While pickleball is a great way to get your blood pumping and provides a fun way to keep you moving, it’s also a game of strategy. If you’re a competitive person and love the feeling of winning, then pickleball is for you. This articles is all about pickleball doubles strategy, created to help improve your pickleball knowledge of the game.
Whether you’re just getting started or a seasoned doubles player, these strategies will help you the next time you get on court with your partner:
- Get to the non-volley/kitchen line after the return of serve. This is the #1 strategy of pickleball. When both players rush the net, they’re on the offensive looking to end the point.
- Get comfortable with drop shots. While drop shots are difficult to learn, they’re dead useful. They’re commonly used on the third shot, after the return of serve is hit; affectionately called the “third shot drop.” Drop shots will help you and your teammate approach the net to put you in an offensive position.
- Keep opponents at the baseline. The odds are in your favor if you and your teammate are up at the net and the opposing team playing back at the baseline. Aim your shots deep in the court to maintain the advantage.
- Aim for their feet. A ball aimed at the feet is difficult to get back in play. Even if they do manage to get it back, it will most likely be a pop-up, giving you to set up for an easy winner. Aim for their feet if they’re up at the net, back at the baseline, or approaching.
- Serve deep. Aim for just inside the baseline when serving. The returning team is always going to try to approach the net, so a deep serve will prevent them from coming in.
- Return of serve position and placement. If you’re playing a server who repeatedly gets their serve deep, stand behind the baseline to return. It will give you time and space to hit your return. Aim deep when you’re returning serve. A deep ball off the return will allow you to close into the net and it will make the third shot harder to execute.
- Communicate. You must have a good back-and-forth with your partner if you plan on winning any doubles game. Talk to them between points and during points. If they’re a regular partner, use words that you can agree on like “mine” and “yours.” The simpler and shorter, the better. Communication is key when it comes to responding to shots hit up the middle of the court. Knowing who is going to hit that shot will cause less confusion and more success in winning the point.
- Move together. Pretend you have a piece of rope tied around you and your partner’s waist. If one moves up, the other moves up. If one moves to the left, the other moves to the left to cover the center of the court. Moving together takes away any holes or angles you may create, making it harder for your opponents to easily put away balls.
- Patience is a virtue. Points are usually lost due to errors. Patience gives you the ability to choose the right shot and where to place it, it allows you to think. Don’t get up in trying to end the point quickly, that’s when the errors find their way in.
- Placement over power. Aiming your shots will always trump powering your shots over the net. Power can be enticing. It’s an ego-boost to crush a ball back over the net and win the point. It’s a huge letdown if that same shot flies out. Be patient, as stated above, and be smart. Place your shots, find the holes created by the other team. Play the soft game, vary up your shots. That’s how you win a pickleball match.
While these are just some of many pickleball doubles strategies, these are some of the easiest to implement the next time you step on the court with your partner. Share these with your partner and see what you’re already doing well and what you can try during your next match.
And if you’re up for it, enjoy pickleball singles!