Tips to play pickleball well: World No. 2 Gabriel Tardio’s advice for every level

SINGAPORE - Bolivian Gabriel Tardio is in Singapore to promote the new Facolos EliteX V2.0 Tardio Signature paddle. The world No. 2 shares tips with The Straits Times on how players at every level can improve their game.

1. Beginner to Dupr 3.0:

Learn and enjoy the game, and keep it simple. That is the advice that the 20-year-old has for those who have just picked up a paddle.

Speaking to ST at ARFC Singapore in Woodleigh on Sept 16, Tardio said: “For those people that just started, I would tell them to try to learn the game. That’s the fun part. Also, the better you get, the more hooked you’ll get on the sport.

“Keep it simple at first. There are a lot of instructional videos and a lot of ways that you can hit a ball. Everyone will tell you a different answer, so if you’re just starting, just keep it simple.

“Learn the basic stuff. Don’t try to learn the flicks, don’t try to copy the pros. Just try to be as consistent as possible.”

2. Dupr 3.0 to 5.0

Consistency is key if players want to make the jump from Dupr 3.0 to 5.0.

Dynamic universal pickleball rating (Dupr) is an accurate global rating system used to evaluate players. It uses a single global scale from 2.000 (beginner) to 8.000 (top professional).

“From a 3.0 to 5.0, the biggest difference would be consistency, footwork and strength,” said Tardio.

“And by strength, I don’t mean just muscles... it’s more like wrist strength, shoulder strength, and forearm, because ideally, that’s where all the power is coming from.”

Working on flicks and developing a good wrist is important, he stressed, as that would “make the difference between a 4.0 to 5.0”.

He added: “You will start a counter faster, your hands will be better, you’ll be able to attack more balls from different positions and you will be able to take balls out of the air and have pace with it.

Noting that a lot of “a lot of 4.0s try to hit flat”, he said the difference for 5.0 players is in the wrist and footwork, which “is a very underrated thing to work on".

For strength training, Tardio suggested doing pull exercises at the gym.

He added: “Forearm, wrist, and shoulders should be your priorities. You don’t want to go too heavy on the wrist, and if you’re lifting weights, you want to do more reps instead of weight.

“Everything else makes a difference, like having a good core, having good legs, good explosiveness.”

3. Dupr 5.0 to Pro

Advancing from a Dupr 5.0 to a pro lies in having a deeper understanding of the game, said Tardio.

“If you’re a 5.0, you at that point have pretty much every single shot in the bag. You’ll know how to flick, you’re pretty athletic, have good drive, consistent drops,” he said.

“So, for you to get better from that position, having a lot of shots and a lot of agility is a better understanding of the game. Learn some pattern recognition, learn what spots are good on certain people to realise early what is working and what isn’t, and to make adjustments in the middle of the game.

“Those couple things are what differentiates us from even a 6.0 to a 7.0.”

Tardio, who has a Dupr rating of 6.923, is in Singapore from Sept 16 to 18 and will conduct three clinics for amateurs. He hopes that participants will have a deeper understanding of the game after his sessions.

He added: “They can expect a lot of stuff – in the beginning we’re gonna go over the basics, I’ll tell them to try to keep it as simple as possible. It’s a small court, especially when you’re on the kitchen line. So keeping it as simple as possible is the way you win points, especially at a lower level.

“We’ll going over dinks, getting balls out of the air, keeping time away from your opponents is also a huge part of the game. We’ll also be going over drops and a little bit of hands battles, and then pattern recognition.”

The biggest takeaway from his clinic would be his tips on “what you should be looking for in a point”, which means the “good spots you should be looking for, the way you hit the ball and what can you expect from certain positions”.

Pickleball enthusiasts will get a chance to win a new Facolos EliteX V2.0 worth $359 in a contest organised by the sports and lifestyle brand in collaboration with The Straits Times. More information can be found on the ST Sports Instagram page @straits_times_sport

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