Racquet Social

✏️ Update: November 4, 2026

Pickleball is relatively easy to learn, especially if you come from a tennis, squash, or other racquet sports background. But playing competitive doubles at an advanced level is a different challenge.

Powerful groundstrokes, quick reflexes, and good hand-eye coordination certainly help. However, advanced pickleball doubles strategy is largely about shot selection, court positioning, teamwork, and knowing when to attack or defend.

Players transitioning from tennis or squash often discover that some of their instincts need adjusting. As I discussed in Pickleball: A Tennis Player’s Perspective, the smaller court, different equipment, and non-volley zone (NVZ), commonly called the kitchen, change how points are constructed.

Here are 13 essential skills and tactical decisions that can help experienced players improve their doubles game.

Quick Take: What Makes a Good Advanced Doubles Player?

Advanced pickleball doubles players combine consistent shot execution with tactical awareness. They know how to move to the kitchen together, choose between drops and drives, neutralize attacks, construct points with dinks, and recognize opportunities to finish rallies.

The biggest difference between intermediate and advanced play isn’t necessarily how hard you hit the ball. It’s knowing which shot to play—and when.

Advanced Pickleball Doubles Strategy at a Glance

Situation	Recommended approach
Serving	Serve deep and consistently to limit attacking returns
Returning serve	Return deep and advance toward the kitchen
Third shot	Choose a drop or drive based on the return and opponent positioning
Moving forward	Advance behind a good shot, not automatically
Dinking	Use placement, patience, and variation to create openings
Attacking	Look for high balls and opponents out of position
Defending	Block or reset hard shots rather than always matching power with power
Court coverage	Move with your partner and protect the middle
Finishing points	Expect your first attack to be returned and prepare for the next ball

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1. Develop Patience Without Becoming Passive

Patience is one of the most important qualities in advanced doubles pickleball.

Players accustomed to tennis or squash often try to generate winners from positions that don’t justify an attack. In pickleball, that approach can quickly become counterproductive.

A hard shot struck from below net height may simply give your opponents an opportunity to counterattack.

The objective is to create an attackable ball rather than force a winner from every opportunity.

That means being comfortable with dink exchanges, neutral rallies, and occasionally slowing down the game.

However, patience shouldn’t be confused with passivity. Repeatedly hitting safe, predictable dinks without applying any pressure can allow opponents to dictate the rally.

Advanced players balance consistency with controlled aggression.

Practical tip: Before attacking, consider your contact height, your balance, and whether your opponents are positioned to counter.

2. Use Serves to Set Up the Point

The pickleball serve may not be as dominant a weapon as the tennis serve, but it still plays an important tactical role.

Deep serves make it harder for receivers to move forward comfortably after returning. Placement and pace can also disrupt their rhythm.

Advanced servers vary their targets based on their opponents’ positioning and weaknesses.

Useful serving options include:

• Deep serves that push the receiver toward the baseline.
• Serves toward an opponent’s weaker return side.
• Controlled changes in speed and spin to disrupt timing.
• Occasional wider serves to change the receiving angle.

A powerful serve that frequently misses is less valuable than a reliable serve that consistently creates pressure.

Unlike tennis, pickleball requires the receiving team to let the serve bounce and the serving team to let the return bounce before volleying. This two-bounce rule has a major influence on doubles positioning.

Practical tip: Prioritize depth and consistency before experimenting with riskier angles or excessive pace.

3. Return Deep and Establish Kitchen Position

The return of serve has a major influence on how a doubles rally develops.

Because the serving team must let the return bounce, a deep return helps keep them back while the receiving team moves toward the non-volley zone.

A short return can make life easier for the serving team, potentially giving them an attacking third shot.

For most conventional doubles returns, prioritize:

• Depth over outright power.
• Enough height and margin to maintain consistency.
• Placement that makes the serving team’s third shot more difficult.
• A controlled approach toward the kitchen line after returning.

Avoid admiring your return from the baseline. The receiving team generally wants to establish its position at the kitchen before the serving team can move forward.

Practical tip: A deep, relatively slow return can be more effective than a low, hard return because it gives you additional time to move forward.

4. Master the Third Shot: Drop or Drive?

The third shot is one of the most consequential decisions in doubles pickleball.

The serving team normally begins behind the baseline while the receiving team advances toward the kitchen.

The third shot helps determine whether the serving team can neutralize that positional disadvantage.

Two principal options are the third-shot drop and third-shot drive.

When to play a third-shot drop

A well-executed drop lands softly in or near the opponent’s kitchen, making it difficult for them to attack downward.

It is particularly useful when opponents are already established at the kitchen line and the ball isn’t suitable for an aggressive drive.

When to play a third-shot drive

A drive can be effective when the return is short, high, or otherwise attackable.

A well-placed drive may force opponents to block or pop up the ball, creating an easier fifth shot.

As USA Pickleball explains in its third-shot drive and fifth-shot drop lesson, a drive can serve as a transitional shot rather than an attempt to win the point outright.

The third-shot decision

Situation	Consider
Deep, low return	Controlled drop
Short, high return	Drive
Opponents established at kitchen	Drop or controlled drive to set up a fifth shot
Opponent still moving forward	Drive toward the moving player or an available gap
Poor balance or difficult contact	Higher-margin shot rather than forcing an attack

The third shot doesn’t need to win the point.

Sometimes, its job is simply to create a better fifth shot or allow your team to advance.

Practical tip: Develop both shots. Players who rely exclusively on either drops or drives become easier to anticipate.

5. Coordinate Court Coverage With Your Partner

Good doubles positioning is about covering the court as a team rather than as two individuals.

Advanced players move laterally in response to the ball’s location, narrowing gaps and reducing available angles.

When one player moves wide, the partner adjusts to protect the middle.

Likewise, when both players reach the kitchen, they should generally maintain a coordinated position instead of leaving large openings between them.

One particularly important decision concerns who takes balls through the middle.

The common advice that the forehand takes the middle can be useful, but it isn’t an absolute rule.

Player movement, reach, dominant hands, and the incoming ball’s angle can all influence who should take the shot.

Partners should establish their preferences before the game and communicate during rallies.

What about stacking?

Stacking is an advanced doubles positioning tactic that allows partners to maintain preferred court sides rather than always playing on the side dictated by the serving or receiving sequence.

It can help a team maximize forehand coverage, protect a weaker side, or exploit particular matchups.

However, stacking introduces additional movement and communication requirements. It makes sense only when its tactical benefits outweigh the potential confusion.

Practical tip: Think of your team as a connected unit. Adjust together rather than guarding two fixed halves of the court.

6. Improve Your Transition-Zone Play

Getting to the kitchen line is important, but how you get there matters just as much.

One common mistake is rushing forward after a third-shot drop or drive, regardless of its quality.

If your shot sits up, advancing aggressively may leave you exposed to an attack at your feet.

Advanced players recognize that the area between the baseline and kitchen—the transition zone—is not simply a place to run through.

Sometimes you need to stop, establish balance, and defend before continuing forward.

This is where controlled volleys, half-volleys, and resets become essential.

Practical tip: Move forward when your shot earns you the opportunity. Don’t assume every third shot justifies an immediate dash to the kitchen.

7. Use Dinks to Construct Points

Dinking is more than an exchange of soft shots near the net.

At advanced levels, it becomes a tactical contest involving placement, spin, angles, depth, and anticipation.

The purpose isn’t simply to keep the ball in play. It’s to create an uncomfortable contact point or force an opponent into a weaker return.

Several dink variations are worth developing.

Neutral dinks: Safe, controlled shots that maintain the rally without offering an easy attack.

Crosscourt dinks: Useful because the diagonal provides more distance and allows greater margin over the lower centre of the net.

Aggressive dinks: Balls played with more purposeful placement, depth, or spin to move opponents and create openings.

Volley dinks: Soft volleys taken out of the air to reduce an opponent’s recovery time and prevent the ball from bouncing into a more comfortable position.

One mistake is attempting sharp angles too frequently. A poorly executed angled dink can create an easy attack for your opponents.

USA Pickleball’s guide to mastering dink shots at the kitchen line reinforces the importance of patience, precision, and moving opponents out of position.

Practical tip: Use dinks to move opponents and exploit uncomfortable positions, not merely to prolong a rally.

8. Recognize When to Speed Up the Ball

The transition from a soft dink exchange to an aggressive attack is an important advanced skill.

Roll volleys, flicks, and controlled speed-ups can catch opponents unprepared.

However, the quality of the incoming ball is critical.

A loose dink that sits above net height may provide an excellent opportunity to attack. A low ball that requires you to lift upward is usually a more difficult proposition.

Common targets include an opponent’s paddle-side hip, elbow area, or an open section of court.

Attacking the body can sometimes be more effective than attempting a spectacular passing shot. The objective is to create a difficult reaction, not to hit dangerously at an opponent’s head.

Be particularly careful about speeding up balls directly into well-positioned opponents with ready paddles.

Practical tip: Attack when you have a favourable contact point and a clear tactical reason. Not every dink should become a speed-up.

9. Learn to Reset When Under Pressure

One of the clearest differences between intermediate and advanced pickleball is the ability to turn defence back into a neutral rally.

A reset is a controlled, usually soft shot intended to reduce an opponent’s attacking advantage.

Instead of repeatedly countering hard shots with more power, advanced players use resets to slow the rally and recover their position.

This is especially important in the transition zone, where opponents at the kitchen line can direct attacks toward your feet.

A successful reset generally forces the opponents to hit upward or play another controlled ball rather than continue attacking.

The key is absorbing pace and maintaining a stable paddle face.

Practical tip: Practice defending from the transition zone while a partner feeds firm volleys. Focus on returning the ball softly into the kitchen rather than winning the exchange.

10. Know When to Volley, Block, or Counterattack

Not every fast ball should receive the same response.

Advanced players distinguish between situations that call for an aggressive volley and those that require a compact defensive block.

Attack volley

An attack volley is appropriate when the incoming ball is high enough to strike downward or toward an opening.

Block volley

A block is useful when defending a hard shot. Rather than taking a large swing, the player uses a compact paddle movement to control the incoming pace.

Counterattack

A counterattack redirects an opponent’s speed-up when the ball arrives at a manageable height and the player is balanced.

The most effective response depends on the height, speed, and direction of the incoming shot.

At the kitchen line, keeping your paddle in a ready position and minimizing unnecessary backswing can improve reaction time.

Remember that the USA Pickleball non-volley-zone rules prohibit volleying while touching the kitchen or its boundary line, including violations caused by momentum.

Practical tip: When defending a fast exchange, prioritize paddle readiness and compact movements over elaborate stroke production.

11. Think in Two-Shot Attacking Sequences

Advanced players rarely assume that their first offensive shot will end the rally.

A well-placed speed-up may force a weak block. That block can then create an opportunity for a more decisive second attack.

This is the concept behind the two-shot put-away.

For example:

1. Attack a high ball toward an opponent’s hip.
2. Anticipate a defensive block.
3. Maintain court position and prepare for the next ball.
4. Finish into the available space if the return is attackable.

The important lesson is that attacking requires anticipation.

Players who admire their first shot or overcommit their body position can be caught out by the return.

Practical tip: After your first attack, expect the ball to come back. Maintain your balance and prepare for the next opportunity.

12. Use Angles and Placement on Overheads

A high lob offers an obvious attacking opportunity, but simply hitting the ball as hard as possible isn’t always the best approach.

Advanced players use placement to move opponents and take advantage of open court.

An angled overhead may force an opponent to cover significantly more distance than a powerful shot hit directly at them.

However, extreme angles also reduce your margin for error.

For some overheads, a firm shot toward an opponent’s feet or into a large opening is the higher-percentage choice.

When retrieving a lob, communication becomes especially important. Both partners need to avoid chasing the same ball or leaving the court exposed.

Practical tip: Choose a target before swinging. An overhead doesn’t have to be your hardest shot to be your most effective one.

13. Identify and Exploit Opponent Weaknesses

Targeting an opponent’s backhand is a familiar tactic for tennis and squash players, and it can work in pickleball.

But advanced doubles strategy requires more than repeatedly hitting toward the same side.

Some players have excellent backhand blocks but struggle with high balls to their forehand. Others are comfortable exchanging dinks but less effective when forced to defend from the transition zone.

Pay attention to patterns during a match.

• Which opponent struggles with low returns?
• Who is uncomfortable defending body attacks?
• Which player is more likely to pop up a dink?
• Does one opponent struggle when pulled wide?
• Are there gaps in the opponents’ communication or middle coverage?

Once you recognize a weakness, apply pressure without becoming predictable.

Advanced players can also vary their targets to create confusion and disrupt the opposing team’s positioning.

Practical tip: Target the opponent’s less comfortable shot or position, which isn’t necessarily their backhand.

Advanced Pickleball Doubles: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced racquet sports players can develop habits that limit their doubles performance.

Common mistake	Better approach
Trying to overpower every ball	Select attacks based on ball height and court position
Rushing to the kitchen	Advance only when your previous shot allows it
Playing predictable dinks	Vary placement, depth, and pace
Driving every third shot	Develop reliable drops and fifth-shot options
Leaving the middle exposed	Coordinate lateral movement with your partner
Attacking without anticipating a return	Prepare for the next shot
Countering every hard shot with power	Use blocks and resets when necessary

The goal is not to eliminate aggressive play. It is to make that aggression more selective and effective.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most important skill in advanced pickleball doubles?

There is no single skill that determines success, but shot selection and court positioning are especially important. Advanced players need to recognize when to attack, defend, reset, or maintain a neutral rally while coordinating effectively with their partners.

Should advanced pickleball players always use a third-shot drop?

No. Third-shot drops are valuable when opponents are established at the kitchen line, but drives can be effective against short returns or opponents who are still moving. The best choice depends on ball height, court position, and the opposing team’s readiness.

What is the best way to improve doubles court positioning?

Practice moving laterally with your partner, protecting the middle, and advancing together when opportunities arise. Avoid leaving large gaps between partners or rushing forward behind weak shots.

What is a reset in pickleball?

A reset is a controlled shot, usually played softly into the non-volley zone, that helps neutralize an opponent’s attack. It is particularly useful when defending from the transition zone or recovering from a difficult position.

Is power important in advanced doubles pickleball?

Yes, but power is most effective when supported by placement, timing, and good shot selection. Strong opponents can often redirect predictable hard shots. Controlled aggression is generally more effective than relying on pace alone.

What is stacking in doubles pickleball?

Stacking is a positioning tactic that allows partners to maintain their preferred sides of the court during play. Teams may use it to maximize forehand coverage, create favourable matchups, or accommodate differences in playing styles.

Final Thoughts: Advanced Pickleball Is About Making Better Decisions

The fundamentals of good racquet sports play—balance, timing, anticipation, and consistent shot execution—remain important in pickleball.

But advanced doubles introduces a tactical dimension that can surprise even accomplished tennis and squash players.

The ability to slow a rally, recognize an attackable ball, cover the court with a partner, and recover from defensive positions matters just as much as striking the ball cleanly.

Developing a dependable third-shot drop, improving your transition-zone defence, and learning to construct points through purposeful dinking can make a significant difference.

Ultimately, advanced doubles pickleball is less about hitting spectacular shots and more about consistently making the right decisions.

The better you become at recognizing those decisions, the more opportunities you’ll create to win points.

More Pickleball Reading From Racquet Social

• Pickleball: A Tennis Player’s Perspective — How traditional racquet sports skills translate to pickleball, and where they don’t.
• Top Pickleball Paddle Brands You Can Trust — A look at established paddle manufacturers and what distinguishes them.