How to Win a Pickleball Tournament: 3 Key Strategies from the Pros

Be a supportive teammate, over-prepare, and learn the art of never quitting on a point, ever

Most people think that winning a pickleball tournament requires some sort of divine intervention or a flawless performance where every third-shot drop kisses the tape and every drive finds the corner. Yeah, that’s just not how it works in the trenches.

In a new video, Kyle Koszuta takes us through his journey at the APP Fort Lauderdale alongside Ryler DeHeart.

It wasn't a highlight reel of perfection; it was a gritty, sweat-soaked battle where they faced match points in nearly every round. If you’ve ever wondered why some teams seem to "find a way" while others crumble when the pressure mounts, this run offers a masterclass in the unglamorous side of winning.

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1. The Art of the 'Zombie' Point

The first thing you notice watching Kyle and Riler is their refusal to let a point die.

Kyle points out that the best teams make you win a point multiple times.

• You think you’ve hit a winner? They dig it out.
• You think they’re out of position? They reset.

During one grindy match, this "extending points" philosophy was the difference-maker. It’s about getting back to neutral when everything is going wrong. It’s exhausting, sure, but it’s demoralizing for your opponents.

2. The 'We' Over 'Me' Mentality

We’ve all seen that team. One person misses a dink, and the other rolls their eyes or stares at the sky. That is the fastest way to a 0-2 exit. Kyle and Riler, on the other hand, stayed locked in.

Communication in a tournament isn't just about being "nice." It’s about reducing brain power. When you’re constantly calling "yours," "mine," or "watch it," you’re removing the hesitation that leads to errors. They were on the same page with their energy and their strategy, picking each other up when the wheels started to wobble.

And then there was the "socks incident." In the heat of a brutal semifinal against Richard Livornese and Tanner Tomasi, Riler's shoes were literally squishing with sweat. Kyle’s wife was offering fresh socks from the sidelines. It sounds ridiculous, but that kind of support, and the ability to laugh through the absurdity of playing in a Florida swamp, keeps the mental fatigue at bay. If you aren't having a little fun with your partner, you're doing it wrong.

3. The Decision-Making Matrix

The third pillar of tournament success is decision-making, which Kyle admits is the hardest part to master. Why do the pros always seem to have so much time? It’s not because they’re faster; it’s because they recognize patterns earlier.

Kyle describes it as a three-step process:

• Recognizing the situation before it happens
• Knowing the mathematically correct response
• Reinforcing that pattern until it’s automatic

When they played one of Kyle’s former roommates, the match turned into a high-speed chess game. Because they knew each other’s patterns so well, it wasn't about who could hit harder, but who could break the other's rhythm first.

The Bittersweet Reality

Here’s the kicker: despite the title of the video, Kyle and Riler didn't actually win the whole thing. They lost a heartbreaker in the semifinals.

But that’s the beauty of the sport. You can do everything right, from extending the points and staying connected with your partner to making the right reads, and still come up short against a team like Jack Munro and Will Howells.

Winning a tournament is the goal, but the process of competing is where the real growth happens. As Kyle and Riler joked at the end of their run, the mentality going into the next one is simple: "Don't suck."

You know what? That might be the best coaching advice out there.

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