On the pickleball courts, it is imperative that you stay linked with your partner and work together as a team. You should imagine that a six- to eight-foot rope holds you and your partner together at all times. If you move right a few steps, your partner should move right a few steps. If your partner moves left a few steps, you should move left a few steps. If you and your partner do not stay linked and do not move in tandem, you will find yourselves leaving large open spaces on the pickleball courts for your opponents to take advantage of. For example, imagine that you and your partner are both at the baseline, with you on the even/right-hand side, and your opponents hit a quality shot that takes you out wide to your forehand side and off the pickleball court. Your partner should take a few steps toward the middle to be able to cover more of the pickleball court. Otherwise, there will be a large, empty hole in the middle of the court for your opponents to drive the pickleball between you and your partner.

You may have to leave some open space on the sidelines of the pickleball court. However, any open space on the sidelines is a low percentage shot (in other words, a difficult shot) for your opponents, and your opponents will risk hitting the pickleball out of bounds. You will cover more room on the pickleball courts by staying linked and be much more successful as a team.

Remember, this shift is short-term and generally only for one shot. As soon as you hit the pickleball, quickly recover ground and return to your original positioning. As you return to your original positioning, your partner should also recover ground and slide back over to his or her original positioning.

If you find yourself in a position where your six- to eight-foot rope is broken, do not stress. Re-group and continue to work together with your partner to get back in tandem. Hopefully, you can get back in tandem with your partner and in your original positioning within one or two shots.

Key Takeaways:

1. Stay linked (within 6 to 8 feet) with, and move with, your partner.
2. Give up the low percentage areas of the court and make your opponents have to work for every point, rather than giving up any easy points down the middle of the court.
3. If the link between you and your partner gets broken, do not panic. Simply work yourselves back together within a shot or two.