If you are an intermediate pickleball player, you are doing a lot of things right. You can rally. You understand scoring. You move better on the court than beginners, and you are starting to recognize patterns. That said, this is also the stage where many players get stuck.
Not because they lack effort, but because their habits are holding them back.
At the intermediate level, improvement is no longer about learning what pickleball is. It is about learning how to play it correctly, consistently, and with intention. Most plateaus come from the same predictable mistakes that show up again and again on courts everywhere.
The good news is that these mistakes are fixable. Once you identify them and commit to correcting them, your game can change quickly.
Let us break down the most common errors intermediate players make and exactly how to fix them.
Not Using a True Ready Position
One of the first things I notice when coaching intermediate players is how often the ready position disappears after the first shot. Players hit the ball, admire it, and stand upright waiting to see what happens next. By the time the ball comes back, they are late, off balance, and reacting instead of preparing.
The ready position is not optional. It is the foundation of everything that follows.
When you are not ready, you will feel rushed even on slow balls. When you are ready, the game feels slower and more manageable.
How to Fix It
Your ready position should be athletic and repeatable. Knees slightly bent. Weight forward on the balls of your feet. Paddle up and in front of your body, not hanging by your side. Elbows relaxed and away from your torso.
The key cue is this: reset after every shot.
Serve, then reset. Return, then reset. Hit a dink, then reset. Make the ready position your default, not something you remember only when you are under pressure.
Being Overly Aggressive When You Have Not Earned It
Intermediate players often confuse aggression with improvement. They try to hit winners from defensive positions, attack balls below net height, and force shots simply because they feel they should be doing more.
This is one of the fastest ways to give points away.
High-level pickleball is aggressive, but it is smart aggression. It is based on position, balance, and opportunity, not emotion.
How to Fix It
Start asking yourself one simple question before attacking: Am I in control of this ball?
If you are reaching, off balance, or hitting below the net, the correct play is control, not power. Your job is to reset the point, not end it.
Aggression comes after patience. When you force your opponent to hit up, miss wide, or pop the ball up, you have earned the right to attack. Until then, stay disciplined. You will win more points by waiting for the right ball than by swinging at the wrong one.
Lacking a Reliable Soft Game
This is one of the biggest separators between intermediate and advanced players. Many intermediates can drive the ball hard, but struggle when the game slows down. Dinking feels uncomfortable. Resets feel risky. Soft shots feel like weakness.
They are not.
A strong soft game is what allows you to survive at the kitchen line and control rallies.
How to Fix It
You must practice softness intentionally. It will not develop by accident.
Work on relaxed grip pressure. Your paddle should feel light in your hand, not squeezed. Focus on lifting the ball gently over the net with margin, not skimming tape.
Dinks are not about speed. They are about placement, height control, and patience. Think of soft shots as a way to neutralize your opponent and buy yourself time. Once you can slow the game down, you can speed it up on your terms.
Driving the Third Shot Too Often and Too High
The third-shot drive has become popular, and for good reason. When done well, it can apply pressure. When done poorly, it hands your opponent the point.
Many intermediate players drive the third shot every time, regardless of position, and often hit it too high. A high drive is an invitation for your opponent to attack.
How to Fix It
Understand the purpose of the third shot. It exists to help you move forward, not to win the rally immediately.
If you can drive the ball low and force a defensive volley, that is a good option. If you cannot keep it low, choose the drop instead.
A successful third-shot drop is a win, even if the rally continues. It allows you to advance and take control of the kitchen. Mix drives and drops so you are not predictable, and choose based on quality, not habit.
Using a Huge Swing Instead of Efficient Mechanics
Big swings look powerful, but they create problems. They reduce control, slow recovery, and make it harder to handle fast exchanges. Many intermediate players swing too big because they are chasing power instead of consistency.
Pickleball does not reward oversized swings. It rewards timing and efficiency.
How to Fix It
Shorten your swing and focus on clean contact. Power comes from body rotation, paddle angle, and timing, not from arm speed alone.
At the kitchen line, your swing should be compact and controlled. Think punch, block, or roll, not full swing. Keep your paddle in front of you and let the ball meet the paddle.
Smaller swings mean faster recovery and fewer errors, especially during quick hand battles.
Treating the Serve Like an Ace Attempt
The serve is important, but it is not a weapon in the same way it is in tennis. Trying to ace your opponent often leads to missed serves or weak positioning for the next shot.
At the intermediate level, the serve should set you up for success, not try to end the point.
How to Fix It
Focus on depth and consistency first. A deep serve that lands near the baseline puts pressure on the returner and buys you time to prepare.
Pick a target and repeat the same motion. Speed only matters if accuracy is maintained. A reliable serve that starts every rally cleanly is far more valuable than an occasional ace mixed with errors.
Rushing Points and Playing Too Fast
Rushing is one of the most damaging habits I see in intermediate players. They rush serves, rush dinks, rush decisions, and rush into mistakes. Often, this comes from anxiety or a desire to win the point quickly.
Pickleball rewards players who control tempo.
How to Fix It
Slow the game down intentionally. Take a breath before serving. Pause at the kitchen line. Set your feet before swinging.
You are allowed to take your time. Calm play leads to better decisions, better execution, and more consistency. When you feel rushed, that is usually a sign you need to slow down, not speed up.
Final Coaching Takeaway
If you are stuck at the intermediate level, it is not because you are missing some secret shot. It is because a few habits are holding you back.
Fixing your ready position, choosing smarter aggression, developing a soft game, managing the third shot, tightening your swing, serving with intention, and controlling tempo will dramatically improve your results.
Progress comes from awareness and repetition. Pick one area at a time, focus on it during practice, and bring that awareness into your games.
Pickleball rewards discipline, patience, and smart decisions. When you start playing with intention instead of urgency, the next level opens up.
Picture Source: AI-generated