Universal Rackets Weekly Update!

Let’s Talk About Your Pickleball Game

This is a strong and educational piece—nice job! To make it newsletter-ready for a broad audience (customers, clients, and recreational players), I’ll help clean it up slightly for clarity, formatting, and tone—while keeping your engaging voice and energy. Here’s the polished version:

🎯 The Return of Serve: The #1 Shot in Pickleball

Serving starts the point…

But returning sets the tone.

Thanks to the bounce rule, the serving team has to stay back after their serve, while the returning team has the opportunity to get to the kitchen first. And remember: the closer you are to the kitchen, the more likely you are to win the point.

Not only are you getting to the best spot on the court, but your return also dictates what kind of 3rd shot your opponent can hit. Are they falling back? Rushing forward? Off balance? Hitting in transition? It’s your return that determines all of this.

Here’s how to make your return of serve a game-changer:

✅ Don’t Just Hit — Hit and Move Forward

After hitting your return, use your momentum to move up to the kitchen. This is your advantage! Many players either:

 1. Hit and stay back, or

 2. Hit, watch their shot, then move up.

Instead, make it one fluid motion: hit and move forward. Take control of the court early.

✅ Depth is Key

The server must let your return bounce, so you control where they’ll be when hitting their 3rd shot. A deep return pushes them back, forcing a tougher 3rd shot in transition. A short return gives them an easy ball and an easy path to the kitchen.

Ask yourself:

Would you rather hit a 3rd shot that’s deep or short?

(Exactly. Deep wins.)

✅ Swing Short, Head Down, Body Down, Momentum Forward

Say it with us:

“Head down, body down, momentum forward.”

This simple phrase helps you avoid popping the ball up. Many players overuse their arms, take big swings, and miss returns. Instead, keep your return compact, balanced, and use your momentum to guide your shot. You’ll gain consistency and confidence.

✅ Don’t Just Read This — PRACTICE It

Here are 2 simple drills we use at Universal Rackets:

 1. Move Forward Drill: Place a target (like a cone or towel) a few feet inside the baseline. Have someone serve to you. Every time you return, you should end up at or past that target.

⚠️ If you don’t, walk past it after the return to build your muscle memory.

 2. Depth Drill: Place cones near the baseline on your opponent’s side. Hit returns and try to land them near those cones. Do this enough, and in your matches, you’ll start visualizing those cones naturally.

Master your return, and you control the point.

Click here for a full video on how to INSTANTLY Improve Your Return

100s of Programs Are Starting Near You!

Universal Rackets is thrilled to offer programming at 35+ locations across the PA, NJ, TX, FL, IL area including adult/youth clinics, rating clinics, camps, adult clinics, social tournaments, Picklepaloozas, fundraising events, and more. As your all-in-one, inclusive pickleball and tennis community provider, we are proud to offer opportunities for all ages and skill levels, with flexible scheduling that includes weekends, weekdays, mornings, and evenings!

Click here to view all of our programs!

Big News: Our First Annual Universal Rackets Northeast Staff Workshop!

Universal Rackets Northeast Division Spring Staff Workshop

We’re excited to share that we recently hosted our First Annual Northeast Staff Workshop—bringing together the amazing coaches, instructors, and team members who lead our tennis and pickleball programs across the region. This workshop was all about investing in our team so we can continue delivering the best experience possible to our communities. From program planning and teaching techniques to fun team-building on the courts, it was a day filled with connection, collaboration, and a shared passion for growing the game. With Universal Rackets now serving over 35+ communities and 10,000+ players, we’re more committed than ever to providing high-quality instruction, memorable events, and inclusive programs for all.

Inside Our Junior PicklePalooza!

Instagram post by @livewindsong

💥 Stop Hitting Winners — Start Forcing Errors

Everyone wants to hit winners in pickleball… but the smartest players know: you win more by forcing errors, not going for highlight shots.

Let’s break this down:

At lower to intermediate levels, 70-80% of points are lost, not won. That means your job isn’t to be flashy—it’s to be consistent, smart, and apply pressure.

Here’s how to do that:

🎯 Be a Wall at the Kitchen

You don’t need to hit hard to win points.

You need to stay balanced, control your paddle face, and keep your dink unattackable. Your goal? Give them nothing to work with. They get impatient. They pop it up. Then you attack.

👀 Make Them Move

Most players prefer hitting from a comfortable, balanced stance. Take that away.

 • Dink wide and slow to open up space

 • Attack off the bounce to catch them on their heels

 • Hit into their body to jam them

A well-placed, medium-paced shot does more damage than a full-speed drive that goes out.

🤔 Think One Shot Ahead

Instead of trying to end the point, ask yourself:

 • “If I hit this shot, what will their next shot be?”

 • “Will it be easy or hard for them?”

You don’t need to win the rally now—you just need to control it.

💪 Drill It: The Unforced Error Challenge

In your next practice or rec game, try this:

 • Play a game where you’re not allowed to go for any winners

 • Focus only on hitting neutral balls, resets, and dinks

 • See how many points your opponents give you just by messing up

You’ll be surprised how many games you win just by being solid.

👉 Bottom line:

Let your opponents lose the point.

Stay calm, stay consistent, and let the errors pile up.

Lesson of the Week: The Ultimate Forehand 3rd Shot Drive Footwork Guide

Click here to view this week’s lesson

Thank you for reading and we can’t wait to see you on court!

-Universal Rackets