The Serving Team and their strategies.

Each team decides at the start of a game on who will be the first server. That player will always be hitting the serve from the right side when the score is even and from the left side when the score is odd. Additionally, this player will always be hitting the return of serve from the right side when their team has an even number of points and from the left side when they have an odd number of points. In tournaments, the player starting to serve wears a band to identify that they are the first server. The main point to understand is that the first server on each team is the reference point of where to position yourself. The first server on each team will always be on the right side of their court when serving or receiving and their team’s score is even. Conversely, the first server will be on the left side of their court when their team’s score is odd.

There are names for different strategies for the serving team. It is assumed that the returning team will have one player up at their NVZ line and the partner will hit the return and move up as well. This generally places two players up at their NVZ line as the serving team is hitting the third shot of the point.

The target area for the third shot drive is 20 x 15 or 300 square feet while the drop shot is 7 X 20 or really more like 3 X 20 or 60 square feet. It is easier to hit a drive than the drop shot. And a poorly hit drive is more effective that a poorly hit drop shot.

Your strategy should be based on your ability level to hit specific shots. The overwhelming strategy is to hit the third shot and advance to your NVZ line as soon as possible. There should be a major qualifier for this strategy, your third shot or any shot in the point should land in your opponent’s kitchen! Way too many players move forward on a third shot which is too high and allows your opponents to hit a forceful volley at you. Pickleball suicide is to hit a short lob and run forward.

The vast majority of players have been taught to get to the net as soon as possible. They move forward on every shot by their partner. When the drive is hit strong enough to force your opponents into hitting a defensive volley, then moving forward evens the odds.

The better players have developed the all important third shot drive which lands in the kitchen. Pickleballs bounce lower than the net which forces the ball to be hit up to clear the net. This allows the serving team to more effectively move up to their NVZ line and “neutralize” the point.

Therefore, the 2 main strategies for the serving team should be to, #1, hit a Drive and #2 , hit a drop. I will give instructions on both of these.

#1. Hit a third shot drive and stay back. Your drive’s purpose is to challenge your opponent’s volley. A large percentage of your opponent’s volleys will land in the middle of your court. If you were to move forward, you will often be forced into playing a low ball down by your feet which is a difficult shot. So a very good strategy is to hit a third shot drive, stay back, and expect a short volley return. Expect a short volley and now move forward with your partner to hit an easier drop shot into your opponent’s kitchen or take your chances and hit another drive. At least now you will be closer to the net and you generally will be playing a higher ball and be able to hit an easier volley.

When you play the strategy of hitting a third shot drive and staying back, you should be thinking of how you play against your opponent’s serve or return of serve. On both of these shots, rarely does your opponent hit a winner. You generally are able to move to the ball on your 10 foot wide side of the court and get your paddle on their shot.

A main point to understand is a drop shot is a much more difficult shot to hit than a drive. The square footage areas of the kitchen is approximately 60 feet versus the back court areas being 300 square feet. The larger target area is obviously easier to hit your shot into.

Many players do not hit drop shots and they simply get on the court and hit drives back and forth. It is a good strategy to hit the easier drive to your opponents to find out how well they volley. Hit a drive and stay back and then decide on whether to hit another drive or hit a drop shot. Your drive will result in your opponents hitting 4 types of volleys: a mistake, hitting a volley shorter in your court, hitting a good deep volley, or hitting a drop volley winner. There is a strategy called Third Shot Drive and 5th Shot Drop which is discussed under Doubles Strategies. This is when you hit a good drive, your opponent’s volley is hit defensively and often their volley lands short in your court. You then must move forward to play their shot and this makes your drop shot a shorter and easier shot.

#2. The second strategy is to hit a third shot drop which lands in your opponent’s kitchen or your shot is at least lower than the net. These softer and shorter shots force your opponents to hit up on the ball which allows you and your partner to move forward in a safer way. It is just to your advantage to move forward when your opponents are hitting up on the ball rather than down on the ball. You move up together when you see your shot is going to be low enough to force your opponents into hitting up on the ball and not down on it. It really helps if you know the skill set of your partner. If you know that they are 80 to 100% successful on their drop shot, then you can move forward prior to them hitting the shot. In other words, you get a head start. If they hit a poor shot and you hear them say, “oh no, look out”, then retreat quickly and be like a crab with your paddle out in front to protect yourself and better position yourself to block hard shots back in play.