Pickleball Doubles Strategy: Positioning, Movement and Communication
Doubles is where most pickleball is played, and it rewards teamwork more than individual shot-making. Two average players who move together and cover the middle will regularly beat two better players who play as individuals. The good news is that the core of doubles strategy is a short list of habits, not a playbook.
The short answer
Good doubles strategy comes down to five habits: get both players to the kitchen line as early as the two-bounce rule allows, move together as if tied by a rope, cover the middle (usually with the player whose forehand is in the middle), hit at the opponents' feet or between them rather than at the lines, and talk constantly with short calls like "mine", "yours" and "bounce".
Starting positions
The two-bounce rule sets up where each player should start.
Serving team
Both players start at the baseline. The server serves, and the partner stays back too, because the return must bounce before your team can hit it. If the server's partner stands at the kitchen line, the returner can hit straight at their feet, and they are not allowed to volley it.
Receiving team
The returner starts at the baseline. The returner's partner starts at the kitchen line, because the serve and the return are the only balls that have to bounce, and from there on the receiving team can volley. After hitting the return, the returner moves up to join their partner at the line.
Why the return matters so much
The receiving team starts with a built-in advantage: one player is already at the line and the other gets time to walk up while the return travels. A deep return, followed by the returner moving in, keeps that advantage. A short return, or a returner who stays back, gives it away.
Get to the kitchen line, together
The team with both players at the kitchen line usually controls the point. For the serving team that means using the third shot drop or a well-chosen drive to earn the time to move forward, and resets when the move gets interrupted.
The key word is together. One player at the line and one stuck back creates a diagonal gap that opponents can hit through, and leaves the back player defending balls at their feet. If one of you has to stay back, the other should usually hold position until both can move up.
Move as a pair
A common coaching image is two players tied together by a rope about the width of half the court. When one moves left, the other moves left. When one moves forward, the other moves forward. This keeps the gaps between you and around you small.
- Side to side: if the ball goes to your side of the court wide, you shift toward the sideline and your partner shifts toward the middle.
- Forward and back: if your partner is pulled back by a lob, you may need to drop back too, so the team is level and not split.
- After every shot: recover to your position. Not recovering after the shot is one of the most common habits that opens up the court.
Cover the middle
The middle of the court is where doubles points are most often lost. A ball between two players produces hesitation, and hesitation produces either a miss or a collision. Teams need a default rule for who takes it.
- The forehand in the middle usually takes it. For two right-handers, that is typically the player on the left side.
- Whoever hit the last shot cross-court may take the next middle ball, because they are often better positioned. Agree on this before playing.
- The stronger player at the line can take more middle balls, as long as it is agreed in advance.
Whichever rule you choose, choose it before the game. Deciding mid-rally is what leaves the middle open.
Where to hit
| Target | Why it works |
|---|---|
| The opponents' feet | Forces them to hit up, giving you a ball to attack. |
| Between the two opponents | Creates confusion over who takes it, and reduces their angles. |
| The player still moving forward | A player in the transition zone is the most vulnerable on the court. |
| Their backhand side | Usually the weaker side, especially on dinks and resets. |
| The lines | Rarely worth it. Aiming at lines produces outs without much reward. |
Aiming at lines instead of people is a classic club-level habit. A ball that lands safely in the court but at someone's feet is usually better than one that might clip the line.
Communication
Good teams talk constantly, with short, early calls:
"Mine" / "Yours" for balls in the middle, called as early as possible.
"Bounce" / "No" for balls that look like they might go out, called by the partner who is not hitting.
"Switch" / "Stay" when a lob or wide ball pulls someone across the court.
"Good" / "Nice" after a point, regardless of the result. Teams that stay positive play looser.
Between points, a few words of plan help too: who takes the middle on this return, whether you are stacking, which opponent to target.
Handling the lob
When opponents lob over one of you, the usual rule is that the partner diagonally behind has the better angle, so the two of you switch sides and call it. Whoever goes back should turn and run rather than backpedal, and the team should reset to neutral rather than try to win the point from deep. Teams that have no plan for the lob tend to give away easy points against players who use it.
When positions get complicated
If you want to keep both forehands in the middle, or a left-handed player's forehand on a particular side, teams use stacking. It is legal and common at higher levels. See pickleball stacking explained.
Strategy by situation
When your team is stuck at the baseline
If the opponents are at the line and you are both back, the priority is not to win the point; it is to get forward. Drop or reset to the kitchen, take a few steps forward each time the ball allows, and split step as the opponents hit. Driving from deep against two players at the line mostly hands them volleys. Being stuck at the baseline is one of the most common habits holding club players back, and the fix is the soft game, not more power.
Against hard hitters
Teams who drive everything can be uncomfortable to play against, but they give you pace to use. Get to the kitchen line, keep your paddles up, and block their drives softly back into the kitchen rather than hitting back harder. Hard hitters often struggle when the ball is low and slow, because they have to generate all the pace themselves from below the net.
Against soft, patient teams
A team that dinks well and waits for mistakes rewards the same patience back. Stay low, keep dinks cross-court and at their feet, and attack only balls above the net. Trying to out-hit patient teams usually means speeding up the wrong ball, which is exactly what they are waiting for.
In mixed doubles
In mixed play, teams often target one player more than the other. The answer is the same as in any doubles: good positioning, movement as a pair, and clear calls on middle balls. A team that covers its middle and keeps both players at the line is hard to isolate, whoever the target is.
Doubles mistakes that cost the most points
- Partners not level: one at the line, one back.
- Middle left open: nobody takes the ball between you.
- Not recovering: hitting a wide ball and staying wide.
- Server's partner at the kitchen line: leaves them unable to handle a return at their feet.
- Returner staying back: wastes the receiving team's built-in advantage.
- Silent teams: no calls, so hesitations and collisions.
What filming a game shows you
Doubles positioning is almost impossible to judge from inside the point. You are watching the ball, not the gap between you and your partner. A whole-court video from a corner shows both players at once, so you can see when one of you went forward and the other stayed back, or when the middle opened up. Coach Dink can coach you and your partner as a team in doubles, with a report on habits like not moving with your partner and leaving the middle open.
Frequently asked questions
Who should take the middle ball in pickleball doubles?
Most teams default to the player with their forehand in the middle. Some agree that whoever hit the last cross-court shot takes it. The important thing is agreeing before you play, so nobody hesitates.
Where should the server's partner stand in pickleball?
At the baseline, next to the server. The return must bounce before your team hits it, so standing at the kitchen line would leave your partner unable to volley a return hit at their feet.
Where should the returner's partner stand?
At the kitchen line. The receiving team only has to let the serve bounce, so the returner's partner can start at the line and the returner joins them after hitting a deep return.
What should you say to your partner in pickleball doubles?
Short, early calls: "mine" or "yours" for middle balls, "bounce" or "no" for balls that may go out, and "switch" when a lob pulls someone across.
Is it better to hit at the opponents or at the lines?
Usually at the opponents, especially their feet or between them. Aiming at the lines produces errors without much extra reward.
Related Articles
- Pickleball Stacking Explained: How to Stack, and When It Is Worth It
- Pickleball Kitchen Rules (Non-Volley Zone) and How to Use the Line
- Pickleball Film Review: How to Watch Your Own Games and What to Look For
Scope
This article is general pickleball instruction for recreational players. Rules references follow the USA Pickleball rulebook as generally applied; check the current official rulebook and your local tournament or league rules for edge cases. Ratings discussed here are descriptive skill levels, and Coach Dink's rating is its own estimate for tracking progress, not an official rating from any pickleball organization. Coach Dink is made by the author of this site.