Should I Stop Before the Kitchen After My Return?

The short answer

No. Return deep, then walk in and take the line. You have more time here than on any other shot in the game — use it.

Why the return is your best opportunity

Think about what is happening. You hit a deep ball. It has to travel the length of the court, bounce, and then your opponent has to hit the hardest shot in pickleball from the baseline. That is a huge amount of time, handed to you for free.

The returning team should reach the kitchen line before the third shot arrives almost every time. If you are not getting there, either your return was not deep enough or you are not moving.

The transition zone problem

Stopping halfway leaves you standing in no-man’s land, upright, with your feet as the biggest target on the court. Every third shot drop lands at your shoelaces, and every drive is at your hip. It is the worst of both worlds — too far back to attack, too far forward to have time.

Depth is what buys the trip

If you keep getting stuck halfway, the problem is usually your return, not your legs. A short return means your opponent is already inside the baseline hitting down at you, and you never had time. Hit your returns deep — high and deep is fine, this is not the shot to flatten out — and the trip forward becomes easy.

Still split step

Moving all the way in does not mean sprinting blindly. Move in, and split step as they contact the third shot. If their drop is good you settle at the line. If they drive, you are balanced and ready to block.

Final thought

Deep return, walk in, split step, take the line. It is the simplest advantage in pickleball and the most commonly wasted. Return depth and the trip forward are staples of every pickleball lesson in San Diego, and we build the movement pattern properly in our structured pickleball camps in San Diego.