The game of pickleball is based on skill, determination, and of course, strategy! While many seem to think that the game depends on who hits the ball the hardest or how good your ball skills are, there is more to it than that.
Learning a strategy or two can help give you the upper hand over your opponents and often results in winning a game of pickleball. One of the most popular strategies used by pickleball players is stacking.
Follow along to learn more about this strategy and how to apply it to your next pickleball game.
Why Stacking?
If you’re currently asking yourself why you should consider stacking when playing pickleball, we dare you to ask yourself why not?!
The stacking strategy is one of the easiest and most effective strategies you can adopt when playing pickleball. But what does it entail?
Stacking essentially has all players on opposing teams stacked on one side when serving. For right-handed players, the ideal side or correct position would be to the right-hand side of the center line, while left-handed players will fare better on the left-hand side of the center line.
Once the serving shot has been played, players move back to their preferred positions and the game continues traditionally. Stacking is allowed, but certain rules must be followed if you adopt this strategy. Read on to find out just what the rules of stacking are.
Stacking is almost always played during a doubles pickleball game, as it requires more than one player on a side to be effective.
The Rules of Stacking
Just like there are rules for pickleball, there are rules for stacking. Let’s take a closer look at what these rules are:
#1: When the stacking strategy is put into play, a specific player, player A (usually chosen before the serve is delivered), must serve the ball. This is usually the stronger player of the two and is based on skill level and how good their swing is.
#2: Only a specific player of the opposing team may return the serve. Again, this player is chosen before the serve is even delivered and based on their strengths or weaknesses in the game of pickleball.
#3: Players who deliver the serve may not stand in or near the inside line when serving the ball to their opponents. Standing in the incorrect position can lose points for your doubles pickleball team and could even have you losing the game.
#4: The bounce rule still applies even when stacking, and the ball must bounce before an opponent can return the serve.
How to Implement Stacking in Your Pickleball Game
As mentioned, stacking works more effectively when used in a doubles pickleball game. While the normal pickleball rules still apply, there are ways to implement stacking while ensuring that no rules are broken and no points are taken off your score due to breaking the rules.
Here is how to implement the art of stacking in your pickleball game.
Player positioning
Both players of a pickleball team must stand on the serving side of the court. Usually, players would stand on either side of the center line, but stacking sees both players of a doubles team standing on one side of the court, either to the right or the left of the center line.
Non-serving players
Not serving players must stand almost out of bounds or as close to the baseline as possible. This helps prevent the ball from landing in the non-volley zone and prevents deducting points for breaking the rules.
After the serve
Once the ball has been served to the opponents, both players must move back to traditional positioning on the pickleball court. Stacking is only allowed when serving and is not allowed during normal gameplay.
The Advantages of the Stacking Strategy
Adopting strategies to improve your gameplay is always a great idea. From having the advantage over the other team to winning the game, many advantages come with using the stacking strategy for your next pickleball game.
Let’s look at a few of the best advantages that stacking brings to your pickleball game.
#1: Maximizing a team’s strengths
Stacking can highlight a team’s strengths by ensuring that only the best stances, positions, and abilities are brought to the fore. A team member with a better swing or strong forehand will fare better serving the ball, while the other player who might have a weaker shot focuses on the return from the other team once the serve has been delivered.
#2: Left- and right-handed team members can choose their sides accordingly
It is rather difficult to aim to the opposite side of the court when you are right- or left-handed. Pickleball stacking allows players to stand on their “strong” or dominant sides, giving them more power behind every swing of their pickleball paddles.
#3: Hiding or masking the team’s weaknesses
No matter the skill level of pickleball players, there is always at least one weakness that puts that team at risk of losing the game. From poor swing performance to a bad stance, even the simplest of things could be seen as a weakness. Choosing the stacking strategy allows players to position themselves to hide any weaknesses, giving them the confidence and courage to play to the best of their ability.
Tips and Stricks for the Best Stacking Strategy
To ensure that all players play pickleball according to the rules, here are a few tips on what you need to pay attention to when implementing the stacking strategy.
- Ensure that team members are positioned correctly. Stacking is anything but traditional in terms of positioning, so check to see that no players are standing on the baseline and that the ball will not be played into the non-volley zone of the pickleball court.
- Stacking requires the opposing team to run more to return the ball in a doubles pickleball game. Keep your opponents on their toes and deliver the perfect serve to put your team at an advantage over your opponents.
- Work on your stance. Being comfortable and in full control of your pickleball paddle is key to the success of any pickleball game. Take time to improve your stance, working on your swing and delivery of the serve before you take on any more advanced players.
- Always follow the rules. Rules are there for a reason and ensure that no team has an unfair advantage over the opposing team. Learn the official rules of pickleball and make sure that you follow them to the T. Even the slightest deviation from these rules will result in points being deducted from your team, possibly losing you the game.
Conclusion
Pickleball is undoubtedly one of the best variations of other ball and bat or paddle games like tennis, badminton, and even squash. It is fast-paced and requires attention to ensure that no balls are missed and your opponent scores more than you do.
To improve your pickleball game, adopt the stacking strategy. As we have outlined above, this popular pickleball strategy sees both players of one team positioned on the same side of the center line of the pickleball court. This is a great strategy to maximize a team’s strengths and hide their weaknesses and is simply a change from the more traditional pickleball positions.