The Pros and Cons of Stacking
By Stephen Pyka • September 16, 2026 • 6 min read
Understanding one of pickleball’s most misunderstood strategy
WATCH AN ADVANCED doubles match or a pro game, and sooner or later you’ll see something that looks wrong.
One player is standing near the sideline. Their partner is crowding the middle of the court. As soon as the serve is struck, both players sprint across the baseline before the return is hit. To newer players, it can look confusing, unnecessary, or even like someone forgot where they were supposed to stand. They’re stacking.
Once reserved primarily for high-level competition, stacking has become increasingly common in recreational play as more players learn the tactical advantages it can provide. Yet it’s also one of the most misunderstood strategies in pickleball. Some teams use it effectively to maximize their strengths, while others stack simply because they saw professionals doing it without fully understanding why.
Like any strategy, stacking isn’t inherently good or bad. Its value depends entirely on the players using it.
What is Stacking?
Stacking is a doubles positioning strategy that allows teammates to remain on their preferred side of the court regardless of who is serving.
The tactic is often associated with teams consisting of one right-handed and one left-handed player because it allows both players to keep their forehands in the middle of the court. However, stacking can also benefit two right-handed players or two left-handed players when one partner is significantly stronger on a particular side or has a forehand or backhand that complements the team’s overall strategy.
When serving from the opposite side of their preferred position, the server begins in the correct serving location while the partner positions near the sideline. Once the serve is struck, both players quickly move into their desired positions before the return is played.
Although the movement happens in just a few seconds, the goal is simple: keep each player where they are most effective for as much of the match as possible.
Playing to Your Strengths
Every doubles team has strengths.
Perhaps one partner has a dominant forehand that controls the middle of the court. Maybe one player excels at backhand dinks from the right side, while the other is particularly effective attacking from the left. Stacking allows teams to capitalize on those strengths instead of constantly rotating players into less comfortable positions.
This advantage becomes especially noticeable when a left- handed player teams with a right-handed player. Keeping both forehands in the center often allows the team to attack more balls aggressively while reducing confusion over who should take shots down the middle.
Comfort breeds confidence, and confidence often leads to better decision-making.
Communication Improves with Consistency
One of the overlooked benefits of stacking has little to do with shot-making.
When each player consistently covers the same side of the court, responsibilities become more predictable. Partners develop better chemistry because they encounter similar situations repeatedly rather than constantly adjusting to new angles and responsibilities after every serve.
That familiarity can reduce hesitation during fast exchanges at the kitchen line. Instead of wondering who should take a middle ball, players develop instincts based on repetition, making communication more natural and movement more efficient.
Like many successful doubles strategies, stacking works best when both players fully understand their responsibilities.
Creating Offensive Opportunities
Stacking isn’t designed simply to make players more comfortable. It’s designed to create better opportunities.
Keeping a stronger forehand in the middle allows teams to attack more balls, drive returns with greater confidence, and put additional pressure on opponents. A player who is naturally more aggressive from one side of the court can remain in that position throughout the game instead of periodically moving into less favorable situations.
Against unfamiliar opponents, the movement associated with stacking can also create uncertainty. Players who haven’t faced the strategy before sometimes hesitate as partners cross behind one another after the serve, giving the stacking team a slight tactical advantage during the opening shots of a rally. That advantage, however, disappears quickly if the movement isn’t clean.
When Stacking Creates Problems
For every advantage stacking offers, it introduces another layer of complexity. The strategy requires precise footwork, excellent communication, and absolute trust between partners. Players must move quickly after every serve without interfering with one another or leaving open court for opponents to exploit.
Teams that haven’t practiced stacking often discover that they spend more energy thinking about where they should stand than focusing on the next shot. Hesitation after the serve can leave large gaps in court coverage, creating easy opportunities for opponents to attack before both players reach their preferred positions.
Experienced opponents also recognize how to counter stacking. Deep returns, well-placed lobs, and sharp angles can expose players while they’re still moving into position, turning what was intended as a strategic advantage into a defensive scramble.
Is It Worth the Extra Effort?
Stacking also comes with a physical cost. Every serve requires additional movement as partners reposition themselves before the return. During long recreational sessions or tournament matches, those extra steps can accumulate, leading to fatigue that affects footwork, reaction time, and shot execution.
For teams with similar skill sets, the added movement may provide little measurable benefit. If both players are equally comfortable playing either side of the court, stacking may complicate the game more than it improves it.
That’s why many successful doubles teams choose not to stack at all. The strategy should solve a problem, not create one.
Should Your Team Stack?
Before deciding to incorporate stacking into your game, ask yourself a few simple questions.
Does one partner clearly perform better from one side of the court? Would keeping both forehands in the middle significantly improve your team’s offense? Can both players move confidently and communicate effectively during every transition?
If the answer to those questions is yes, stacking may become a valuable addition to your doubles strategy.
If the answer is no, there’s nothing wrong with playing traditional positioning. Many outstanding teams succeed through consistency, communication, and smart shot selection without ever stacking.
Ultimately, stacking is simply another tool. Like every tool in pickleball, its effectiveness depends less on the strategy itself than on the players using it. Practice the movement, communicate with your partner, and understand why you’re stacking before deciding when to use it. When executed with confidence and precision, stacking can become a meaningful advantage. When attempted without preparation, it can quickly become an unnecessary distraction.
In pickleball, as in most sports, the smartest strategy isn’t always the most complicated. It’s the one your team can execute consistently under pressure.
About Stephen Pyka
Stephen Pyka serves as Director of Pickleball and Head Pro at Glastonbury Tennis Club. A PPR-certified coach and three-time brand ambassador for Solase, Aiero Pickleball, and 11X Pickleball Apparel, he brings decades of experience in racquet sports, club leadership, player development, and instruction, including previous roles as a PGA golf instructor and competitive racquetball athlete.
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