- When returning a serve, your main objective should be to land the ball as close as possible to the opposing teams baseline. The reasoning for this is because your keeping your opponents pushed back, away from the kitchen, since they have to let the ball bounce before hitting it back at you. Gaining control of the kitchen is a key factor in winning Pickleball matches. That is why when you return a serve, you want to reposition yourself to the kitchen. The ability to gain access of the kitchen first is what gives the returner the advantage before the point even starts.
- The 3rd shot is one of the most talked about concepts in pickleball. The 3rd shot is when you serve the ball and the other team returns it to you. The first tip about the third shot is positioning. You want to remain behind the baseline when you or your partner serve it because if the other teams hits a deep shot at you, your in proper position to hit a return after the bounce. Your 3rd shot can either be a soft dink or a drive. At the professional level, the dink is more popular. They slow it down by dinking their 3rd shot, and then enter a game of cat and mouse with the guys at the net as they try and work their way up to the kitchen.
- Most players have a weakness, and more times then not its their backhand. Pickleball is like chess in a way. You have to constantly make moves out their analyze the results. When playing singles or doubles, aim for peoples backhands, or low shots by their feet. If you notice that they sort of struggle hitting strong shots on their backhand, then keep pressuring it.
- A basic strategy for serving is that you want to hit deep shots that land close to the other teams baseline. Since they have to let it bounce, the closer the ball bounces to the baseline, the more pushed back they become. Similar to the previous strategy, aiming for the returners backhand on serves is a smart tactic.
