Doubles is where most pickleball happens. Walk up to any public court on a Saturday morning and you will find four players on nearly every net. And while the rules of pickleball are easy enough to learn in a few minutes, winning consistently in doubles requires something extra -- strategy.
The good news is that pickleball doubles strategy is not complicated. You do not need elite athleticism or years of experience to play smart. What you need is an understanding of a handful of positioning principles, solid shot selection habits, and clear communication with your partner. Players who learn these fundamentals early tend to improve faster than those who just try to hit the ball harder.
This guide covers the essential doubles pickleball tips that will make an immediate difference in your game. Whether you are brand new to doubles or you have been playing recreationally and want to start winning more consistently, these are the strategies that matter most.
The #1 Rule: Get to the Kitchen Line
If there is a single piece of pickleball doubles strategy that matters more than everything else, it is this: get to the kitchen line as quickly as you can.
The kitchen -- officially called the non-volley zone -- is the seven-foot area on each side of the net. You cannot hit volleys while standing in it, but you absolutely want to be standing right behind that line whenever possible. Why? Because the closer you are to the net, the more angles you can create, the less time your opponents have to react, and the more pressure you put on every shot they hit.
When both you and your partner are at the kitchen line, you control the rally. You can dink, volley, speed the ball up, or poach -- all from a position of strength. When you are stuck at the baseline, your opponents have time to set up their shots and you are left scrambling to get forward.
Think of the court as having three zones: the baseline, the transition zone (mid-court), and the kitchen line. The kitchen line is home base. Every shot you hit should ideally move you closer to it. The transition zone is a danger area -- you are vulnerable there because balls arrive at your feet, which are the hardest shots to handle. Get through it as quickly as you can.
Here is the key mindset shift: the point does not really start until all four players are at the kitchen line. Everything before that -- the serve, the return, the third shot -- is about earning your way to the net. Once you start thinking about it that way, your shot selection will change for the better.
Serving Strategy
The serve in pickleball is not a weapon the way it is in tennis. You are not going to ace anyone with an underhand serve. But a smart serve absolutely sets the tone for the point and can give you a real advantage.
Serve deep. The most important thing about your serve is depth. A serve that lands within a foot or two of the baseline pushes your opponent back and makes their return harder to place. A short serve that bounces near the kitchen line gives the receiver an easy ball and lets them move forward immediately.
Vary your placement. Most recreational players serve to the same spot every time. Mix it up. Serve to the backhand, serve to the forehand, serve down the center, and occasionally pull your opponent wide. Unpredictability prevents the receiver from getting into a comfortable rhythm.
Prioritize consistency over power. A hard serve that goes long gives the other team a free point. A deep, well-placed serve with moderate pace does more for you than a blast that misses 30% of the time. Get the ball in play and make it deep -- that is your serving checklist.
After you serve, remember the two-bounce rule. You must let the return bounce before hitting your third shot. Use this time to read where the return is going and position yourself for the next ball.
Return of Serve Strategy
The return of serve is one of the most underrated shots in pickleball doubles strategy. A strong return gives the receiving team an enormous advantage, and here is why: after you hit the return, you get to advance to the kitchen line while the serving team is stuck waiting for the ball to bounce.
Hit the return deep. Just like the serve, depth is everything. A deep return pins the serving team at the baseline and gives you more time to move forward. Aim for the back third of the court. A return that lands short is an invitation for the serving team to hit an aggressive third shot.
Move forward immediately after the return. This is the part that separates good doubles players from average ones. The moment you hit the return, start moving toward the kitchen line. Your partner should already be there (since they were not involved in the return and could move up right away). The goal is to have both of you at the net before the serving team can get there. That positional advantage often decides the point.
Return to the deeper player. If one opponent is at the baseline and the other is up at the kitchen line, aim your return at the player who is back. Hitting to the net player gives them an easy volley. Hitting deep to the baseline player forces a more difficult third shot.
The Third Shot: Drop vs. Drive
The third shot is where pickleball gets interesting. After the serve and return, the serving team faces a critical decision: do you hit a third shot drop or a third shot drive? Understanding when to use each is a core part of pickleball positioning and doubles tactics.
The third shot drop is a soft, arcing shot that lands in the opponents' kitchen. When executed well, it neutralizes the receiving team's net position by forcing them to hit the ball upward. This gives you and your partner time to move forward to the kitchen line. The drop is the percentage play in most situations -- it is the shot that allows you to transition from defense to offense.
The third shot drive is a hard, flat shot aimed at the opponents. It is more aggressive and can put the net player under pressure, but it carries more risk. If the drive is not well-placed, a good net player will put it away with a volley. Drives work best when the return is short or high, giving you a ball you can attack.
Here is a practical guide for when to use each:
- Use the drop when the return is deep, when both opponents are at the kitchen line, or when you are far behind the baseline. The drop buys you time and lets you advance.
- Use the drive when the return is short and sits up high, when one opponent has left a gap, or when the net player is not paying attention. The drive punishes weak returns.
- Mix them up. If you only drop, your opponents will start creeping forward to poach. If you only drive, they will sit back and block. Unpredictability keeps them honest.
Most beginners should focus on learning the third shot drop first. It is the more versatile shot and the foundation of high-level doubles play. Once your drop is reliable, adding the drive gives you a complete toolkit.
Positioning and Court Coverage
Good pickleball positioning is not about individual movement -- it is about moving as a team. You and your partner should think of yourselves as connected by an invisible rope, roughly ten feet long. When one person shifts left, the other shifts left. When one person moves back, the other adjusts accordingly.
Stay parallel. The most common positioning mistake in doubles is having one player at the net and one at the baseline -- what coaches call "one up, one back." This formation leaves a huge gap in mid-court that good opponents will exploit with angled dinks and drops at your feet. Both of you should be at the same depth whenever possible: both at the kitchen line, both at the baseline, or both moving through the transition zone together.
Cover your half. In general, each player is responsible for their half of the court -- forehands in the middle, backhands on the outside for most teams (though this depends on whether you play with a righty-righty, lefty-lefty, or mixed combination). The center line is the seam between you, and it is where many points are won. Communicate about who takes balls up the middle.
Shift with the ball. When the ball is on the left side of the court, both players should shade slightly left. When it moves to the right, shift right together. This keeps you in the best position to cover the most likely angles. If you stay planted in the center while the ball is cross-court, you leave your sideline exposed.
Do not backpedal. When an opponent hits a lob over your head, turn and run to chase it down rather than shuffling backward. Backpedaling is slower and more likely to cause you to lose balance. If the lob is deep enough, both players should reset to the baseline and rebuild the point from there.
Communication with Your Partner
Doubles is a team sport, and that means talking. The best doubles teams communicate constantly -- before the serve, during the rally, and after the point. You do not need to be shouting, but you do need to be clear.
Call the ball. The most important call in doubles is "mine" or "yours." Any time the ball comes down the middle, someone needs to claim it immediately. Hesitation in the middle is one of the most common ways to lose points in recreational doubles. Decide beforehand who takes middle balls -- typically the player with the forehand in the center -- and adjust during the rally as needed.
Call balls in or out. If you can see that a ball is heading long or wide, call "out" loud and early so your partner does not hit it. If it is going to be close, let it go and play it off the bounce if it stays in. The player who is closest to the line and has the best angle should make the call.
Discuss strategy between points. A quick word between rallies goes a long way. "I'm going to poach if they dink cross-court." "They keep hitting to your backhand -- let me take the middle." "Let's stack on this side." These small adjustments compound over the course of a game.
Encourage each other. Doubles is a mental game, and negativity kills partnerships. When your partner misses a shot, a quick "no worries, we got the next one" keeps energy positive. The best doubles teams build each other up. Save the analysis for after the game.
Dinking Strategy
Dinking is the heartbeat of high-level pickleball doubles strategy. A dink is a soft shot hit from near the kitchen line that arcs over the net and lands in the opponents' kitchen. It does not look flashy, but it is the shot that sets up winners.
Dink cross-court. The cross-court dink is the highest-percentage dink because the net is lower in the center and you have more court to work with. A cross-court dink also creates a wider angle, pulling your opponent out of position and opening up the middle for your partner to attack.
Be patient. The purpose of dinking is not to win the point directly -- it is to move your opponents around until they give you a ball you can speed up. This might take five dinks, or it might take fifteen. Resist the urge to attack a dink that is still below the net. Wait for the ball that pops up above net height, and then pounce on it.
Vary your dinks. Change the pace, spin, height, and placement of your dinks. A dink with backspin stays low and is hard to attack. A dink aimed at your opponent's feet forces an awkward shot. A quick dink to the middle can catch both opponents hesitating. The more variety you show, the harder it is for your opponents to settle in.
Keep your paddle up. At the kitchen line, your paddle should always be in front of you, roughly chest height, ready to react. Do not let your paddle drop between shots. The transition from a dink rally to a speed-up can happen in a fraction of a second, and you need to be ready.
When to Speed Up the Ball
Knowing when to transition from patient dinking to aggressive speed-ups is what separates intermediate players from advanced ones. Speed the ball up at the wrong time and you hand your opponents an easy put-away. Time it right and you win the point.
Attack balls that are above the net. This is the golden rule. If a dink or volley pops up above the height of the net, that is your signal to speed it up. A ball at or below net height should be dinked back -- attacking it means hitting up, which gives your opponent an easy volley.
Target the body. When you speed up the ball, aim at your opponent's hip or dominant shoulder. Body shots are harder to defend than shots aimed at the sidelines because the player has to move the paddle laterally across their body. Many points at the kitchen line are won with a quick shot directed right at someone's chest.
Attack the weaker player. If one opponent is clearly less comfortable at the net, direct your speed-ups toward them. This is not unsportsmanlike -- it is smart doubles strategy. In competitive play, every team does it.
Follow up your speed-up. When you speed up the ball, be ready for it to come back. A speed-up is not always a winner -- sometimes the opponent blocks it back. Stay balanced, keep your paddle up, and be prepared to hit a second or third fast ball in a row.
Common Doubles Mistakes
Even experienced recreational players fall into these traps. If you can eliminate these mistakes from your game, you will immediately play better.
Staying at the baseline after the return. As the returning team, you have a free pass to the kitchen line. Not taking it is like leaving money on the table. Hit your return deep and move forward right away.
One up, one back formation. We covered this above, but it bears repeating because it is so common. This formation creates a gap at your feet that good players will attack relentlessly. Move together.
Hitting to the net player. When in doubt, hit to the player who is deeper. Feeding the net player gives them easy volleys and put-aways. Direct your shots at the baseline player or at their feet if they are in the transition zone.
Impatience at the kitchen line. The biggest mistake in dinking rallies is trying to speed up a ball that is below the net. This forces you to hit upward, and a rising ball at the kitchen line is easy to counter-attack. Wait for your moment.
Not communicating. Balls up the middle that neither player goes for -- or worse, that both players go for -- account for a staggering number of lost points in recreational doubles. Talk to your partner.
Trying to hit winners from the baseline. From the back of the court, your job is to get to the net, not to end the point. Hit drops and controlled drives. Save the aggressive plays for when you are at the kitchen line.
If you are just starting out in doubles, the guide on how to play pickleball covers the fundamentals you will want to have down before layering on these strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best formation for pickleball doubles?
The best formation is both players at the kitchen line, standing side by side. This gives you maximum court coverage and puts pressure on your opponents. Avoid having one player at the net and one at the baseline -- the gap in mid-court is too easy to exploit. Both players should move to the kitchen line together as quickly as possible.
Who should take the ball in the middle?
The general rule is that the player with their forehand in the middle should take it. For two right-handed players, that means the player on the left side (the ad court) typically covers the middle. However, this should be discussed with your partner before the game and can change depending on positioning during a rally. The most important thing is that one person calls it.
When should I use a third shot drop vs. a third shot drive?
Use a third shot drop when the return is deep and both opponents are at the kitchen line -- the drop lets you advance to the net. Use a third shot drive when the return is short or high, giving you an attackable ball. In general, the drop is the safer, higher-percentage play, especially for beginners. Mix both shots in to keep your opponents guessing.
How do I improve my dinking in doubles?
Practice dinking cross-court with a partner for five to ten minutes at the start of every session. Focus on keeping the ball low over the net with a soft grip and compact swing. Vary your placement -- dink to different spots in the kitchen, change the pace and spin, and work on keeping your paddle up between shots. Patience is the most important skill in dinking. Wait for the high ball before attacking.
What is stacking in pickleball doubles?
Stacking is a positioning strategy where partners stand on the same side of the court before the serve or return, then shift to their preferred sides after the ball is in play. It is commonly used when one player has a much stronger forehand or when a right-handed and left-handed player want to keep both forehands in the middle. Stacking is an intermediate-to-advanced tactic and is not necessary for beginners, but it can be a powerful tool once you are comfortable with the basics.
How important is the serve in doubles pickleball?
The serve is important but not dominant. Because the serve must be underhand and the two-bounce rule prevents serve-and-volley play, you cannot win points outright on the serve like in tennis. Focus on serving deep and with consistency. A deep serve pushes the receiver back and makes their return more difficult, which gives your team a better chance on the third shot.
What are the most common mistakes beginners make in doubles?
The biggest mistakes are: not getting to the kitchen line, staying in a one-up-one-back formation, hitting to the net player instead of the baseline player, attacking balls that are below the net, and not communicating with your partner about who takes balls in the middle. Fixing these five habits will make the biggest immediate improvement in your doubles game.
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