The game of Pickleball has different strategies and you will be a better player if you understand these concepts.

It really gets down to a few questions.

• Do you only play with players in your skill set?

• Do you play with a variety of age and skill levels?

• Do you try to put the ball away as soon as possible?

• Do you ever reset a ball that you could have put away to extend the rally?

• Do you ever work on ball control and placement versus power shots?

• Do you ever take time to teach or work with beginners?

There are players that simply value their time and only want to play competitive games. They take no prisoners and are out to win the point as soon as possible. Then there are players that “play down” to their “opponents” and hit balls that challenge them but give them a realistic chance to return the shot.

One thing for sure, if all players move to the net as soon as possible and hit every ball hard, there will be shorter rallies. The sole strategy of hitting all 3rd shots and automatically moving forward seems to be taught by most players, but certified teaching professionals have some additional strategies. First off, the best pros can walk to the net and hit numerous shots against 3.0 to 4.0 players as they get to their NVZ line. The best players could also hit a couple of drives and stay back and there is no shot that you could hit that they wouldn’t be able to defend.

But that brings us to the question for the majority of players, should you go in or stay back? I teach both styles. The vast majority of players only play recreational games and not tournaments. And many games are played against weaker players. So slow down and enjoy some games where you form a solid defense and keep the ball in play, reset your shots, extend the points, and have longer rallies. Why have all 4 players rush to the net and try to put the ball away as soon as possible?

When other strategies are employed, players have options to position themselves to form a defense to extend and win points. For example, staying back at your baseline when you have not developed a consistent drop shot is a better strategy versus hitting a ball too high and automatically moving forward. Strategies should be developed according to the player’s skill levels.

1. Hit a drive and stay back: When hitting the 3rd shot, you have the option to drive the ball forcing your opponents into hitting a volley. A good drive will force most players into hitting a defensive volley where their goal is to simply return your shot. This strategy is a “Match Up” of groundstrokes, called drives, versus volleys. Hitting a drive to one of the two players up simply gives you a much bigger target to keep the ball in play. Hitting a drop shot requires hitting a ball lower, shorter, softer, and into the much smaller target area, your opponent’s kitchen. When you hit a drive at the two opponents who are up at their NVZ line, it is safer to stay back. If you were to move forward, their volley may very well land at your feet and force you into hitting a low volley or half volley. Additionally, if you hit a drive and move forward, your reactions will have to be very good. The strategy of hitting a drive and staying back in essence is to challenge their volleying skills. I often ask my students, “Would you rather me hit a slow drop shot into your kitchen or hit a fast topspin drive at you? Most reply, “please hit a soft drop shot into my kitchen”.
   
   

2. Hit a drop shot and move forward: The most common strategy that is taught is that you should hit a third shot drop and move forward to your NVZ line. I highly recommend to move forward only when your 3rd shot forces your opponent into hitting up on the ball with a low volley or a dink. A very valuable skills test is to see if you can hit 8 out of 10 balls into your opponent’s kitchen from your baseline. When you can do this on a regular basis, then you can move forward when you hit a drop shot that will land in front of your opponents. On the other side of the coin, it is suicide to hit a short lob and run forward to play your opponent’s overhead as a volley. The same principle applies when you hit the ball too high which gives your opponent a volley to attack. The best strategy is to stay back if your 3rd shot is too high and move forward when your 3rd shot will force your opponent to hit up on your shot.
   
   

3. Hit a third shot drive and a 5th shot drop: This should be one of your go to strategies because a good drive will win some points. Additionally, your opponents will volley many balls defensively and shorter in your court which will give you a ball to move forward on and hit a drop shot into their kitchen. The important point to remember is that your drive is not intended to be a winner. Its purpose is to make your opponents hit a defensive Volley.
   
   

4. Lob and stay back: There is a 4th option which is to lob. Hit a deep lob which is very difficult for most players to put away. A deep lob also keeps your opponents back and opens up more space to hit shots that will land low or in front of their feet. Common sense should dictate that you would only move forward on a ball that clears their heads or that they let bounce. Do not move forward if they are going to hit an overhead. This strategy is not often used because most teaching starts from the best players and filters down. Lobs from the baseline do not work against the best players. However, the millions of players in the intermediate levels can’t put away an overhead, so this strategy works.
   
   

5. Hit a dining room shot and move accordingly to the returning shot: This is a shot that gives the serving team a much easier shot than the drop shot and still gives your opponents a very difficult shot to play. Most players have problems with balls lower than the net and the dining room shot does just that. From a consistent drive, hit the ball with less pace so the ball would land a couple of feet past the NVZ line. This results in an easier shot for you with a larger window and target area and still produces a difficult ball for your opponents.

This presents you with the basic 3rd shot doubles strategies.

• Hit a drive and stay back.

• Hit a drop shot too high, then stay back.

• Hit a drop shot that will land in your opponent’s kitchen or at least be low, then move forward quickly and keep your paddle up ready for the next shot.

• Hit a third shot drive and a 5th shot drop.

• Hit a lob and stay back unless your shot bounces in your opponent’s court.

• Hit a dining room shot and move according to your opponent’s shot.