Pickleball Target Selection: A Better Doubles Decision Order

Good target selection in doubles starts with your own contact quality, not with a favorite target. The best theoretical location is useless if the incoming ball forces you to hit upward, reach, or swing off balance.

Use this order: contact quality → open space → opponent movement → weaker side → next-ball coverage.

The Five-Step Target Decision

1. What contact did I get? Low/defensive contact means use margin; high/balanced contact gives more attacking options.
2. Who is out of position? Hit behind or away from the player who is still recovering.
3. Where are the easy angles? Middle often reduces opponent angles and can create indecision.
4. Which side is less comfortable? Backhand can be useful, but only after you identify handedness and actual weakness.
5. What comes next? Choose a target you and your partner are ready to cover if the ball comes back.

Middle Is a Geometry Target, Not Just a “Yours/Mine” Trick

A ball through the middle can reduce extreme angles available to the opponents and can create hesitation when both players think the other will take it.

But “always hit middle” becomes predictable. Against a well-connected pair with a strong middle forehand, it may feed their preferred pattern. Use middle because of geometry and spacing—not as a slogan.

Backhand Is a Starting Hypothesis, Not a Universal Weakness

USA Pickleball’s strategy material recommends identifying opponent handedness and testing backhands because many amateur players are less comfortable there.

But the more useful process is to test, observe, then adapt. Some players counter extremely well from the backhand side; others struggle more when moved wide to the forehand or jammed at the hip.

Target the Player Who Is Moving

A recovering player often has less control than a stationary player. If one opponent has just been pulled wide, useful choices include:

• behind the moving player;
• into the newly opened middle;
• to the partner if the moving player has overcommitted and cannot help;
• short into space if both players are retreating.

The target depends on what your contact allows. Do not force a sharp angle from below net height just because open court exists.

Speed-Up Targets Need a Different Filter

USA Pickleball’s speed-up guidance warns against blindly attacking spots where opponents generate easy counters. The right target depends on opponent paddle position and preferred counter, not only forehand/backhand labels.

Our speed-up guide covers those attack-specific decisions. This page focuses on the broader target-selection process across the rally.

Target Selection by Contact Height

Your contact	Primary goal	Typical targets
Below net height	Stay neutral and reduce opponent attack	Middle, safe crosscourt, low backhand if available
Around net height	Create movement without overforcing	Feet, middle, behind a moving player
Clearly above net	Apply pressure	Open space, moving player, weaker side, sharp angle when margin exists

The “Next Ball” Test

Before choosing an aggressive target, ask where a competent opponent is likely to send the reply. A wide attack can open a wide counter. A middle ball can simplify your own coverage. A ball to the weaker player may come back predictably crosscourt.

Target selection improves when you judge the two-shot sequence, not only the first shot.

A 12-Ball Decision Drill

Have a feeder vary the incoming ball while the other two players change court position. Before each hit, the striker calls the intended target: middle, player A, player B, feet, or open space.

Score one point for a sensible decision and one point for execution. A 20/24 session with a few execution misses can be more useful than 24/24 balls hit to the same predictable target.

Sources

• USA Pickleball: Targeting an Opponent’s Backhand
• USA Pickleball: Speed-Up Targeting
• USA Pickleball: Return Placement