Why Playing Out of Position Could Make You a Better Pickleball Player
Breaking the Pattern: The Strategic Value of Playing Out of Position in Pickleball
On a breezy Saturday morning in Hertfordshire, two regulars at a local club are drawing second glances. From the sidelines, it looks like they keep getting mixed up. One minute they’re on the left, the next they’ve switched. Some assume it’s confusion. In fact, it’s intentional — and quietly brilliant.
In doubles pickleball, players are usually expected to stick to a side. The left player often controls the middle with their forehand. The right player supports, sets up points, and defends the sideline. That structure works — but some players across England are now stepping deliberately out of those roles. They’re switching positions on purpose. And it's helping them raise their game.
Why Bother Playing Out of Position?
At first glance, it seems risky. Why move away from the comfort of predictability? The answer lies in development. When players challenge themselves by playing “out of position”, they build skills that don’t usually get much attention. The player on the right learns to take control. The player on the left improves their finesse and defence. Both partners are forced to communicate more and react faster.
“It’s about learning how to be uncomfortable and still play well,” says Daniel Rhodes, a coach based in the South East who delivers pickleball sessions across Kent and Sussex. “It’s not about being clever for the sake of it. It’s about stretching what you can do under pressure.”
What might seem like a quirky exercise is increasingly recognised as a smart tactic — one that’s quietly finding its way into coaching sessions and club nights around the country.
What Coaches Across England Are Seeing
At several clubs in the North and Midlands, coaches are using position-switching as part of their drills. In Nottinghamshire, for example, sessions at a community sports hub include ‘rotation rounds’, where players must switch sides after each point. Coaches there say players develop better court awareness and start reading shots more instinctively.
“We run it with our intermediate group,” says Ellen Mason, a club organiser in Derby. “You’ll hear laughter at first — people finding it hard — but by week three, you can see real improvement. Their decision-making sharpens, and their shot variety goes up.”
The Wakefield Pickleball Group in West Yorkshire has even made it part of their fortnightly fixture. Players rotate positions mid-game, adding both challenge and unpredictability to the mix. “It’s not just fun,” says organiser Mike Hunt. “It makes you think differently. You can’t fall back on habit.”
Training the Brain as Much as the Body
Playing out of position also develops the mental side of the game. It forces players to let go of automatic movements and instead become more deliberate in how they approach each point. The reliance on partner communication grows. So does the need to trust — and adapt.
It’s a bit like switching the hands you write with. At first, everything feels off. But over time, you gain an appreciation for the skills you rarely use and develop more balance across your game.
It’s a tactic being used with junior players as well. At a youth development session in Leicester, under-16s are being encouraged to rotate roles regularly. Coaches there say it helps avoid pigeonholing young players too early. “If you teach someone to only be a left-sider, they’ll struggle when something changes,” says coach Priya Bhatt. “The goal is versatility.”
When It Makes a Difference in Matches
While the tactic is mainly used in training, it can have real-world benefits in competitive play too — especially in doubles formats where patterns can quickly become predictable.
At a recent county-level tournament in Surrey, a mixed doubles pair used deliberate switching to keep their opponents guessing. “They were clearly rotating on certain patterns,” says one official. “It threw their opponents off. They couldn’t settle.”
Switching positions mid-game — particularly after a poach, lob return or sideline scramble — also helps players recover more fluidly rather than awkwardly forcing themselves back into pre-set roles. Partners who have trained this way tend to adjust more smoothly and communicate better on court.
Use with Care — and Clarity
Of course, not every session is the right place for this tactic. Coaches stress that beginners should first build confidence in consistent court coverage and basic shot technique before experimenting with more advanced ideas. Likewise, trying this in a league final without warning your partner is not advised.
“You’ve got to agree on it beforehand,” says Karen Field, a certified coach from Oxfordshire. “I’ve seen people try it spontaneously in a club game, and it ends in missed balls and crossed wires. But if it’s planned and practised, it becomes a really powerful learning tool.”
It’s also important to understand when to switch back. In high-stakes matches or against opponents who thrive on chaos, sticking to traditional roles may offer more stability. The trick is knowing when to use it — and when to keep things simple.
Making English Players More Adaptable
What’s clear is that across England, more players and coaches are open to the idea of challenging routine. The country’s growing pickleball scene is increasingly inventive, with tactics like this helping to shape smarter, more versatile players.
Whether it’s used as part of a coaching plan or just added to a friendly club session, playing out of position on purpose offers real developmental value. It builds trust, sharpens decision-making, and nudges players beyond their comfort zones — often where the biggest improvements happen.
Back in Hertfordshire, the two players who started the morning with curious looks are now gliding across the court with ease. Their movements look choreographed. Their communication is near silent. They may not be where they’re expected to be — but they’re exactly where they need to be.