Best Partner Positioning Secrets

JohnCincolaPickleball

Hey guys, it’s John from John Cincola Pickleball. So, being a great partner on the pickleball court means doing all the little things right. Yeah, getting those big highlight-reel shots a couple of times a game is great, but if you want to be the person that everybody wants to play with—because you put you and your partner in consistently winning positions—stick around. I’ll cover exactly how to do it.

I have a saying that I use a lot in my lessons: If you’re not doing something, do something. Basically, that means if you’re not the one actually hitting the shot, you have nothing to do at that moment—so use that time wisely. Instead of just standing and watching your opponent hit, find a better position on the court to help out.

In today’s article, we’re going to take that mindset and apply it to one of the most difficult situations in pickleball. I’m going to teach you how to protect your partner and help you both get to the net more effectively.

The Concept: Moving Without the Ball and Balancing the Court

First, let’s go over this overall concept. I call it either moving without the ball or balancing the court. It’s the same thing—I just have two different names for it.

Here’s the idea: If our opponent hits a ball to us and I see that it’s not coming to me but to my partner, my job is to gather as much information as possible:

• Where is my partner standing on the court?
• Where are my opponents?
• What shot is my partner most likely to hit?

While all of that is unfolding, I need to adjust my position to best balance the court. My partner has to be where the ball is—they don’t have the freedom to position themselves wherever they want. But I do. I don’t have any role in that moment other than positioning myself effectively. So, my job is to figure out where my partner is and find the best spot on the court to balance them out. Then, once they hit, we can move together and recover.

Supporting the Transition Game and Protecting Your Partner

Now, let’s apply this concept to the third shot drop and transition game. The goal is to get to the kitchen line more effectively, protect our partner, and make their job of hitting that third shot and advancing a lot easier.

Let’s walk through it:

• My partner and I are at the baseline (figure 1). Maybe I just served.
• The return comes back, and as soon as I see it’s not coming to me, I go into my if you’re not doing something, do something mindset.
• That means I’m free to move.

(figure 1)

The exact movement we’re going for here is this:

1. Take two steps in front of your partner. If they’re at the baseline, I step one to two steps forward.
2. Shade slightly toward the middle.
3. Open up my body so I can watch them hit and see the whole court (figure 2).

(figure 2)

That’s the movement portion. Now, let’s talk about a key strategy to make this even more effective.

Encouraging Your Partner to Drop Crosscourt

If possible, encourage your partner to drop the ball crosscourt. Why?

• It’s a slightly easier drop because the net is lower and they have a longer distance to work with.
• It helps you protect them more effectively.

Here’s what happens when they drop crosscourt:

• I watch the ball come off their paddle. If it’s a good drop, I take another step or two forward.
• By positioning myself in front of the ball, I can still cover my line while protecting my partner.

This is the key: My partner is still back at the baseline, recovering from their shot. If I just stand back, their feet are exposed, and our opponents can roll the ball deep to keep us back. But if I step forward, I block that shot. Now, if our opponents try to attack my partner’s feet, they have to go through me first. That means I can pick off the ball and possibly be aggressive with it.

Positioning Yourself Early

One key thing to remember is that you want to get into this position early.

• As soon as I see the ball isn’t coming to me, I move forward.
• If I can get to my spot and settle before my partner even hits the ball, I can take in information—are they balanced? Did they hit a high drop? Did they hit a poor shot?
• If I see my partner is struggling, I haven’t committed too far forward yet. I can always drop back and play defense.

Real-Game Examples: Pro Play Breakdown

Let’s talk about some real examples from a rec play session. Here are three consecutive points where I demonstrate this in action.

Point 1

• I’m serving (bottom left).

• As soon as I see the ball is going to Stefano, I release forward—two steps in front, slightly toward the middle, watching him hit.
• I see his drop is good, so I move forward and split right in front of the ball.
• Because of my position, I block Carlos from hitting deep to Stefano’s feet.
• Instead, he’s forced to hit shallower, giving Stefano an easy drop.
• We both get to the kitchen line.

Point 2

• This time, I receive the return, and Stefano does the same thing.
• He hedges forward and middle, watching me hit.
• I drive to Dekel, who volleys, but Stefano is right there to intercept it with his forehand.
• Because of his positioning, we win the point.

Point 3

• Again, ball goes to Stefano, and I shift forward and middle.
• Stefano hits a great drop that bounces, and because of my position, Dekel can’t do anything aggressive.
• We’re both able to advance to the kitchen, winning the rally.

Final Thoughts

This positioning technique is a game-changer. Three points in a row, we got to the kitchen line just by how well the off-partner positioned themselves and helped make the transition easier.

That’s all I’ve got for you today! Hope you enjoyed the article. Don’t forget to grab a screenshot so you have all this information at your fingertips next time you hit the court.

For exclusive content and full-version tutorials, make sure to check out my YouTube channel, ➡️ John Cincola Pickleball.

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