Pickleball Strategy

Pickleball Strategy – Doubles Strategies

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Pay attention to the significance of pickleball strategy to elevate your game professionally and secure victories like a champion. Prioritize placement over power for optimal results. In pickleball, a robust strategy is paramount for becoming an influential player. Recognize that pickleball demands a combination of physical and mental prowess, making these strategies essential for achieving a commanding victory on the court.

Deep Return of the Serve

The first pickleball strategy begins with the serve, the opening shot in every rally. Precision in serving is paramount, with just one opportunity to land the ball accurately in the service area. Mastering the serve grants you control, allowing strategic placement and making the return of serve more challenging for your opponents.

Key Serving Tips

  1. Target Opponent’s Weakness: Aim for the opponent’s blind spot or weaker side, such as their backhand or feet, especially in doubles play.
  2. Deep Serve: Serve into the deep part of the service box, pushing opponents beyond the baseline without risking an out-of-bounds serve.

Pickleball Doubles Strategy 

 For a challenging entry into the Non-Volley Zone Line, opt for a return of serve with a high arc, granting extra time to reach the non-Volley Zone. Wind interference may impact this Strategy, potentially carrying the shot out of bounds.

Against aggressive opponents, a lob return of serve can result in a high bounce, facilitating their drive shots. Infuse spin into your return, such as slicing with backspin, creating a challenging shot for rivals.

Implementing backspin benefits you and your partner by providing additional time to reach the Non-Volley Zone Line, as the slower-paced pickleball movement is a consequence of the backspin. Maintain a low pickleball contact with the court for optimal play.

Return of Serve Strategy

The second shot in the rally, the return of serve, is crucial for setting the tone. Here are tips for an effective return:

  1. Deep Placement: Like the serve, aim for a deep return close to the baseline but within bounds to prepare for potential weaker third shots.
  2. Targeting Weakness: Identify and exploit the weaker player or backhand side, adding complexity to your opponents’ game.

Advanced Strategies for Return of Serve

Once you’ve mastered the basics, consider these advanced strategies:

  1. The Kitchen Line Approach: Quickly move to the Non-Volley Zone Line after your return to gain a strategic position for the next shots.
  2. Targeting Specific Players: Tailor your shots based on the weaknesses or playing styles of specific opponents.

Bend Your Knees

While it may seem simple, the upcoming pickleball strategy tip could be more complex and often overlooked by players. The key is to move your feet and bend your knees consistently. Effective shot execution hinges on proper foot movement, placing yourself in a position that enables striking the pickleball in front of you. This technique is incredibly potent for addressing low balls, a crucial goal on pickleball courts.

Hit Out the Front

  • Prioritize watching and hitting the pickleball, a fundamental yet often neglected technique.
  • Focus on each shot individually, disregarding distractions such as the opponent, their paddle, spectators, your partner, and the next shot.
  • Direct attention to the pickleball connecting with your paddle, emphasizing precise shot execution.
  • Strive to hit the pickleball before your body, initiating this by moving your feet effectively.
  • This footwork helps prevent over-swinging, allowing for a more compact swing.
  • Maintain forward movement and strategically position yourself at the Non-Volley Zone Line, where most points are typically won.

Be Ready 

Maintain the “Ready” stance as you advance up the pickleball court, reaching the “Transition Area” and the Non-Volley Zone Line. Ensure your knees are flexed, compress your body, and shift your weight onto the balls of your feet. Orient your paddle forward or towards 10 or 11 o’clock, envisioning a clock face with the paddle head up.

Consistent preparedness is crucial due to the fast-paced nature of pickleball near the net. This minimizes reaction time, eliminating the need to raise your paddle before striking the pickleball, as your paddle is already positioned correctly.

Make a Choice & Pledge It

Decision-making on the pickleball court is critical. Good strategies, good shot selection, playing the higher percentages, and deciding where to position yourself on the pickleball court are essential factors in losing or winning a pickleball game. 

Pickleball players often make mistakes by changing their minds about their shot selection and second-guessing themselves. The time to make a shot and make decisions happen is only fractions of a second. As a result, if you change your mind at the last minute, You may make an error if you don’t give yourself enough time to execute the change.

Play With Your Opponents’ Weaknesses

At the core of pickleball, Strategy is leveraging your strengths and exploiting your opponent’s weaknesses. For example, if you excel in driving and power, while your opponents are skilled at dinking and playing soft shots, focus on driving the pickleball more frequently to increase the pace.

Alternatively, if you possess a strong lob, and your opponents struggle with overhead shots or exhibit poor mobility, opt for lobs to disrupt their game and steer clear of extended dinking rallies.

Stay Persistent

Patience is essential in the sport of pickleball. Exercising patience as a player is the best Strategy, a skill many people on the pickleball court need to improve.

Many times, on the pickleball court, the players who rush lose scores during the counterattack by their opponents, which is better than the initial speed up. Be patient and avoid unattackable pickleball below the net.

Keep it Low

 Maintaining a low trajectory with your pickleball can thwart your opponents’ ability to launch aggressive shots, keeping them on the defensive. For example, a low return of serve will likely prompt your opponents to opt for a drop shot rather than a forceful drive. Similarly, a low shot near the Non-Volley Zone Line or kitchen typically results in a dink instead of a rapid volley.

In the Strategy for pickleball doubles, the primary focus for you and your partner should be to keep the pickleball low consistently. Achieving this involves mindful adjustments to your paddle angle and pace, particularly when responding to pickleballs at various heights.

Paddle Angle:

A paddle angle that is flat or open to the sky will cause the pickleball to be taller.

A paddle angle close to the sky or parallel to the net will make the pickleball shorter.

Connect more!

When delving into playing pickleball doubles, a pivotal strategy for success revolves around robust communication with your partner. Establish a consistent dialogue both between shots and during points.

Discuss and coordinate actions, such as determining who takes the pickleball in the middle, strategizing how to handle lobs, and deciding whether to let certain shots go out of bounds. Effective communication uplifts your partner, especially when facing challenges, such as the opposing team targeting the perceived “weaker” player.

If you find yourself in a supportive role and are not the primary target, focus on being a positive force for your partner. Enclose yourself strategically on the court to provide assistance and alleviate pressure. Cultivate a supportive and encouraging atmosphere for your partner throughout the pickleball match.

The Out Balls Must Go

In both singles and doubles pickleball, a valuable technique is mastering the skill of letting out balls go. This becomes crucial, particularly when facing opponents inclined to drive the pickleball. Stay vigilant for our balls, adeptly ducking and dodging them. Refrain from assisting your opponents in prolonging the point.

Hit Crosscourt: 

Maintaining a low trajectory in pickleball is crucial. A valuable tip for effective dinking is to opt for crosscourt dinks over straight shots or targeting the middle of the court. This choice provides several advantages:

  • The crosscourt dink travels over the lowest part of the pickleball net, enhancing the margin for error.
  • The ball naturally follows a favorable angle.
  • More court space for the crosscourt dink is available compared to a straight one.

In essence, the crosscourt dink is forgiving and doesn’t demand perfection, making it essential to hone proficiency in this technique. Aim for 70% to 80% of your dinks to be crosscourt.

Diversify your shots, including occasional offensive lobs, to maintain unpredictability in your pickleball strategy. In challenging moments, when off balance, consider resetting with a straightforward dink. Ensure the dink is directed toward the middle, making it elusive for opponents.

Hit Down the Middle

In both doubles and singles pickleball, the ultimate goal is to outscore your opponents by hitting the pickleball over the net and within the court lines, but achieving this is a complex task.

A helpful tip to enhance your success is to primarily direct your shots down the middle of the pickleball court, except for dinks, which are more effective when sent crosscourt. This strategic approach can significantly contribute to winning the game.

The central area of the pickleball court offers the most significant margin of error, as the net is at its lowest point, allowing for slight deviations to the right or left while keeping the pickleball in play.

For an additional practical tip in doubles pickleball strategy, target the foot in the middle of the court on your opponent’s backhand side, increasing your chances of securing victory.

FAQs

What are the 5 key tactics to help you be a better pickleball player?

  • Consistently Serve Deep
  • Bend Your Knees and Move Your Feet 
  • Watch and hit the Pickleball Out in Front.
  • Be “Pickleball Ready” with Your Pickleball Paddle Up.

What are the three 3 key things you should focus on in pickleball?

The three key things that are most important and on which you should concentrate are drill, play, and practice.

What are the 5 mistakes that beginner pickleball players frequently make?

The five most common mistakes that beginner players make are 

  1. Scooting up after the serve
  2. “Too fancy” of a spin
  3. Smashing balls too early
  4. Kitchen faults
  5. 5. Poor serve techniques

What is a common mistake in pickleball strategy?

For beginners, trying to hit hard is the biggest mistake.

What is the hardest thing in pickleball?

Keeping pickleball low is the hardest thing in pickleball. When you keep your pickleball low, you prevent your competitor from an aggressive shot.

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