Master the stacking strategy used by pros to maximize forehands and exploit opponent weaknesses in doubles pickleball.

Pickleball Stacking Strategy: When and How to Use It

You've seen it at tournaments and maybe even tried it in casual play—stacking. That unusual formation where both players stand on the same side of the court before the serve or return. It looks strange, but when used correctly, stacking is a powerful strategic weapon.

Stacking allows you to maximize strengths, minimize weaknesses, and control court positioning in ways that traditional formations can't match. It's not just for professionals anymore; intermediate players can benefit significantly from understanding and implementing basic stacking strategies.

What Is Stacking?

Definition: Stacking is a doubles positioning strategy where both players line up on the same side of the court before the serve or return, then shift to their desired positions after the ball is in play.

Traditional Formation vs. Stacking:

Traditional:

• Server serves from the right, partner stands on the left
• Server stays right, partner stays left after the serve
• Positions are fixed by the serving rotation

Stacking:

• Both players can start on the same side (right or left)
• After the serve/return, players shift to their preferred sides
• Positions are based on strategy, not just rotation

Why Stack?

Reason 1: Maximize Forehands If you have a left-handed player and a right-handed player on the same team, stacking allows you to keep both forehands in the middle. This means:

• Both players can hit forehands on middle balls
• No weak backhands to exploit
• Stronger overall court coverage

Reason 2: Protect Weaknesses If one player has a significantly weaker backhand, you can stack to keep that player on their forehand side as much as possible.

Reason 3: Exploit Opponent Weaknesses Stacking allows you to position your stronger player against their weaker player, creating advantageous matchups throughout the point.

Reason 4: Create Confusion Stacking forces opponents to think about positioning rather than just playing. The mental load can cause errors.

Reason 5: Wind and Sun Advantages You can stack to keep both players on the favorable side of the court based on wind or sun conditions.

The Four Basic Stack Types

Stack Type 1: The Full Stack (Traditional Stacking)

Setup: Both players start on the same side of the court.

Execution:

1. Both players line up on the deuce side (right) or ad side (left)
2. Server serves from their position
3. After the serve, both players shift:
   • If they started on the right, both shift left
   • If they started on the left, both shift right
4. They end up in their desired positions for the rally

When to Use:

• When you want both forehands in the middle (lefty-righty combo)
• When you want to control which player faces which opponent
• When you need to switch sides after the serve anyway

Stack Type 2: The Partial Stack

Setup: One player is in traditional position; the other shifts slightly.

Execution:

1. Server serves from traditional position
2. Partner stands closer to the middle than normal
3. After the serve, minimal shifting occurs
4. Players end up in positions slightly different from traditional

When to Use:

• When you want to make small adjustments without full stacking
• When one player needs to be more central
• As a compromise between traditional and full stacking

Stack Type 3: The Switch Stack

Setup: Players intentionally switch sides after the serve.

Execution:

1. Players start in traditional positions
2. After the serve, they intentionally cross each other
3. They end up on opposite sides from where they started
4. This requires excellent communication

When to Use:

• When the serving rotation puts you in bad positions
• When you want to surprise opponents mid-match
• When conditions (wind, sun) favor one side

Stack Type 4: The Return Stack

Setup: Used when receiving serve, not when serving.

Execution:

1. Both receiving players stand on the same side
2. The receiver returns from their position
3. After the return, both players shift to their desired sides
4. They end up in optimal positions for the rally

When to Use:

• To get both forehands in the middle immediately
• To set up your strongest returner against their weakest server
• To confuse opponents about who will return

How to Execute a Stack

Step 1: Communication Before the point starts, both players must know:

• Are we stacking?
• Which side are we starting on?
• Which side are we shifting to?
• Who goes first in the shift?

Step 2: Positioning

• Both players stand on the same side
• Stay within the rules (receiver must be positioned to receive)
• Get comfortable with the "crowded" feeling

Step 3: The Serve/Return

• Execute the serve or return as normal
• Don't let the unusual position affect your shot

Step 4: The Shift

• Immediately after the serve/return, begin moving
• The player on the outside usually moves first
• Cross behind your partner, not in front
• Get to your final position as quickly as possible

Step 5: The Rally

• Play from your new position
• Remember which opponent you're now facing
• Adjust your strategy based on the new matchup

Common Stacking Mistakes

Mistake 1: Poor Communication If you don't talk about it beforehand, you'll crash into each other or leave gaps. Always confirm the stack before the point.

Mistake 2: Forgetting to Shift Starting in a stack but never shifting to your final position defeats the purpose. The shift is part of the strategy.

Mistake 3: Shifting Too Slowly If you take too long to get to your position, opponents will attack the open court. Move immediately after the serve/return.

Mistake 4: Crossing in Front Never cross in front of your partner during the shift. Always go behind. Crossing in front blocks their view and creates collisions.

Mistake 5: Over-Stacking Stacking on every point becomes predictable and loses its strategic advantage. Mix it up.

Mistake 6: Not Practicing Stacking requires coordination that only comes with practice. Don't try it for the first time in a tournament.

When to Stack (And When Not To)

Stack When:

• You have a lefty-righty combination
• One player has a weak backhand
• You want to create specific player matchups
• Conditions (wind/sun) favor one side
• Opponents are confused by it
• You're comfortable with the mechanics

Don't Stack When:

• You and your partner aren't communicating well
• You're not practiced at shifting quickly
• It creates more confusion than advantage
• The serving rotation already puts you in good positions
• You're playing with a brand new partner
• You're not confident in your ability to execute

Stacking for Lefty-Righty Teams

This is where stacking shines brightest.

The Advantage: With a left-handed player on the left and a right-handed player on the right, both players have their forehands in the middle. This means:

• No weak backhands to attack in the middle
• Both players can hit aggressive forehands on middle balls
• Stronger overall court coverage
• Opponents can't exploit the "weaker" middle

The Traditional Problem: When the serving rotation puts the lefty on the right (or vice versa), you have backhands in the middle—a significant weakness.

The Stacking Solution: Stack so that regardless of who is serving, you end up with forehands in the middle after the shift.

Example:

• Lefty player serves from the right side (stacking)
• Righty partner stands on the right side too
• After the serve, they shift: lefty goes left, righty stays right
• Result: Lefty on left, righty on right—both forehands in middle

Advanced Stacking Strategies

The Fake Stack: Line up as if you're going to stack, then don't shift. This baits opponents into adjusting for a shift that never happens, leaving them out of position.

The Delayed Stack: Shift partially after the serve, then complete the shift later in the point. This creates confusion about final positioning.

The Conditional Stack: Decide whether to stack based on the serve. If it's a weak serve that will be attacked, stay traditional. If it's a good serve, execute the stack.

The Wind Stack: In windy conditions, stack to keep your stronger player on the upwind side where they can better handle the wind-affected shots.

Practice Drills for Stacking

Drill 1: The Shift Drill

• Practice the shifting motion without playing a point
• Server serves, both players shift
• Focus on speed and communication
• Do 20 repetitions

Drill 2: Scrimmage with Mandatory Stacks

• Play a game where you must stack on every serve
• This forces you to get comfortable quickly
• Focus on execution, not winning

Drill 3: Stack Recognition

• Coach calls out stack or no-stack before each point
• Players must execute the correct formation
• Builds decision-making speed

Drill 4: Lefty-Righty Practice

• Pair a left-handed and right-handed player
• Practice stacking from both serving positions
• Ensure you can always end up with forehands in the middle

Reading Opponents' Stacks

When Opponents Stack Against You:

1. Identify the stack early

   • Notice if both players are on the same side
   • Anticipate the shift

2. Attack during the shift

   • The moment of shifting is vulnerable
   • Hit to the open court before they get set

3. Target the weaker player

   • They're stacking for a reason
   • Figure out who they want to protect and attack that player

4. Don't get confused

   • Focus on your own game
   • Don't let their positioning throw you off

Stacking in Tournament Play

Tournament Considerations:

1. Practice first Don't try a new stack for the first time in a tournament match. Work it out in practice.

2. Communicate constantly Tournament pressure makes everything harder. Over-communicate about stacking.

3. Have a backup plan If the stack isn't working, be ready to go back to traditional formation.

4. Use it strategically Stack on crucial points where the positioning advantage matters most.

5. Stay legal Know the rules about receiver positioning. You can stack, but you must be legally positioned to receive.

Final Thoughts

Stacking isn't cheating, and it isn't unfair—it's strategy. When both teams have access to the same tactic, it comes down to who executes better.

For lefty-righty combinations, stacking is almost mandatory to maximize your advantage. For same-handed teams, it can still be useful for creating favorable matchups or protecting weaknesses.

The key to successful stacking is practice. You need to be so comfortable with the shifting motion that it becomes automatic. The last thing you want is to be thinking about where to move instead of playing the point.

Start by practicing the mechanics. Then add it to casual play. Once you're confident, bring it to competitive matches.

Remember: The best stack is the one your opponents don't see coming—until it's too late.