How to Play Pickleball Pro
Everything you need to win in the free 3D pickleball game: the controls, every shot in the book, the game modes and the tactics the best computer teams use against you.
▶ Play free in your browserPickleball Pro is a doubles pickleball game you play in your web browser. You control one player of a two-player team, and your computer partner covers the rest of the court. You don't need a download or an account: open pickleballprogame.com, press any key to serve and you're on court.
New to the game? Pick Coached Match from the Play menu. A coach walks you through the serve, the return, the third-shot drop, the dink, the volley and the lob, one shot at a time.
Controls: keyboard and mouse
Move with the keys and aim with the mouse. A target on the far side of the net shows where your shot will land.
| Input | What it does |
|---|---|
| W A S D or arrow keys | Move (relative to the camera) |
| Mouse | Aim your shot |
| Left click or E | Drive: a hard, flat shot, or a put-away on a high ball. On the serve, hold to build power and release in the green zone. |
| Right click or Q | Soft shot: a dink at the kitchen line or a third-shot drop from the back. On the serve: a soft, deep serve. |
| Space | Lob over players at the net. On the serve: a high lob serve. |
| Shift + a shot | Slice: backspin that keeps the ball low and skidding |
| F | Erne: from near the sideline at the kitchen, leap around the corner and volley down the line |
| C | Change camera (behind, broadcast or action) |
| R | Replay the last point |
| Esc | Pause |
Controls: gamepad
| Button | Action | Button | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Left stick | Move | Right stick | Aim |
| A | Drive / serve (hold for power) | X | Dink / drop / soft serve |
| Y | Lob | B | Slice (with a shot) |
| RB | Erne | LB | Change camera |
| View | Replay last point | Start | Pause |
You can rebind every key and button under Settings › Controls.
Timing: how to hit a PERFECT shot
A ring closes around the ball as it reaches you. Press your shot button a moment early so the swing goes as the ball arrives. If you press just as the ring closes, you hit a PERFECT shot, the most accurate shot in the game. Hitting on the run costs accuracy, so get set before you swing whenever you can.
A yellow marker shows where the ball will land. With Movement assist on (the default), your player runs to the ball when you don't steer, so you can focus on timing and aim. Turn it off in Settings for full manual control.
The shot book
One button plays the right shot for where you are on court, like a real player. The name of every shot appears at the bottom of the screen as you hit it.
Drive
Deep return, third-shot drive, speed-up and backhand flick at the kitchen line, punch volley, roll volley on a low ball, overhead smash on a high one.
Soft
Third-shot drop, dink and cross-court dink, reset from mid-court, block against a hard drive, drop volley.
Lob
A lob from the back, or a topspin lob from the kitchen line over players crowding the net.
Specials
The Erne, and the ATP (around the post): when a sharp dink pulls you wide, drive it around the net post below net height.
Game modes
Quick Match
Choose the venue, your opponents, their level and the match length. Rookie opponents play long, friendly rallies, Pro teams mix drops, dinks and speed-ups, and Champion teams have fast hands and make few mistakes. Play a game to 11, a game to 15, or best of three games to 11.
Pro Tour
A 16-team doubles event over five match days, run like a real pro pickleball tournament. Two days of pool play lead into the quarter-finals, the semi-finals (games to 15) and the medal matches, with a best-of-three final on the Championship Court. Every team finishes with a placing, ranking points and prize money, and your progress is saved.
Online Versus
Find a match against someone new, or send a friend a four-letter match code. Each player leads a team with a computer partner. See how to play pickleball online with friends.
Coached Match
A guided match against gentle opponents that teaches each shot as it comes up. You can skip the lesson at any time and go straight into a normal game.
Six courts to play on
- Pro Tour Championship Court: a floodlit stadium with packed grandstands on all four sides
- Sunset Park Courts: public park courts behind the fence at golden hour
- The Kitchen Club: an indoor club with cushioned courts, LED lights and a viewing gallery
- Palm Coast Open: a sunny tour stop with bleachers, palms and a packed sideline
- Pickleball Arena: neighbourhood courts under the trees, with lights on the fence
- Desert Night Finals: a resort showcase court under the stars and the mountains
Tips to win more points
- Get to the kitchen line. After the return of serve, move up. The team that controls the non-volley line usually wins the point.
- Drop, don't drive, on the third shot. A soft third-shot drop that lands in the kitchen gives your team time to come forward.
- Dink cross-court. The ball travels over the lowest part of the net and has more court to land in.
- Only speed up a high ball. Attack a ball that sits above the net. Driving a low ball just pops it up for the other team.
- Read your opponents. Against bangers, keep the ball low and block their drives back soft. Against dink masters, be patient. Against lob specialists, stay balanced and be ready to turn and chase.
Questions
Is Pickleball Pro free to play?
Yes. The web version is free to play in your browser at pickleballprogame.com, with no download or sign-up.
Can I play with a controller?
Yes. Any standard gamepad works: the left stick moves, the right stick aims, and you can rebind every shot in Settings › Controls.
Can I play the pickleball game on my phone?
Pickleball Pro is built for a computer with a keyboard and mouse or a game controller. Phones and tablets without a keyboard or controller aren't supported yet.
How do I hit a perfect shot?
Press the shot button a moment early so the swing starts as the ball arrives. If you press as the timing ring closes, you hit a PERFECT shot.
Does the game use real pickleball rules?
Yes. It has underhand serves, side-out scoring with the 0-0-2 start, the two-bounce rule and the kitchen. Read the pickleball rules guide for the details.
Ready for the court?
Pickleball Pro is free 3D pickleball, right in your browser.
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