10 Pickleball Strategies That Actually Win Games

You know the rules. You can keep the ball in play. But you keep losing to players who don't seem to hit harder than you — they just play smarter. That's because pickleball is a strategy game disguised as a sport. Here are 10 strategies that separate intermediate winners from everyone else.

1. Get to the Kitchen Line — and Stay There

The single biggest difference between beginners and intermediate players is court positioning. The team that controls the kitchen line wins most points. After returning the serve, move forward immediately. Don't hang out at the baseline hoping to hit winners — the net player has the advantage in pickleball, every time.

Your goal on every rally: both players on your team at the kitchen line, both opponents pushed back. That's winning position. If you need a refresher on kitchen rules, check our rules guide.

2. Master the Third Shot Drop

The third shot drop is the most important shot in intermediate and advanced pickleball. Here's the situation: you serve (shot 1), your opponent returns deep (shot 2), and now you need shot 3 to get from the baseline to the kitchen line.

A third shot drop is a soft, arcing shot that lands in your opponent's kitchen, forcing them to hit up on the ball. While they're hitting a defensive shot, you and your partner advance to the kitchen line. It's not about power — it's about placement and touch.

How to practice: Stand at the baseline and drop balls into the kitchen from there. Aim for the ball to peak on your side of the net and fall softly into the kitchen. Practice 50 drops before every session. It takes hundreds of reps to become consistent.

3. Develop Your Dinking Game

Dinking — hitting soft, controlled shots just over the net into the opponent's kitchen — is the heart of competitive pickleball. A good dink:

• Clears the net by 2–6 inches
• Lands in the kitchen (ideally at your opponent's feet)
• Forces your opponent to hit up on the ball
• Is hit with an open paddle face and a gentle lifting motion

Many beginners see dinking as boring. It's not. Dinking is a chess match — you're maneuvering your opponent out of position, waiting for them to pop one up so you can put it away. The player who loses patience during a dink rally almost always loses the point.

Pro tip: Cross-court dinks are safer because the net is lower in the middle and you have more court to work with. Go cross-court until your opponent gives you a high ball to attack.

4. Return of Serve Deep — Every Single Time

The return of serve is the most underrated shot in pickleball. A deep return (landing within 2–3 feet of the baseline) does two critical things:

1. Keeps the serving team pinned at the baseline (remember, they must let the return bounce)
2. Gives you and your partner maximum time to reach the kitchen line

A short return is a gift — it lets the serving team hit an aggressive third shot and advance quickly. Aim deep and center. Don't try to hit return winners. The return's job is to be deep and give you time to move up.

5. Use Serve Placement, Not Power

Unlike tennis, the pickleball serve isn't a weapon — it's an underhand shot that starts the point. Stop trying to ace people. Instead, focus on placement:

• Deep serves: Push receivers back, making their return shorter and your third shot easier
• Serve to the backhand: Most recreational players have weaker backhands. Target that side consistently.
• Body serves: Serve directly at the receiver's hip — it's awkward to return because they can't decide forehand or backhand
• Mix it up: Don't serve to the same spot every time. Vary between deep, short, left, and right

6. Stack in Doubles to Play to Strengths

Stacking is a doubles formation where both players position themselves on the same side of the court before the serve or return, then shift into preferred positions after the ball is hit. It's used to keep the stronger forehand player covering the middle or to keep a lefty/righty combination optimized.

When to stack:

• You have a left-handed and right-handed player (both forehands cover the middle)
• One player has a significantly stronger forehand
• You want to exploit a specific matchup against your opponents

How it works: If Player A is serving from the right side but Player B has the stronger forehand, Player B stands just off the court on the right side. After the serve, Player B slides into the right position while Player A moves left. The key is practice — stacking requires seamless movement and trust.

7. Target the Backhand — Relentlessly

At the recreational and intermediate level, most players' backhands are noticeably weaker than their forehands. Exploit this without mercy:

• Serve to the backhand side
• Dink to the backhand
• Drive to the backhand when attacking

Watch your opponents during warmup. Identify the weaker side and target it all game. This isn't unsportsmanlike — it's strategy. High-level players do this constantly.

8. Be Patient — Let Your Opponents Make Mistakes

At the intermediate level, most points are lost, not won. The player who makes the unforced error loses the rally. That means your primary job isn't hitting amazing shots — it's avoiding bad ones.

Patience means:

• Not attacking a ball that's below net height
• Dinking 10 times in a row without trying to speed things up
• Keeping the ball in play rather than going for a low-percentage winner
• Letting your opponent get impatient first

The formula is simple: stay in the rally, keep the ball low, wait for a high ball, then attack. Players who force attacks on low balls lose more than they win.

9. Communicate with Your Doubles Partner

Communication wins doubles games. The most common breakdown: both players go for a ball down the middle, or neither does. Establish simple rules with your partner before the game:

• "Mine" / "Yours": Call every ball that's near the middle
• Forehand takes the middle: The player whose forehand covers the center takes middle balls
• "Switch" / "Stay": After one player crosses to cover a wide ball, communicate whether to switch sides or reset
• Hand signals for serves: Some doubles teams use hand signals behind the back to indicate serve direction and planned movement

Even a simple "I got it!" prevents 90% of middle-ball confusion. Talk constantly during rallies.

10. Own the Transition Zone

The transition zone is the area between the baseline and the kitchen line — roughly the middle third of the court. It's called "no man's land" in tennis, and it's dangerous in pickleball too. Balls at your feet while you're moving forward are the hardest shots in the game.

How to handle the transition zone:

• Split step: When your opponent is about to hit the ball, stop moving and get balanced with feet shoulder-width apart. This lets you react in any direction.
• Hit and move: After your third shot drop, take 2–3 steps forward, split step, handle the next ball, then advance again. Don't try to sprint to the kitchen in one movement.
• Stay low: Bend your knees in the transition zone. Low shots are easier to handle with bent knees than with an upright stance.
• Reset, don't attack: If you're caught in the transition zone with a hard ball coming at you, your goal is to reset the ball softly into the kitchen — not to counterattack.

Putting It All Together

Here's the winning formula for an intermediate doubles point:

1. Serve deep to the backhand
2. Receive the return (let it bounce per the double-bounce rule)
3. Hit a third shot drop into the kitchen
4. Advance through the transition zone with split steps
5. Establish position at the kitchen line
6. Dink patiently until you get a high ball
7. Attack with purpose when the opportunity comes

Master this sequence and you'll beat most recreational players. It's not flashy, but it works.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most important strategy in pickleball?

Getting to the kitchen line and staying there. Court positioning beats shot-making at every level of play. The team that controls the net controls the point.

How do I improve my third shot drop?

Repetition. Stand at the baseline and practice dropping balls into the kitchen. Focus on a soft grip, open paddle face, and a gentle lifting motion. Aim for 50+ practice drops per session. Consistency comes after hundreds of reps.

When should I speed up the ball vs. dink?

Attack when the ball is above net height and you can hit down on it. Dink when the ball is below net height. Hitting up on a ball with pace usually sends it out or gives your opponent an easy putaway.

How do I beat bangers (hard hitters)?

Stay at the kitchen line, keep your paddle up, and block their hard shots back softly. Bangers rely on speed — if you absorb their pace and drop it into the kitchen, they have no answer. Patience beats power in pickleball.

What's the best doubles formation for beginners?

Side-by-side with clear middle-ball rules (forehand takes the middle). Save stacking until you and your partner are comfortable with basic positioning and communication.

How do I stop making unforced errors?

Give yourself more margin. Aim 6 inches above the net instead of skimming it. Hit to the center of the court instead of painting lines. Slow down your swing. The best players hit 80% of their shots with margin — they only go for the line on putaways.

Find Courts to Practice

Ready to put these strategies to work? Use our pickleball court finder to find courts near you and start practicing. The best strategy in the world only works if you're on the court.