John Cincola offers some of the sharpest pickleball insights in the sport.

With experience on the pro tour and a coaching role with fellow pro Michael Loyd, Cincola brings trustworthy, top-tier expertise to every tip he shares.

He recently revealed his top five tips for quickly improving your game on his YouTube channel.

Here’s what he shared:

1. Target fix

“You may have heard the phrase ‘Aim small, miss small.’ One of the common things I get working with amateur players is that they’ll hit a shot, and I ask where they were trying to hit it, and they say, ‘I don’t know, I was just trying to get it in the court,’” noted Cincola. “That is a major problem because if you don’t have specific intention with every single shot that you hit, then we can’t really have good control over the ball.”

Cincola recommended that every shot be played with three goals in mind: control the spin, control the trajectory, and control pace. 

“If you try and control those three things, you’re going to end up with a specific landing spot where we want the ball,” he said. 

2. The elbow push

“Focus on your hitting elbow. Anytime we hit a shot and we’re rolling the paddle across the body, your hitting elbow is going to end up flipping out. That’s a recipe for inconsistency,” explained Cincola. “For the elbow push, focus on where we want to hit the ball, whatever your target line is, and try to get your hitting elbow to move exactly in that direction. Focus on pushing your elbow where you want the ball to go.”

3. The wrist set

“In order to be consistent, we need to be controlling what the paddle is actually doing. Every little movement from your paddle is going to impact where the ball goes,” insisted Cincola. “What’s most in control of the paddle position is the wrist. We need a steady, consistent wrist position to get consistent results.”

Cincola suggests paying close attention to your mechanics: notice your ready position before hitting a forehand, observe where your wrist is, and check whether it’s in the same position when you finish your swing.

Apply the same awareness when hitting a backhand.

4. The split step

This tip is mentioned often—and for good reason: it’s extremely effective.

“The split step is what allows you to be ready to react to anything that’s going to happen on a pickleball court. Time your split step to get your legs and your body ready to react to how the opponent is going to return the ball,” mentioned Cincola. “Right when the ball is going to touch our opponent’s paddle, we’re going to get in a nice wide stance, get low, and get your body posture upright. Bend your legs so they’re ready to push you off to that next shot.”

5. Get behind the ball

Cincola recommends positioning the ball in line with your foot on your return.

“You’ll notice a lot more control when you’re behind the ball,” he said.

With 20 years of coaching experience, Cincola has noticed a common mistake: players often believe they’re performing a technique correctly simply because they’re thinking about it, even though they’re not actually executing the movement properly.

To fix this, he suggests exaggerating your movements. In this case, position the ball as if you were going to strike it from the center of your stance. You’ll start noticing improvements quickly.

“Anytime you’re trying to make an improvement or adjustment in your game, you always need to exaggerate,” he insisted. 

So get on the court, try out these tips, and watch your game improve.

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