Communicating with your partner in doubles
Pickleball doubles is the most social racket sport there is, and a huge part of that is the constant chatter between partners. Good teams talk on every single ball. New players find this surprising — aren’t you supposed to concentrate? — and then they get eaten alive by middle balls and lobs because nobody is calling anything out. You don’t need to be loud or clever. You just need a handful of short words, used reliably.
The seven essential calls
”Mine”
You are taking this ball. Say it early and say it loud. “Mine” ends the ambiguity on middle balls that either partner could reach — the ones where you both freeze and the ball lands between you. If you can reach it and your partner can reach it, whichever of you says “mine” first gets it.
”Yours”
You are not taking this ball. Use this when a ball is heading into your area but your partner has a better angle, a stronger shot, or is already moving toward it. “Yours” is less common than “mine” — most calls should be the taker announcing, not the non-taker declining.
”Out”
The ball is going to land out of bounds. Say this one loud and say it early, especially on high balls and lobs, because your partner may be about to swing at a ball that’s going to sail. “Out” is a command: don’t hit it, let it go.
This is the most important call in the book for competitive players. At 3.5+, calling “out” correctly on a hard drive that’s sailing long is worth more than most winners.
”Bounce it”
Variation on “out,” used when you’re not 100% sure. “Bounce it” means let the ball land — if it’s in, we’ll play it from the bounce; if it’s out, we keep the point. Safer than committing to “out” on a ball you can’t read.
”Switch”
You and your partner are swapping sides. This call usually comes on a lob: the player who started on the side the lob went to can’t get back in time, so the other partner runs behind them to cover. “Switch” is the signal for the original partner to shift across and take the abandoned side. Without the call, both players end up on the same half of the court.
”Up” / “Back”
Positioning calls. “Up” means your partner needs to move forward to the Kitchen line. “Back” means they need to retreat to defend a lob or a bad third shot. These keep your team in a straight line — both up, or both back — which is where you want to be 90% of the time.
When to talk
The honest answer: more than feels natural. Good teams are calling something on roughly every other ball. Not long sentences — single words, two tops.
A few rules of thumb:
- Call “out” before it lands. Your partner is already moving to hit it. You need to tell them in time to stop.
- Call “mine” before the ball gets to the middle. If you wait until it’s between you, it’s too late.
- Talk between points. “Let’s dink cross-court to the guy in red — his backhand is weak.” “They’re poaching — watch the middle.” This is where teams become teams.
Handling mistakes and frustration
This is the other half of communication, and it’s where recreational teams fall apart. A few ground rules:
- Never coach your partner mid-rally. Telling someone “hit it softer” or “get to the Kitchen faster” mid-point is a disaster. They can’t process it in time and they’ll resent the tone. Save coaching for between games, and only if they ask.
- Own your own mistakes out loud. “My bad, I should have let that one go.” It takes the tension out of the air and keeps your partner from stewing.
- Praise the good shots. “Nice dink.” “Great read.” “That was a beauty.” The team that says this wins more rallies than the team that doesn’t, and it’s not even close.
- Never criticize your partner in front of opponents. If you have something to say, say it at the change of ends, quietly, and briefly.
The best doubles teams you’ll ever play with feel like a conversation. The worst ones feel like two solo players standing near each other. The difference is almost entirely in the seven words above.