. |
| Step 3 | Mix up your targets, but keep your mechanics the same to build consistency. |
Goal: Use your paddle face—not your swing speed—to place dinks with precision and purpose.
The Timing Factor
Even when your paddle face is pointed perfectly, timing still matters. As pro instructor Nicole Havlicek explains:
“Two shots can look almost identical, but the one that goes crosscourt was struck just a split-second later in the swing rotation.”
That tiny difference changes the paddle face angle at contact, sending the ball in a different direction—even if your mechanics are the same.
In slow-mo studies, the contact point for crosscourt vs. down-the-line shots is sometimes only inches apart—but the result is 16 feet of difference on the court.
So your mission isn’t just paddle control—it’s timing and repetition.
Visual Targeting: Use On-Court Markers
Joanne Russell, a former Wimbledon champ turned pickleball coach, teaches targeting by physically dividing the court.
Try this:
- Use painter’s tape or cones to divide the opponent’s service box into halves or thirds.
- Aim your returns, dinks, and volleys into specific zones—forehand, backhand, or middle.
- Gradually reduce the target size as your control improves.
This turns vague “try to aim better” practice into purposeful, measurable improvement.
Bonus: What Most Players Overlook
Here are three things that quietly sabotage your aim:
| Mistake | Why It Hurts |
|---|---|
| Contacting too close to body | Limits range of motion and control |
| Not cocking your wrist | Makes the paddle angle unpredictable |
| Looking at the target, not the ball | Causes misalignment at contact |
Fix these, and your accuracy will jump overnight.
Aiming Summary Table
| Shot Type | Main Focus | Drill Cue |
|---|---|---|
| Serve | Paddle face angle + simple motion | Pendulum swing with locked wrist |
| Groundstroke | Contact timing + face direction | “Laser pointer” paddle cue |
| Volley | Square paddle at contact | “Punch” like a STOP sign |
| Dink | Short swing + paddle angle | Point paddle face exactly where you aim |
The Takeaway: Precision Is a Skill—Build It Like One
Aiming isn’t just a byproduct of good technique—it’s a skill in its own right. And like any skill, it gets sharper with repetition, focus, and feedback.
So don’t just hit balls. Hit them with a target in mind. Make aiming part of your daily practice—not something you hope happens during a game.
The best players aren’t just faster or stronger. They’re more precise. They hit where they mean to hit.
Start aiming like every shot matters—because it does. And soon enough, you won’t just be playing—you’ll be placing.
