In pickleball, success isn’t just all about how you play and perform. It’s also about how quickly you can read your opponents and adjust your strategy to their strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies. Get this! You can be that CIA Operative you always wanted to be growing up and take intel from many different opportunities. It will be right in front of your eyes! The first five points of a match often tell you everything you need to know. Here's how to spot key clues right from the start:

1. Watch Paddle Angles at Contact

Paddle angles tell a story. In the first few rallies, observe how they strike the ball:

Open paddle face: Usually means they favor dinks, softer shots, or inside-out shots.
Closed paddle face: Suggests aggressive topspin shots or drives.
Wrist action: Excessive flicking or fast motion may reveal a player who relies on deception, especially in the kitchen. Breaking the wrist often at the kitchen line will make more errors.

2. Identify Their Sports Background

Knowing your opponent’s athletic background can help tremendously. Sometimes you can tell within a few points or even from pre-game chit-chat.

Tennis players: More topspin, love the third-shot drive, less likely to last during long dinking rallies.
Racquetball players: Power and speed, flatter shots, especially strong backhands. Some even avoid forehands on serve returns — test that side.
Ping pong players: Heavy spin, touch, and precision, especially near the kitchen. Often love the backhand roll (and are good at it, watch out!)
Badminton players: Quick hands, strong wrist snap, extreme velocity on overheads. Give them space when they line one up.

3. Study the Warm-Up

During warm-up, loosen up, but analyze too:

Forehands vs backhands: Any side noticeably weaker? Do they avoid one altogether?
Pace: Do they rely on heavy topspin or drive everything flat? Are they strong or average?
Comfort: Are they confident in the kitchen or hanging back? What do their putaways or aggressive shots look like at the net on each side? For instance, is their backhand weaker or taking pace off the ball with a cut?

4. Spot Positioning Tendencies

Every player has muscle memory habits:

Body shots: Do they slide to forehand or backhand?
Wide balls: Do they lunge, drop-step, or calmly reset?
Transition zone: Do they tend to attack too early, or stay patient and reset?

5. Analyze Body Language

Confidence, frustration, and anxiety show quickly:

Shoulders slump or self-talk after misses = frustration.
Over-celebration on minor points = nerves.
Speed between points: rushed = flustered, slow = tentative or tired.

6. Observe Pressure Moments

Within just five points, you’ll see at least one test — a tough serve, a putaway, or a hands battle. Do they:

Over-hit under pressure?
Play too safe and give away offensive?
Stick with their plan or panic after one miss?

7. Watch Partner Dynamic

In doubles, your opponents are only as strong as their partnership. Notice:

Who leads on strategy and positioning?
And hesitation on balls down the middle?
Signs of frustration or miscommunications?

Final Thoughts

Reading your opponent is an underrated skill in pickleball that pays off quickly. You don’t need an entire match to figure it out — just five points of close observation can reveal strengths, weaknesses, and mindset. Be OBSERVANT, and the answers will be right in front of you.

About the Author: Neil Friedenberg is a certified pickleball coach and Head of Education for Empower Pickleball. He is passionate about helping players of all levels grow their skills and confidence on the court. A lifelong player with deep roots in the sport, Neil also brings experience as a paddle company owner, blending technical expertise with a love for the game.

How to Read Your Opponent in Pickleball: Key Clues in the First 5 Points