Placement of your drive will be dependent on what opportunities you have on the pickleball court. However, consider the following to determine the best placement for your drive:

1. Down the Middle – Down the middle usually “solves the riddle” of your opponents because the middle part of the court provides you with the highest margin of error, as the net is at its lowest point and you can miss a little to the left or a little to the right, while keeping the pickleball in play. Down the middle shots are also effective if there is too big of a gap between your opponents, or if you can get your opponents to fight with each other over who should take the middle shot between them.

2. Find the Open Court – This goes without saying, but drive the pickleball to the open court. If you see space, send the pickleball to that space. However, be careful when you go for down-the-line drives, as these are often do-or-die shots (i.e. win the point by hitting the line or lose the point by hitting the pickleball out of bounds).

3. The Depth of Your Opponents – If one or both of your opponents are back at the baseline, keep them back with a drive. Drive the pickleball to the opponent that is staying back.

4. Weaknesses of Your Opponents – If you determine that one of your opponents has a weak backhand or a weak forehand, target this weakness and send drives to that particular side of your opponents. Also, consider going for center of mass of your opponents. Go right at them and aim for their belly button or stomach area.

5. Go for the Chicken Wing – Find some writing on your opponents’ paddle-side shoulder and drive the pickleball toward that spot, which will have the effect of causing your opponent to “chicken wing” in order to return the pickleball. The paddle-side shoulder is a difficult spot to defend as it is the point between a backhand shot and a
forehand shot and is hard to react to and otherwise defend.

The most obvious shot is usually the right shot for you to take. Try not to go for too much or create too much “magic” on the pickleball court. Simplicity usually wins the point. Keep it simple.

Key Takeaways:

1. Placement of your drive will be dependent on what opportunities you have on the pickleball court. However, try the following placement strategies for your drive:
a. Go down the middle, which is the lowest part of the net;
b. Find the open space;
c. If any opponent is back, keep them back with a drive;
d. Target your opponents’ weaknesses and consider sending drives at their belly buttons (especially if they are weak blockers); and
e. Go for the chicken wing area, which is your opponents’ paddle-side shoulders.
2. Keep it simple and do not overplay your drive.