![Christian Alshon with his hands on his hips and a frustrated look on his face](https://cdn.pickleball.com/news/1709919105048/Jd35ZZAS.jpeg?width=1320&height=528&optimizer=image)
Pickleball pet peeves
DALLAS, TX – We all know that one person on the pickleball court who you avoid at all costs because they typically do something that drives you crazy.
Maybe they're always making bad line calls or they're a total ball hog. Whatever it may be, some players have bad pickleball habits that can really spoil the game.
Here are the top pickleball pet peeves according to the Pickleball Facebook Forum.
“When people move so slowly in between rallies. Get the ball to the server and let’s play,” shared Chantal Khalilieh Kennedy.
Okay, easy there. Let sweet Betty Jo from Florida with two knee braces take her time. And don’t underestimate her because she’s probably going to beat you 11-0 and she stood in the exact same spot the whole game. So, if your opponent can’t sprint, lunge, and dive like you can, give them a little bit of grace.
“Constant lobs,” said Gerald Weathers.
Lob shots are becoming a lot more common at the pro level, so they’re trickling down in popularity to rec leagues, too. They can be great defensive shots for strategy. But to Lobbing Larry – don’t be that guy.
![Tyson McGuffin frowning dramatically on the pickleball court](https://images.pickleball.com/news/1709919647930/b6ININ-c.jpeg)
“People that call out the score so softly that you can’t hear it,” said Dod Kowalski.
This one is brutal. For someone like me who isn’t too focused on the score, I need to hear the numbers because I’m not keeping track of it myself. Loud and clear please.
“Talking and telling a story instead of serving the ball,” said Darleen Nicholls Giudice.
If you’re a “just for fun” kind of player and you find that your opponent takes this game very, very seriously, you might want to keep the chit-chat to a minimum between points. These players are here to play. They’re not here to make friends and mingle, they’re here to compete and will probably never ask to play with you again.
“Ball kickers. People who just kick the ball back,” said Jeff Ofstedahl.
How a person returns a ball that’s rolled onto their court really tells you a lot about them. And clearly if you’re the type to just kick it back, you’re not sending a nice message to your court neighbors.
“When people admire their ATP for 20 minutes,” said Aaron Mersinger.
Well. If it’s a good shot…
![Dekel Bar throwing his arms out wide in celebration](https://images.pickleball.com/news/1709919432442/9JffJY2z.jpeg)
“People forcing music on others,” added Derrik Hart.
Oh my, this one is a doozy. I’d love to blast some Taylor Swift while dinking around on the pickleball court. But I’m aware that maybe everyone on the crowded pickleball court doesn’t want to listen to the same hype playlist as me, and that’s okay! Mind your neighbors, and maybe don’t blast your niche music.
“Constantly hitting to the weaker player when playing rec,” said Tracy Scott Davis.
This one is just sad and a little rude? Maybe try stacking to alleviate some of that targeting. But, it’s still unbelievably annoying and makes me (as the weaker player who’s usually targeted) feel like garbage. C’mon Carol and Frank, it’s 8 o’clock on a Saturday morning. Can we not be so intense?
“Constant slamming of any shot,” said Alicia Claire Klenk.
Like lobs, slams can be great strategic shots to speed up the ball and snatch a point. But when the opponent slams every single shot, it’s annoying and it makes them look like a one-trick pony. Try a new shot, Dave!
“Bouncing the ball 28 times before they serve,” said Geoff Oliver.
I love this one because I instantly thought of that one guy in a weirdly tight shirt who had this elaborate routine of bouncing the ball before he’d serve. At times, it looked like he was about to juggle and do a flip before serving. I swear the game lasted twice as long as it should have with this guy on the court. Just serve the ball.
What are your pickleball pet peeves? Share with us on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
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