Pickleball Strategy - A Guide to 3.5 and Beyond book cover

Pickleball35 Book

Pickleball Strategy – A Guide to 3.5 and Beyond

Master the Strategy. Reach the 3.5+ Level.

If you feel stuck at the 3.0–3.5 level, this book helps you understand the strategies higher-level players use: not just what to do, but why and when to do it.

by PAYTON BOND

“A clear and comprehensive guide that covers all aspects of the game.” — The Kitchen (thekitchenpickle.com)

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Inside you'll find:

  • 100+ strategy and mindset topics, with nearly 100 illustrated court diagrams showing positioning, movement, shot direction and the mistakes that cost points
  • Every phase of the rally, from the serve and return through the third shot, transition zone and kitchen play
  • How to compete against stronger, faster opponents
  • Mindset chapters to help you stay composed under pressure
  • A primer for newer players
  • Select YouTube links that show key ideas in action
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Learn visually with detailed court illustrations showing positioning, movement, and shot selection.

Below are three sample court illustrations from the book’s 100+ strategy scenarios.
Illustrations are in color in the Kindle edition and black and white in the paperback edition.

Third shot drive, drive and reset court illustration Third shot drop, fifth shot and seventh shot court illustration Moving in the transition zone after the third shot illustration

See What’s in the Book

15 chapters and 300 pages, from the serve to the kitchen line, plus mindset articles and a Primer for newer players. Tap a chapter below to see the topics.

Chapter
Introduction6
Pickleball Skill Levels – Why They Matter16
The 3.5+ Player Mindset1 topic18
  • 3.5 Level – How to Know If You’re There19
Transition to Strategy: From Mindset to Execution22
The Serve Basics (2.0-3.0 Level)7 topics23
  • Pickleball Serve Overview23
  • Serve Consistency27
  • Good Outcome of a Deep Serve29
  • Common Serve Mistakes to Avoid31
  • Serve Options – Volley and Drop33
  • Pickleball Serve Legality36
  • Serving Under Pressure38
  • Serve Offensive Positioning40
  • Serve Defensive Positioning42
Advanced Serve Strategy (3.5+ Level)4 topics46
  • Pickleball Stacking47
  • Serve Stacking49
  • Setup with mixed handed Offensive Players50
  • Stacking Movement on the Serve51
  • Defensive Stacking54
  • Mixed handed defenders without Stacking55
  • Stacking Movement on the Return56
  • Advanced Serves – Targeting and Spin59
  • Targeting the Backhand on your Serve60
  • Adding Spin to Your Serve61
  • The Lob Serve: Keep Them Guessing63
Serve Return Basics (2.0-3.0 Level)6 topics65
  • Pickleball Serve Return65
  • Return of Serve – Pre Shot Thoughts66
  • Focus on Your Early Advantage68
  • Serve Return Control70
  • Serve Return – Advance to the Kitchen74
  • Serve Return Freeze – Don’t Do This77
  • Serve Return – Handling Spin Serves80
  • Mastering the Serve Return – Consistency First83
Advanced Serve Return (3.5+ Level)3 topics86
  • Serve Return – Targeting87
  • Targeting Two Right Handed Opponents88
  • Targeting Mix-Handed Opponents90
  • Targeting Two Forehands in the Middle91
  • Targeting Against a Team That is Stacking93
  • Serve Return – Using Spin96
  • Pickleball Spin Physics99
  • Top Spin Physics100
  • Back Spin Physics102
The Third Shot Basics (2.0-3.0 Level)11 topics104
  • Third Shot Options104
  • Third Shot Drop107
  • Third Shot Drive or Drip Shot108
  • Lob Shot110
  • Third Shot Progression112
  • Third Shot Communication115
  • Third Shot – Stepping In With Your Forehand121
  • The Third Shot Drive126
  • The Third Shot Drop132
  • The Third Shot Drop – Don’t Give Up140
  • The Lob Shot143
  • The Overhead Smash – Close the Deal148
  • The Angle Smash Shot152
  • The Lob Switch155
Advanced Third Shot Strategy (3.5+ Level)15 topics159
  • Poaching in Pickleball160
  • Poaching the Third Shot162
  • Poach Switching164
  • Poach Mistake166
  • Poaching Personalities168
  • The Shake and Bake170
  • The Drive and Reset174
  • Pinching the Middle177
  • Blocking a Drive180
  • Third Shot Drop – Targeting183
  • Target the Backhand Foot184
  • Target the Player in Front of Your Partner185
  • When Both Forehands are in the Middle186
  • No Forehand in the Middle187
  • Third Shot Drop – Advancing to the Kitchen189
  • Mistake: Third Shot Drop Rushing In190
  • The 5th and 7th Shot Drop192
  • Moving in the Transition Zone196
  • Third Shot Drop – Move Forward Together198
  • Third Shot Drop – Put Away200
  • Drop Shot Mistake – Drawing Your Opponent In204
  • Drop Shot Defense208
  • Volley Back the Third Shot Attempt209
  • Dink Back the Third Shot Drop Attempt211
  • Drop Shot Defense Mistake – Backing Up212
  • Volley Decisions214
  • The Reset Shot – Your Defensive Lifeline216
Dinking Basics (2.0-3.0 Level)5 topics221
  • Dinking Overview221
  • Footwork and Tethering225
  • The Cross-Court Dink – Your Best Option228
  • Attacking a Bad Dink232
  • 3 Common Dinking Mistakes234
  • Dinking Mistake 1: – Lack of Patience234
  • Dinking Mistake 2: – Broken Tether236
  • Dinking Mistake 3: – Caught in the Kitchen237
Advanced Dinking Strategy (3.5+ Level)4 topics239
  • Volley Dink239
  • The Dink Fake – End the Dink Rally240
  • 1 – Put Away Shot241
  • 2 – Dink Fake242
  • Dink Fake Lob243
  • The ATP (Around the Post)245
  • The Erne248
Bonus Content: Additional 3.5+ Player Mindset Articles10 topics251
  • Seeing the Court as a 3.5+ Player251
  • The Journey Through the Transition254
  • Patience in Pickleball257
  • The Power of Resilience in Pickleball260
  • The Power Player Challenge262
  • From Tennis to Pickleball265
  • How the Rules Shape Pickleball Strategy267
  • Partner Etiquette271
  • Opponent Etiquette273
  • Playing Up, Playing Down276
Pickleball Primer9 topics278
  • Brief History of Pickleball279
  • Pickleball Rules280
  • Paddle Grips – The Basics285
  • Footwork – The Split Step289
  • Game-Ready Routine291
  • Skinny Singles – How to Play and Why292
  • Pickleball Skill Levels Defined295
  • Understanding the DUPR Rating System300
  • Common Pickleball Terms301
Conclusion – Celebrating Your 3.5 Milestone303
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Take a Look Inside the Book

Reviewed by The Kitchen (thekitchenpickle.com)

“The Kitchen Team has reviewed the book and it gets our stamp of approval as a clear and comprehensive guide that covers all aspects of the game. While designed for players with some experience, it offers value to players at all levels.”

– The Kitchen Team

What Readers Are Saying

From verified Amazon reviews

Great Pickleball Strategy Guide

“I highly recommend this book for pickleball players of all levels. It crystalized all of the information I've received from my pickleball coaches the past 3+ years. The book is thorough, easy to read and includes helpful video links.”

This book is a game changer!

“The illustrations and embedded links bring the content to life. If you're serious about improving your game, this book is for you.”

Elevate your pickleball game!

“This excellent book on Pickleball, as promised, enabled me to elevate my game to a 3.5+ level. The writing is clear, well organized, very readable, and supported by helpful diagrams and graphics.. It covers a huge amount of ground without bogging down in too much detail.”

Payton Bond, author of Pickleball Strategy – A Guide to 3.5 and Beyond

Written by Payton Bond

Payton Bond is the author of Pickleball Strategy – A Guide to 3.5 and Beyond and a regular contributor to The Kitchen (thekitchenpickle.com), where he writes about strategy, positioning, shot selection, and match decision-making.

Learn more about Payton Bond →
Pickleball Strategy – A Guide to 3.5 and Beyond book cover

Pickleball Strategy – A Guide to 3.5 and Beyond is available on Amazon.

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