Return Deep, Then Sprint to the Kitchen #pickleball

Summary

Ty Butson pins the reason players get stuck off the kitchen to return depth. When the return lands short, the server steps in and you never catch up. The fix is to send the return as deep as you can, and a bit slower, so the ball hangs in the air longer and gives you more time to close.

The second half is just as important: after contact, sprint to the kitchen instead of walking in while you admire the shot. The goal is to arrive at the line, take balls out of the air and keep the opponents back so you own the point from there.

Key takeaways

• Deep returns buy time to reach the kitchen
• A slightly slower deep return stays in the air longer
• Sprint to the line after the return — don’t walk and admire
• Get there so you can take balls out of the air and keep them back

Action items

• Hit 20 returns aiming only for depth past the service line
• After every return in practice, sprint to the kitchen before the next ball