Michael Lloyd Shares Five Pickleball Strategy Tips For Every Point

• Pro player and coach Michael Lloyd lays out five mindset-based approaches to better pickleball, according to The Dink.
• His advice puts pressure ahead of pace, depth ahead of power, and the first five shots of a rally ahead of everything else.
• Practice should change with skill level, from cooperative dinking for beginners to live four-player points for advanced players.

Better Pickleball Starts With Clearer Thinking, Not Harder Hits

Pro player and coach Michael Lloyd says better results in pickleball come from better thinking, not from adding shots or hitting harder. He laid out five mindset-based approaches on the Pickleball Hub YouTube channel, and The Dink summarized them.

The Dink centers his message on one line: “Most players chase complexity when they should be chasing clarity.” Each of the five ideas below turns that message into something a player can try at the next open play session.

Each idea targets a specific part of the court or a specific moment in the rally.

Aggression Is Pressure, Not Pace

The first idea redefines what it means to attack. The Dink sums up Lloyd’s view this way: “Real aggression is pressure.” Pressure can come from placement, depth, spin, and court position and not just from speed. Speeding up a ball you cannot control is reckless rather than aggressive.

The article lists several ways to apply pressure without hitting harder. Players can roll third-shot drops wide or directly at the opponent in front, using spin and sharp angles. They can follow their drop forward instead of staying at the baseline. They can hit deep returns so they have time to move up to the kitchen line. They can move opponents from side to side and avoid hitting to the same spot twice in a row. They can add topspin to dinks so the ball kicks up at the opponent.

Position carries part of the load too. Stepping forward and standing big in the middle makes you a threat, according to the article.

A Deep Return Beats A Hard Return

The second idea is about the return of serve. Depth gives the returner time to reach the kitchen line, and the kitchen line is where points are controlled. A hard return that lands short does the opposite. It leaves the returner back, and the opponents become the aggressors.

The Dink describes depth plus a step forward as a quiet form of attacking. The return does not need to look dramatic. It needs to land deep and be followed by movement toward the line.

Read Your Opponent Like A Person

The third idea asks players to humanize the opponent. Treat the person across the net as someone with strengths, weaknesses, and habits, then look for them. The article poses four questions to ask while playing.

Is their forehand or backhand weaker? Do they struggle with low balls, fast balls, or balls at hip height? Does a strength point to a weakness somewhere else? Is their partner the easier target?

The article gives examples of the third question. A player who leans in well could struggle to retreat for lobs. A player who loves to drive can be weak in the soft game. Both are clues about where to send the next ball.

The article also gives a mixed doubles example. Amateurs often hit automatically to the woman, but the man could be the weaker player that day. The advice is to test both sides rather than assume. The article also reminds players to stay patient when an opponent gets hot, noting that everyone has bad stretches.

The First Five Shots Decide Most Points

The fourth idea breaks the start of a rally into five shots: the serve, the return, the third, the fourth, and the fifth. Each one has a job, and the article treats the early sequence as the place where most points are decided.

The serve should go deep and move the opponent, which sets up a harder return for them and an easier third for you. The return should be deep and followed forward. On the third shot, leave margin with plenty of air under the ball, then choose a drop or a drive based on what the return gives you. The fourth shot is the one not to miss, and the goal is to stay on offense without overplaying it. The fifth shot is the first real chance to attack or to get established at the line.

The article also shows how one weak early shot leads to the next problem. A short serve puts you on defense. A weak return hands the opponent the kitchen line. A poor third leaves you stuck at the baseline.

Shot choice sends a signal to your partner, too. A drive on the third signals a possible poach. A drop lets both players move up. And a low, short return is a free trip to the kitchen, not a chance to drive from behind your body.

On practice time, the article says players should spend more of it on baseline and transition-zone work.

Practice Should Evolve With Your Level

The fifth idea is that practice should change as the player improves. The Dink lays out three stages.

Beginners should dink cooperatively, counting consecutive hits while staying a foot or two from their partner. Intermediate players should use the full half court and move each other from side to side while keeping the exchange collaborative. Advanced players should play live four-player points with specific rules that mirror match play.

Beginners should also practice only the shots they will actually hit. The article says to master dinks, drops, third-shot drives, serves, and returns before adding topspin rolls.

Neutral Versus Offensive Positioning

The article closes its breakdown with a way to name where you stand in a rally. Neutral means you are not in danger, but you are not creating pressure either. Offensive means your position forces the opponent to react.

Moving forward after a drop is what shifts a player from neutral to offensive, according to the article.

Two answers in the article’s question section are useful for newer players. The most important tip for beginners is to get a deep serve and return, then move to the kitchen line. And on the third shot, a lower, shorter return usually calls for a drop, while a higher ball gives a chance to drive at roughly half power.

How To Put It Into Practice

The article suggests an order for working on all of this: deep serve and return first, then placement pressure, then hunting for weaknesses.

It also offers a caution. Start with one approach in your next session. Changing everything at once can lead to overthinking and a lost feel for the game.

Lloyd’s five ideas share one thread. Play each point with intention: apply pressure, read your opponent, win the early shots, and practice the right things. The Dink offers the five approaches as a way to improve through clearer thinking rather than added complexity.

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