Pickleball Strategy – 3.5 and Beyond -by Payton Bond

BOOK CONTENTS

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INTRODUCTION

 PICKLEBALL PRIMER

• Pickleball Rules
• Pickleball Terminology
• Pickleball Paddle Grips
• The Split Step

PICKLEBALL SKILL LEVELS

• Skill Level 3.5 – Am I There?
• Seeing the Court as a 3.5 Player
• Playing Up, Playing Down
• Pickleball Skill Levels Defined
• DUPR Skill Ratings

SOCIAL & MENTAL TOPICS FOR 3.5 PLAYERS

• The Power of Resilience in Pickleball
• Patience in Pickleball
• Pickleball Partner Etiquette
• Pickleball Opponent Etiquette
• From Tennis to Pickleball
• Popular Pickleball Quotes

THE SERVE - STRATEGY ARTICLES

• Pickleball Serve Overview
• Pickleball Serve Consistency
• Pickleball Serve Options
• Pickleball Serve Legality
• Serving Under Pressure
• Pickleball Serve Positioning
• Defensive Positioning
• Pickleball Stacking
• Serve Stacking
• Defensive Stacking
• Advanced Serves

RETURN OF SERVE - STRATEGY ARTICLES

• Pickleball Return Tips
• Serve Return Control
• Advance to the Kitchen
• Serve Return Freeze
• Handling Spin Serves
• Consistent Serve Returns
• Serve Return Targeting
• Serve Return Spin
• Spin Physics

THE THIRD SHOT - OPTIONS & COMMUNICATION

• Third Shot Options and Execution
• Drive, Lob, Drop or Drip?
• Third Shot Progression
• Third Shot Communication
• Stepping In with Your Forehand

THE THIRD SHOT - THE DRIVE

• Third Shot Drive
• Poaching in Pickleball
• Poaching Opinions
• Shake and Bake
• Pinching the Middle
• Blocking a Drive

THE THIRD SHOT DROP

• The Third Shot Drop
• Mastering the Third Shot Drop
• The 5th and 7th Shot Drop
• The Put Away Shot
• Third Shot Drop Targeting
• Third Shot Drop Advancing
• Drop Shot Mistake
• Drop Shot Defense
• Defending Drop Shots
• The Pickleball Reset
• The Split Step
• Drop Shot Against Power Players
• The Power Player Challenge

THE LOB SHOT

• Pickleball Lob Shot
• Overhead Smash Tips
• The Lob Switch
• Angle Smash Shot

DINKING - STRATEGY ARTICLES

• Dinking Overview
• Footwork and Tethering
• The Cross-Court Dink
• Attacking a Dink
• The Dink Fake
• 3 Common Dinking Mistakes
• The ATP (Around the Post)
• The Erne

This isn’t a paid review or quote from a magazine. It’s a thoughtful summary written to help players understand exactly what the book offers—and how it compares to other strategy guides out there.

📘 Book Review: Pickleball Strategy – A Guide to 3.5 and Beyond

By Payton Bond
In a sport full of enthusiastic players but short on practical strategy resources, Pickleball Strategy – A Guide to 3.5 and Beyond fills a much-needed gap. Written by Payton Bond, this guide doesn’t waste time with vague suggestions or self-congratulatory fluff. Instead, it delivers a grounded, thoughtful approach to improving the way you see and play the game.

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🔍 What It Covers

The guide opens with a concise primer before diving into the heart of its content: strategy. More than 650 mobile-sized pages explore over 75 topics, including:

• Shot-by-shot strategy for serves, returns, third shots, drops, drives, dinks, lobs, and resets

• Advanced concepts like the third shot drop, resetting, stacking, poaching, shake-and-bake, and how to counter common tactics

• Mental game insights and the often-overlooked social dynamics of partner and opponent etiquette

• How to read the court, adjust positioning, and make smarter decisions based on what your opponent is doing

• Specific advice for players transitioning from tennis, where habits often clash with pickleball’s rhythm

• A complete breakdown of 3.5-level play and the mindset shift required to move beyond it

Everything is written with clarity and paired with court illustrations that bring strategy to life — ideal for players who learn visually or want quick reference on the go.

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🎯 What Makes It Stand Out

What separates this guide from others is its honest focus on substance. While many pickleball books fall back on generic advice (“just communicate more!”) or lean heavily into self-promotion, this guide does the opposite. Bond strips things down to the strategy that actually works on the court, especially in doubles play.

It reads like it was written for real players in real situations — not for coaches trying to brand themselves. The voice is calm, thoughtful, and full of the kind of practical wisdom that only comes from experience. There’s no ego here, just a clear desire to help players improve.

The tone is refreshingly accessible. You don’t need to be a tournament player to benefit — but if you are one, you’ll still find reminders and insights that hold real value.

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🔄 Small Critiques

This isn’t a drill book, nor is it a beginner's how-to. Players totally new to the game might need a bit of outside instruction on technique before fully appreciating what’s inside. But for anyone hovering around the 3.0–3.5 level or trying to break through to the next stage, it’s right on target.

Because of its reference-style structure, it’s not meant to be read cover to cover in one sitting — but that’s part of the design. It’s easy to search, scan, and revisit. A plus in the digital format.

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🌟 Final Verdict

Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5 out of 5)

Pickleball Strategy – A Guide to 3.5 and Beyond is one of the most comprehensive and practical strategy resources available for everyday players. It’s rooted in pickleball reality — the actual experience of playing rec and competitive games — and focuses on what truly makes the difference as you climb the skill ladder.

If you’re serious about improving and want more than another pep talk, this guide is well worth your attention. At a price of $9.99, it offers more actionable insight than guides double the price — and free updates make it an even better value.

This is a downloadable digital guide giving you instant access on your phone or computer.
After your purchase you will get a download link and receive an email for immediate access.

This digital guide is updated regularly, and you can get the latest update at any time using your original download link.
This downloadable guide contains content as of 4/24/2025.
If you purchased this guide already and it has an earlier date on the opening page, please use the link in your original purchase email to download the latest version.
You can always get the latest updates for free.

Note: A printed version isn’t available at this time.
The digital guide is updated regularly, so you’ll always have the most current version—something a hard copy can’t offer.

If you don’t see the value after downloading, just email us at sales@pickleball35.com and we’ll be happy to issue a refund.