Advanced Pickleball Serve Return Strategy – Target the Backhand. As you push toward the 3.5 level and beyond, aim to place your serve returns strategically.
By targeting your opponent’s backhand, you make it harder for them to execute their third shot, keeping them back and under pressure.
Awareness and Control
You should always be aware of your opponents’ dominant hand positions when returning the serve.
Once you’re hitting deep returns up the middle consistently, start targeting your shots based on your opponents’ hand dominance—whether they’re right-handed, left-handed, or a mix.
Before the serve, check who’s on each side and plan your return to force a backhand third shot. The third shot is critical, and you want to make it hard for the offense to hit an effective third shot. A backhand response is almost always a weaker response, and this is what you are looking for.
Even if opponents try to come around the ball to use their forehand, this extra movement adds complexity to their shot. Often, this repositioning leads to mistakes on their third shot as they struggle to adjust their body for the forehand.
As always, hitting a return into the net or out of bounds is a missed opportunity.
If the game is close or you’re not confident in your return consistency, just focus on hitting a deep, in-play return to maintain control.
Pickleball Serve Return Targeting -Right Handed Server
The illustration below shows a return of serve targeting the backhand of a right-handed server.
If both opponents are right-handed, aiming slightly left of center toward the server (Player A) is your best play.
This increases the chance of forcing a backhand return from Player A, which is your goal.
If both players are left-handed, targeting slightly right of center works in the same way.
Ideally, Player B should step in and take the shot with their forehand, but often, Player A will attempt a backhand return, which is what you want.
The illustration below shows a serve from the other side with one return targeting the backhand of Player A and one targeting the backhand of Player B.
On the flip side, if both opponents are right-handed and Player B is serving, aiming for the same spot, slightly left of center toward Player A is effective as it may entice a backhand return shot from Player A.
As mentioned, ideally, Player B should step in and take the shot with their forehand, but often, Player A will attempt a backhand return, which is what you are looking for.
You can also aim at the backhand of the server (Player B).
This is a much more difficult and risky shot as you are hitting across the court and towards the sideline. This shot can be effective but takes a lot of practice before trying it in a game.
Pickleball Serve Return Targeting -2 Backhands in the Middle
The illustration below shows a serve return up the middle to force a backhand return when there are 2 backhands in the middle.
When you have a right-handed and left-handed opponent mix, many times they will not stack to put a forehand always in the middle. This is because of the inherent complexity of the positioning they must take on with stacking and remembering this as they play.
This is especially true if they are not advanced players or haven’t played much together.
Not stacking in pickleball puts you at a big disadvantage and you need to take advantage of this when you see your opponents are not stacking.
In this scenario there is no forehand in the middle. It’s simple, return the serve up the middle and there is a good chance a backhand return will be used for the third shot.
This is what you want.
To advance in pickleball, seeing two backhands in the middle is a scenario you should always take advantage of.
Pickleball Serve Return Targeting -Left handed Server
The illustration below shows hitting a return to the opponent right in front of you when the serve is coming from a left-handed server.
Last example on placement, if you have a left-handed server (Player A) and a right-handed player (Player B) in front of you, hit the return of serve to the backhand side of the player in front of you (Player B).
With a left-handed server and right-handed partner, they have 2 forehands in the middle.
Either player can use their forehand for the 3rd shot if it is returned up the middle.
If you have a good angle, hit the ball towards the backhand of the player in front of you, maybe getting them to use a backhand third shot.
This return shot has some risk of going out, but it is a straightforward shot, and you should look to do this more as your game advances.
As mentioned earlier, even if your return shot is straight at them and doesn’t force a backhand return, your opponent may have to adjust over to use their forehand which complicates their shot.
Summary:
As you look to advance your game towards and beyond the 3.5 level, start strategically placing your serve returns.
This makes it more difficult for your opponents to execute their 3rd shot.
As you advance in pickleball, having a good serve return strategy and targeting the backhand of your opponent is something you should always be focused on.