Pickleball doubles strategy for social and club players

Pickleball with four people is the standard game at almost every Australian club session. The rules are on the rules page. This page is about how to win more rallies once you know them.

Why does everyone want to be at the kitchen line?

Because the volley rules reward it. Players standing just behind the kitchen line can volley balls before they drop, hit down on anything that comes back high, and take time away from the opponents. Players stuck at the baseline have to hit up and over the net from 6 m or more away, which gives the net team easy put-aways.

The kitchen stops anyone standing right on the net, so the line itself is the best legal spot. That is why the whole game is shaped around who gets there first and who can keep the other team from getting there.

Where should you stand when serving?

The server stands behind the baseline (the rules require it), and the server's partner also usually starts back at the baseline. The reason is the two-bounce rule: the return of serve must bounce before the serving team hits it, so if the server's partner rushes to the net, a deep return can land behind them and they will have to let it bounce anyway.

Where should you stand when receiving?

The receiver stands at or near the baseline to return the serve. The receiver's partner can start up at the kitchen line, because the serving team's next shot has to bounce anyway, and the partner is in the best position on the court from the first ball.

After returning, the receiver moves forward to join their partner at the line. Hit the return deep and give yourself time to get forward. A slow, high, deep return is better than a fast, short one, because time is what you need. Pickleball Australia's beginner resources include a session on exactly this: buying yourself time to get to the kitchen line after the return of serve.

What is the third shot drop?

The third shot of the rally (serve, return, third shot) is the serving team's first chance to hit. They are at the back, and the receivers are probably at the line. Hitting hard at two players at the net usually gets blocked or volleyed back at your feet.

The common answer is a third shot drop: a soft, arcing shot that lands in the opponents' kitchen. Because it lands short and low, the opponents have to let it bounce or volley it from below the net, so they cannot attack it. That gives the serving team time to move forward. Pickleball Australia's resource list for beginners includes third shot strategies for this reason.

The alternative is a third shot drive, a hard, low shot aimed to make the receivers pop the ball up. Many club players mix both.

What is dinking?

A dink is a soft shot from near the kitchen line that drops into the opponents' kitchen. When all four players are at the line, rallies often turn into a dinking exchange: each side tries to keep the ball low and wait for the other side to hit one too high. The player who gets a ball above net height can then attack it.

The key ideas when dinking:

• Keep it low and unattackable. The aim is not to win the point with the dink, but to make the opponent's next ball rise.
• Be patient. Many club rallies are lost by the player who speeds up the ball from below net height.
• Hit cross-court more often than not. The cross-court dink travels over the lowest part of the net (86.36 cm in the centre against 91.44 cm at the sidelines) and gives you a longer distance to land it in.

Who covers the middle?

Balls down the middle between two partners cause most doubles confusion. A common club rule of thumb is that the player with the forehand in the middle takes it, but the most important thing is to agree before the game. Call "mine" or "yours" early and loudly. Under the rules, if both partners hit the ball, it is a fault, so hesitating and then both swinging costs you the point.

Move as a pair

Imagine a rope between you and your partner about 3 m long. If one of you is pulled wide to the sideline, the other slides toward the middle to cover the gap. If one moves up, both move up. Teams that end up with one player at the net and one at the baseline leave a big hole between them that opponents aim straight at.

What is stacking?

Stacking is a positioning tactic where a team arranges itself so each player stays on their preferred side (for example, keeping a strong forehand on the left), regardless of where the score says they should serve or receive. It works because the rules only fix the server's and receiver's positions at the start of the rally. Rule 5.B.4 says that, other than serving and receiving, there is no restriction on players' positions as long as they are on their own side. Stacking takes practice to keep track of who serves next, so it is best tried once you are comfortable with scoring.

Talk to your partner

• Call the score and confirm who is serving.
• Call "mine", "yours", "bounce it" (for a ball you think is going out) or "switch" when you cross.
• Agree on a plan for lobs. A ball lobbed over the net player is often best covered by the partner moving across behind.

Doubles etiquette at social sessions

If your club's social session rotates partners, you may play with a lot of different people in one morning. Call your own lines fairly (the rulebook says the opponent gets the benefit of the doubt), call the score clearly, and do not lecture partners you have just met. If you want a more competitive game, ask the session organiser whether there is a higher-level court or a DUPR-rated session.