You may have heard this mantra when talking to a real estate agent about the value of real estate: Location, location, location.

Location, location, location is a term that is used in sports which communicates the importance of ball placement. In pickleball, your shot placement is the difference of winning and losing at all levels of play. As you advance up in skill levels, the target areas become smaller and the windows to hit the ball through that correspond to shot placement are smaller.

To advance your skill level, you must be able to hit the ball to very specific targets. The placement of your shots are controlled by these 4 factors: angle, height, pace, and spin. You can study this under the Placement of your Shots section.

This list will start from the basics and progress to advanced levels.

The serve must be hit to the correct service box which is 10x15. Then you can progress to dividing the width of the box to 5x15 which is either to the forehand or backhand side of the box. The next skill is hitting deeper serves which would be 3 feet inside the baseline. Shorter serves can be hit in a few situations which can be effective.

The return of serve should be directed to one side of the court. This is done well by most players as they generally hit the ball to the weaker player. As you advance, hitting the ball deeper creates a more difficult third shot from your opponents while giving you more time to get up to your NVZ line. Returns down the middle of the court cause some confusion as to who will hit the ball. Then more accurately placed shots to the backhand are important for both singles and doubles.

The third shot drive should target one opponent. Drives down the middle can also cause confusion as to who will play the shot. The next level is to be able to divide the 20 foot wide court into 5 foot wide sections. More advanced players can hit the drive to player A’s forehand or backhand or player B’s forehand or backhand side. This is important because most players have a preferred side for volleys. For most players, they cover more area with their backhand volley because their backhand volley extends to cover their right hip, for right-handers. Some drives should be intended to land shorter in the court because players are often transitioning or moving up to their NVZ line.

Drop shots are critical because you must develop the touch in order to place your shot into your opponent’s kitchen. Players accomplish this by controlling the height, pace, and spin. Drop shots are hit from all depths of your court and you must calibrate the distance that your shot should travel.

Volleys have target areas which play a major role as your level of play advances. You first start off by simply blocking the ball back into play. Then you progress to placement by volleying deep to keep your opponents back, volleying in front of your opponent’s feet when they are advancing, hitting drop volleys into your opponent’s kitchen to reset the point, developing the skill to angle volleys cross court and off the court, and lob volleys if you have that skill set. Additionally, there are attacking drive volleys to try and win the point by hitting the ball hard and fast enough so your opponents cannot react. As you hit harder, hitting topspin volleys are used to keep the ball inside the baseline. Placing your volleys to your opponent’s weaker side raises your skill level.

Dinks progress from trying to keep the ball in play to accurately moving the ball around the opponent’s kitchen. You want to develop the placement of your shots so you can hit dinks straight ahead, to the middle of the court, and both cross court directions. Aim for your opponent’s left foot which is low to their backhand. For 90% of players, it’s their weakest shot and one that is not attacked as much. The depth of your dinks will play a major role in your skill set. As you advance, you want to be able to hit dinks to different depths. When the ball lands in your kitchen, you will then be hitting a dink. If your opponent is back near the baseline, the percentage shot is to hit your dink deep. Often your opponents will be moving forward and then you want to hit your dink so the ball lands in front of their feet. Hitting the ball so it lands in front of your opponent’s feet forces them to hit up on the ball in order for their shot to clear the net. If they don’t control the pace of their shot, the ball will “pop up” giving you a high ball to attack. An advanced dink, which is an offensive attacking shot, you want to target your opponent’s right shoulder area. Most players hit volleys with their backhands and this placement to their right side will challenge their transition from backhand to forehand. A quick shot to this location will often put them in the weak position of hitting the ball late or in the “chicken wing” position.

Half volleys show your skill to return a well placed shot at your feet into returning your shot back into your opponent’s kitchen. Your opponent has hit a shot that has bounced just in front of your reach and you are playing the ball just after the ball bounces. You must hit up or scoop the ball up with a soft hit so you avoid a pop up. This shot requires soft hands or good touch in order to accurately place your shot in front of your opponents.

Lobs can be hit from anywhere on your court but let’s think about hitting a lob from the kitchen with your opponents directly across the net from you. The angle is very important and you will be much better off to hit the ball over your opponent’s backhand side. Players have weaker high backhand shots versus their overheads.

Overheads can be hit with power down the middle of the court or angled off the court with placement. As with most shots, placement will be more effective. Hitting your overhead cross court and shorter in the court will angle your shot so it won’t be returned. With the majority of courts having fencing 7 feet to the side, there just isn’t room for even the fastest players to run the ball down. When the lob is hit deeper, then aim down the middle of the court.

Dining room shots are a term that I have coined for the placement of your shot to land a few feet past the NVZ line. A ball that would land 1 to 3 feet past the NVZ line will force your opponent into hitting a ball lower than the level of the net which may result with them hitting the ball into the net. This shot also gives you a larger window to hit the ball through and therefore easier than a drop shot.