Pickleball Tips for Playing Outdoors

Mastering Outdoor Pickleball: Essential Tips for Seasonal Players

Whether you already play or want to start, chances are you’ve noticed that pickleball is one of the most entertaining ways for folks to get outside and be active. Seriously, why stay inside the gym when you can be in the sun and the wind. Outdoor exercise tends to be cheaper to get started and more practical to continue.

An empty Pickleball Courts in a Public Park

Enhancing Your Outdoor Pickleball Experience

Finding the right court for outdoor pickleball can increase the chance of you enjoying your pickleball experience. To find the best courts, look for things like the court surface, access to the court, and restrooms or seating. Many local parks, community recreation centers, and sports complexes may have outdoor pickleball courts available for use, depending on your location. Online resources or following a local pickleball group could provide you with instructions on where to play and when because the popularity of that court and scheduled open-playtimes can vary. Some courts will have a scheduled open play where anyone can come and play with each other.

Outdoor pickleball is more than a third shot drop, lob, or dink. The community built around pickleball is often a huge highlight of the sport. Outdoor pickleball creates a friendly environment for all communities with the ability to meet, play, and laugh with people of any socioeconomic status from any zip code.

Two multiethnic female athletes playing pickleball on a colorful outdoor court, demonstrating teamwork and athleticism

Understanding Outdoor Pickleball

Playing pickleball outside can change everything. Bright sunlight can affect your visibility. To deal with the sun, keep the sun to your back as much as possible and wear sunglasses and a hat with a brim to shield your eyes. Any shadow cast on the court by a tree, building, fence, signpost, or other objects brings another element that indoor courts do not have. Wind can change the direction of the ball in mid-flight. When playing into the wind, be more aggressive on your serve.

If you’re planning to head outside, then you must make tweaks to your pickleball strategy because the wind, sun, and court surface will affect your play. During windy conditions, you’ll naturally have to select different shots accordingly. Most likely, you’ll hit less spin and go for fewer slams. In addition, you’ll have to go for less aggressive shots because the ball can take off in an unanticipated direction due to the wind. And you should also keep the sun’s position in the back of your mind, too, as you’ll want to position yourself in a certain way on the court to limit potential blinding angles.

A drone view of outdoor blue tennis courts with pickleball lines with lights turned on

Essential Pickleball Tips for Outdoor Play

Before you take the court, make sure you have the correct equipment:

• Paddle: You will want to get a material that offers better grip (for rainy or muggy conditions) and that won’t be affected by hot sunlight or freezing cold. You may also need a high-quality paddle tong to perform at a high level with spin.
• Balls: Get a high-quality ball appropriate for outdoor conditions to beat the wind.
• Shoes: Get a pair with great traction and support. The right shoe will make you feel comfortable running, jumping, and moving from side to side.

The article focused on providing the tips you need to make the most of playing pickleball outside, tips that relate to the right gear for outside use, as well as adaptations you can make to boost your chances of winning when playing outside. Play some games and find out for yourself.