“I’m Good Enough—I’ll Just Improve by Playing Social Games.” Don't Make This Mistake!

“I’m Good Enough—I’ll Just Improve by Playing Social Games.”

That’s exactly how you stay stuck at a ~3.5 for a long, long time.

If you want to reach a true 4.0 level (not an inflated DUPR rating), simply playing social games isn’t enough. You need to refine your technique, develop the correct mindset, and deepen your knowledge—rather than just hitting balls mindlessly during open play.

Even Asia’s #1 ranked player in the Pickleball Global Rankings, Dwi Mahendra, continues drilling and working on his weaknesses under Jem’s guidance. And likewise for Jem, the #1 ranked player in Singapore on the Pickleball Global Rankings, who continues to learn under Dwi’s guidance as well. There are aspects of the game you won’t notice when just playing, and strategies you won’t be able to practice and execute properly in a pure gameplay setting.

If you feel like you’re stuck, here’s how to break through:

1) Understand the Learning Curve

Pickleball is easy to start, and progressing from beginner to intermediate can happen quickly—especially with Performance Pickleball’s structured approach through Pickleball 101 and group classes. However, at some point, progress naturally slows down, and many players feel like they’ve hit a plateau. Many players get complacent here, thinking they’ve learned enough—that’s the biggest mistake.

You can’t expect to improve at the same rapid pace forever—you need to embrace the plateau. This plateau is actually where real growth happens. Getting through this plateau requires well-structured training programmes, guidance from a professional and of course, purposeful practice. If you simply play socially at this stage, you’ll stay stuck even longer or, worse, develop bad habits and limiting mindsets that are much harder to fix later on.

2) Practice With Purpose

Improvement in pickleball isn’t just about logging more hours on the court—it’s about intentional practice. Simply playing more games won’t automatically make you better, it will, however, inadvertently reinforce the same mistakes. To truly elevate your game, you need to focus on the right things.

Drills are essential because they help you refine your technique, build muscle memory, and develop consistency in your shots. They also improve your reaction time, footwork, and strategic decision-making, which are crucial as you face stronger opponents. Beyond the technical aspect, structured practice sharpens your mental game—teaching patience, resilience, and adaptability under pressure. Proper conditioning alongside these drills will also build a strong foundation that will pay off in the long run. Most players will find that the perfect balance of knowledge, technique and good athletic coordination is key to consistent progress.

Pickleball is easy to pick up but difficult to master. The best players don’t just play—they train with purpose. When you push through the frustrating phases, stay disciplined, and commit to improving the details, you’ll break through plateaus and see meaningful progress. Keep challenging yourself, and the results will follow.

3) Stop Mindlessly Hitting Every Ball

Sure, Quang Dong makes high-speed, aggressive “bang-bang” pickleball look effortless—but there’s a reason for that. He’s not just a power hitter; he’s a junior pro tennis player with elite-level skills, footwork, and precision that most recreational players don’t have. His ability to dominate fast exchanges isn’t just about hitting hard—it’s built on a strong technical foundation and years of training.

If you watch his full matches, you’ll notice that he’s not just smashing every ball. His game is carefully constructed—his soft game, resets, and strategic patience are exceptional and allow him to create the perfect opportunities to attack. He’s constantly adjusting his positioning, anticipating shots, and setting up plays long before the speed-ups happen.

As an intermediate player, trying to mimic highlight reels from professional players without understanding the nuances behind their shot selection, will eventually prove to be a hindrance to your progress. Blindly ripping every ball without control or proper setup will lead to unforced errors, weak positioning, and an inability to handle skilled opponents who know how to counter this aggression. Instead of just copying flashy plays, focus on developing a well-rounded game—mastering dinks, resets, and controlled aggression—so you can execute these strategies effectively when the time is right.

4) “I’m a Beginner/Intermediate, I Don’t Need a Good Coach—Just Someone ‘Good Enough’ Will Do.”

Thinking you don’t need a great coach as a beginner or intermediate player is a surefire way to slow down your progress—and worse, develop bad habits that will take years to fix. If you’re just starting out, a coach with deep fundamental knowledge, real experience, and strong coaching skills is crucial to setting the right foundation. Strong fundamentals mean faster, more efficient improvement, and breaking through "plateaus" while a weak foundation leads to frustration, and unnecessary struggles down the road.

Not all coaches are equal. Make sure your coach is a proper pickleball coach — someone with the right skill level, experience, and teaching ability. Just because someone is a great tennis player doesn’t mean they’ll be a great pickleball player. And just because someone is a tennis coach or has a pickleball coaching certification doesn’t mean they’ll be effective at teaching pickleball. Playing ability is crucial and coaching is an entirely different skill. A good coach doesn’t just know the game—they know how to teach it in a way that helps you improve efficiently.

Quality coaching saves you money, Always. A high-quality lesson that accelerates your progress is far more valuable than multiple cheaper lessons that leave you stuck in the same cycle. Investing in a skilled coach may seem like a bigger upfront expense, but in reality, it saves you time, effort, and money in the long run—because you’ll improve faster and avoid the costly process of unlearning bad habits later. Choose wisely, because the quality of your coach directly impacts the speed and success of your improvement.

5) Get a Proper Coach

A 3.5 or 4.0 player who has never reached 4.5 or 5.0—and hasn’t competed against high-level players of different ages with different game styles —simply doesn’t have the knowledge or experience to guide you there. A highly skilled and experienced coach not only refines your technique but also creates a structured roadmap to help you level up efficiently.

Friends can help each other, but good intentions don’t always mean the right knowledge. Not all advice is accurate, and what works for one player might not work for you. As far as youtube coaching goes, you don’t need generic tips meant for the general public—you need well-crafted coaching tailored to your specific game.

At our group classes, you’ll train alongside players who have gone through proper fundamental coaching and follow a structured development process. We focus on technique, mindset, strategy, and conditioning—then apply these skills in real-game scenarios. This kind of intentional training is something social play simply can’t replace, no matter how much you think it might.

For those looking to refine the details, or even practice some singles, private lessons are a great way to clean up weaknesses and fine-tune the small things that make a big difference.

Our coaches are not just certified—they’re internationally recognised professionals with years of experience both as elite athletes and as top-level coaches. Every one of them is a #1 player in their respective country and among the best in Asia. No other club has the expertise we do. And with the best courts in Singapore, you’re training in an environment built for high performance.

If you’re serious about improving, don’t just play—train with intent.

For more info about our programs :

• Pickleball 101 (For newbies / Beginners who have never gone for classes with us) : www.performancepickleball.org/pickleball-101

• Adult Group Classes (Beginner & Intermediate) : www.performancepickleball.org/adult-lessons 

• Private Lessons : www.performancepickleball.org/private-lessons