Do I have to let the serve bounce?

Yes. The receiving player must let the serve bounce before hitting it. Volleying a serve is a fault.

Where should I aim the return of serve?

Deep, close to the server's baseline. Depth keeps the serving team back and gives you time to reach the kitchen line.

Should I hit the return hard?

Only if you can keep it deep and in. A slower, higher, deep return is far more useful than a fast one that lands mid-court.

The Return of Serve: Deep, Safe and Criminally Underrated

The return of serve has the worst public relations of any shot in pickleball. It’s not flashy, it rarely wins the point outright, and nobody films it. Yet in doubles it decides who controls the kitchen line, and the kitchen line is where the points are won.

Why the return is an advantage

Thanks to the double-bounce rule, the serving team must let your return bounce before they can volley. That means after you return, they’re stuck at the back of the court for at least one more shot, while you’re free to walk forward. A good return turns that rule into a head start.

Depth over pace

Aim to land the return in the back third of the court, close to the baseline. A deep return does two jobs at once: it keeps the serving team pinned back, and it gives you the seconds you need to move up. A high, slow, deep return is better than a fast one that lands in the middle of the court, because the fast one comes back to you before you’ve moved.

The returner (R) hits deep into the yellow zone, then follows the return up to the kitchen line to join their partner (P), who is already waiting there. The serving team (S) must let the return bounce, so they're stuck at the back.

Follow your return

The single habit that separates improvers from beginners: after you return, keep walking forward until you reach the kitchen line, beside your partner. Your partner should already be there, because the serving team can’t volley the return. If you hit and stay back, you’ve wasted the advantage.

Move at a steady walk rather than a sprint, so you can stop and split-step if the third shot comes quickly. Most third shots are either a drop or a drive; being balanced matters more than being fast.

Where to aim

Deep and to the backhand of the player who will hit the third shot, usually the server.
Down the middle when in doubt. It creates confusion over who takes it, and the middle of the net is lowest.
Not wide. Angles are tempting and give away free points when they land out.

Common mistakes

Rushing the return. You have time. Let the serve bounce, set your feet, and swing smoothly.
Admiring the shot. Hit, then move.
Going for winners. The return is a positioning shot. Win the point two shots later.

Put it into practice at a session near you, and when your opponents start dropping their third shots in front of you, read our guide to the third shot drop to understand what they’re doing.