At 4.0 and below, most rallies are decided within the first four or five shots. Yet while players obsess over the serve and the third-shot drop, the return of serve often gets treated like a formality. Most players ask, “Where should I hit the return?” and stop there.
If you want to level up, you need to think beyond “get it back.” You need a simple framework: the Return-Fourth Combo. Just as the serving team plans a serve to set up the third shot, the returning team should aim the return to set up an easier fourth shot for their side.
This is part of the wider tactical picture explained in what pickleball is, where early-shot patterns often decide who controls the kitchen.
What the Return-Fourth Combo actually means
Your return should do two jobs:
- Reduce the quality of the opponent’s third shot (especially their drive).
- Create a predictable fourth ball that your team can block, reset, or counter with control.
Below are four return targets that consistently create better fourth shots, plus drills to build the pattern into your game.
Target 1: The Inside Foot (the standard setup)
The usual advice is “hit deep to the middle” or “hit deep crosscourt.” That’s fine, but to create a real edge you need a clearer target.
The strategy: Aim for the right-side player’s inside foot (their left foot if they are right-handed).
Why it works:
- It often forces a backhand, which reduces pace and control on the third shot.
- If the right-side player takes it, their momentum drifts toward centre, leaving the right lane more exposed on the next ball.
- It gives you a default decision when you feel rushed, which improves consistency under pressure.
Target 2: The Triangle (partner protection)
Returning crosscourt increases net clearance and margin, which is why most players do it automatically. The risk is that a wide crosscourt return can leave your partner guessing, especially if they are already at the kitchen line and trying to protect the middle.
The strategy: Return straight ahead or slightly toward centre so your team forms a simple triangle shape.
Why it works: This is “partner protection.” Keeping the ball on the side of the player already at the net keeps the rally in front of their eyes. It lets your partner slide and cover the middle instead of making late, awkward guesses about line versus centre. This pairs well with clear doubles roles, which you can reinforce in who takes the middle in pickleball doubles.
Target 3: Dead Centre (the lefty-righty solution)
Lefty-righty teams can change the usual “inside foot” logic because what you think is a backhand target may actually be a forehand. In those situations, simplicity wins.
The strategy: Hit the return dead centre between the two players.
Why it works: It exploits the illusion of perfect communication. Even good teams hesitate when a ball lands exactly between them. That split-second indecision often creates:
- a weak third-shot contact,
- a pop-up,
- or a late decision that hands you control.
Target 4: The Stack Buster
When opponents are stacking, the server is often sprinting across the court immediately after contact. That movement creates chaos, but it also creates opportunity if you do not fall into the “return straight ahead” habit.
The strategy: Avoid the pure down-the-line return. Instead, aim your return slightly toward centre or into the side the server is running toward.
Why it works: A straight down-the-line return can isolate you. Your partner at the kitchen cannot help much because the passing angle becomes too wide. A return that comes slightly toward centre allows your partner to shift with the ball, protect you from the drive, and help absorb pace. If you struggle with fast exchanges after a return, review when to speed up (and when not to), because many errors happen when players panic and accelerate too early.
Coaching points: the hierarchy of a good return
Every return balances three variables: height, depth, and placement.
- Higher (loftier) returns buy time to reach the kitchen, especially if mobility is limited.
- Faster returns can rob opponents of reaction time, but increase your own error rate if control is inconsistent.
If you can only execute two of the three, prioritise placement and depth over speed. A deep, well-placed return will usually beat a fast return that lands short or drifts into an easy strike zone.
For formal rule definitions around the serve and return sequence, refer to the official USA Pickleball rules.
Drills to build the pattern
Drill 1: The single-target session
Do not try to master all four targets in one day. For your next open play session, pick one target (for example, inside foot) and hit every return there regardless of score. You are training pattern recognition, not point outcomes.
Drill 2: “When/Then” scenarios
Use simple rules with a partner to build situational awareness:
- WHEN an opponent misses a third shot repeatedly, THEN keep returning to the same target and force the same uncomfortable pattern.
- WHEN an opponent has a lethal third-shot drive, THEN return more often to their partner and test the weaker third-ball.
- WHEN an opponent loves to poach, THEN return directly at them to keep them honest and prevent easy crashes to the net.
This also helps reduce “auto-pilot aggression,” which is a common trap when facing power players. If that’s a recurring issue for you, see why “drive everything against bangers” is bad advice at 3.0.
Drill 3: The short return change-up
Depth is the standard, but you should also practise an occasional short, low slice return. This pulls opponents off the baseline and forces a mid-court “second shot” that many players never train. Use this sparingly, as a change-up, not a default.
Final thought
If you stop treating the return as a survival shot and start using it as a setup, your fourth shots get easier, your transitions improve, and your opponents feel less comfortable hitting their favourite third-ball patterns. The best players are not simply returning the ball. They are building the point.
Chris Beaumont
Founder and Editor-in-ChiefChris Beaumont is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of World Pickleball Magazine. Chris follows the global game closely, reporting on the latest news, developments, stories and tournaments from all five continents. He also hosts the World Pickleball Podcast, interviewing people at…
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