Pickleball Guide Return
Return strategy
Where to place your return of serve — deep crosscourt, down the line, or at the body — and how each one buys you time to reach the kitchen.
YouPartnerOpponent
BestGoodRisky
Dashed = soft shotMovement
Return of serve from the baseline. Goal: keep it deep so the server cannot attack on the 3rd shot. Rush to the kitchen after contact.
Deep crosscourt
Crosscourt gives the longest diagonal — maximum margin for error. Forces the server into a long 3rd shot from a running position.
Move to the kitchen immediately after. Build this as your default before adding variation.
Related topics
Put it into practice
Find a tournament or round robin near you and test this for real.