Who Takes Middle? Both — and Clean Up Your Own Mess

Summary

Jilly B Pickleball with Jack Munro reframes middle coverage. It is not always “the forehand’s ball” — both players own middle.

When you’re yanked wide, feather a short ball in front instead of a panicked cross-court that often pops middle. And if you create the pop-up, you cover middle: two paddles beat none. Running backward with the paddle down does not help your partner.

Key takeaways

• Middle responsibility is shared — both paddles
• Popped it up? You cover middle (“clean your mess”)
• When pulled wide, feather short in front instead of panic cross-court

Action items

• Play “you make the mess, you clean it up” cross-court dink game for 10 minutes
• Agree with your partner before the next match: either paddle can take middle