How To (And Can You) Carry Your Partner In Pickleball

Summary

The episode explores whether—and how—a stronger pickleball player can “carry” a partner who is being targeted. The player doing the carrying may get only occasional chances to influence a rally, while their partner receives most of the balls. That makes each opportunity important, but also limits how much one player can control the result.

Staying involved when a partner is targeted

Josh recommends using serves and returns to encourage opponents to send the next ball back toward you. Serve placement can be adjusted to target an opponent’s backhand or forehand, depending on court position and handedness. He also suggests:

• Playing straight ahead.
• Driving rather than dropping when a faster shot is more likely to limit the opponent’s options.
• Dinking aggressively instead of giving opponents an easy ball to redirect.

Tim adds that a player can guide their partner toward safer shots that are more likely to bring the ball back to the stronger player. He recommends taking balls out of the air, using spin, aiming at the opponent directly in front, and looking for chances to attack or start hands battles.

In the transition zone, Tim favors attacking when the ball is somewhat hittable—often toward the opponent’s hip—rather than automatically resetting it. The aim is to keep the point within your influence, even if the riskier shot has a lower chance of success.

Both players emphasize that truly carrying a partner is difficult unless there is a substantial, consistent skill gap. In recreational play especially, Josh says the more useful goal is personal improvement rather than winning or judging a partner. Players can control their own decisions and effort, but not their partner’s performance. Focusing on blame can distract them from opportunities to improve.

Josh notes that losing a game while barely seeing the ball used to frustrate him. He has learned to accept what he cannot control and focus on getting good practice.

Choosing a third-shot drive or drop

In response to a question about third-shot selection, Tim says the goal is to reach the kitchen using either a drive followed by a drop or a drop followed by another drop. The choice depends on the return and the opponents:

• A moving opponent, weak hands, or a long reach may favor a drive.
• An opponent who struggles to take balls out of the air may make a drop more attractive.
• A deep return can be driven to set up an easier next shot.
• A short return may be dropped immediately.

Both coaches stress that the decision is situational and that players should be comfortable with both shots.

When asked when to stop driving every third shot, Josh advises players to develop whichever option is weaker: players who rely on drives should practice drops, and players who rely on drops should add drives. Tim says drives become less effective against opponents with quick hands who can counterattack. Against stronger players—roughly 4.0 and above, in his estimate—players need to vary their pace and choose shots based on their opponents.

Skills for mixed doubles

Tim describes the conventional mixed-doubles setup as often asking the male player to cover more court and take more balls out of the air, partly because of reach and mobility. He recommends that player work on lateral movement and deciding when to take a ball out of the air versus letting it bounce.

For female players, he highlights topspin rolls—particularly forehand and backhand rolls—to opponents’ feet. These can help set up a partner who is covering more ground.

For a female player on the right side in a righty-righty pairing, Tim recommends practicing:

• Transition-zone resets.
• A forehand topspin drop from the baseline.
• A forehand topspin dink.

Rather than always sliding toward the middle after a dink, she can work around the ball and roll it to different spots in the kitchen to set up her partner. Tim notes that lefty-righty pairings can differ from the righty-righty pattern he discusses.

Serve depth and spin

On whether to prioritize a deep serve or added spin, Josh and Tim favor power and depth. Josh advises prioritizing topspin and not worrying much about sidespin, especially at lower levels. A deeper serve can make it harder for opponents to return the ball deeply, affecting the serving team’s next shot.

Tim says power and depth often go together. He recommends using leg drive and forward weight transfer to generate them rather than simply swinging harder. He mentions Georgia Johnson as a rare pro example of using sidespin on her serve.

Presenters and sources

• Presenters: Josh and Tim Ahlersmeyer. Josh says Elliot is away on vacation; Elliot does not present in this episode.
• Source: The Pickleball Lab Coaching Podcast (The Pickleball Lab).