Allen Antigua is one of Cebu’s top pickleball players. I saw this for myself last July during the La Salle vs. Ateneo friendly games at The Courts. There were over 50 players but he stood out as the best.
Coming from a tennis background helps a lot. Allen has played the game of Roger and Rafa for over 25 years and has won numerous tournaments, including runner-up finishes in ITF 35+ categories.
Pickleball? He has only played the sport for over a year now but has already finished at the podium multiple times. In the August 2026 Cebu Pickleball DUPR Club rankings, he was No. 3 with a rating of 4.322.
I asked Allen for his top three tips. Here’s what he said:
“1.) Practice perfecting serves and returns — every point starts with these two aspects of the game, whether you’re playing singles or doubles. Hitting nice, deep serves and returns sets up the point to your advantage.
“2.) Learn how to read and play the current game you’re in — you don’t always have to play a ‘slow dink’ game. Being able to identify what type of match you’re in or what playing style your opponents are deploying is essential to scoring points.
“If your opponents are bangers and like to drive a lot, be sure to keep your paddle up and have those punch counters / flicks ready.
“If you find yourself against opponents who like to dink / reset or are defensive, you may want to push and be more aggressive with your own dinks to set up and win points.
“3.) Have fun! Playing with a smile boosts your morale and perhaps even stamina after all, we’re all here to have fun with friends and family and build a positive pickleball community!”
MORE TIPS. Like Allen, my background is tennis. And we’re used to just smacking the ball from the baseline and hitting as hard as we can. That won’t work in pickleball. Your opponents will use your power against you. (One major difference between the two: with tennis, we use underspin when we volley; with pickleball, topspin volleys are preferred.)
Here are a few more tips that I’ve also learned:
4.) Be patient. You don’t have to smash every shot. The smartest shot is often the soft one and waiting for the right ball to attack is important. The goal is not to hit the hardest forehand but to win the point.
5.) Talk to your doubles partner. Just like in tennis, good communication is essential. (Two star singles players playing as individuals will almost always lose to a cohesive doubles team.) Call out “mine” or “yours” and decide who takes the middle balls. Don’t play the blame game but encourage each other.
6.) Get to the kitchen line. Don’t stay at the baseline. Move forward with your partner right after your serve or return. The kitchen line is where you control the game and win points.
7.) Target the middle. Just like in tennis, hitting down the middle can confuse your opponents and limit their angles for returning the ball.
