Seven doubles strategy tips from USA Pickleball
Short answer: USA Pickleball's doubles advice: serve deep, return deep, get to the kitchen line together, decide quickly and commit, play to strengths and target weaknesses, dink crosscourt, and use the middle.
USA Pickleball published seven doubles tips in September 2025. Here is the short version.
- Start with a deep serve. Aim to the opponents' weaker side, often the backhand, and leave margin for error.
- Return deep and smart. Pin opponents at the baseline, target the middle or the weaker opponent, and buy time to move forward.
- Get to the kitchen line together. Most doubles points are won there. Both partners should move up once the two-bounce rule is satisfied.
- Decide quickly and commit. Hesitation causes mistakes.
- Play to strengths, target weaknesses. Look for a poor backhand, limited mobility or a weak third shot.
- Dink crosscourt. It crosses the lowest part of the net, gives more margin and pulls opponents wide. Mix in middle and straight dinks.
- Use the middle. A ball hit between partners can cause confusion about who takes it.
Where to go next
See our third shot drop guide for how to get to the line safely, and our kitchen rule explainer so you stay legal when you get there.
Sources
Sources checked 14 Oct 2026. Header photo: Two doubles players moving on an indoor pickleball court at a tournament, by SET04SARAH2024, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
