Ultimate Pickleball Strategy Guide: Pro Tips from Anna Leigh Waters on Serving, Third Shots, Attacking & More
If you're looking to elevate your pickleball game, there's no better source of wisdom than one of the greatest players of all time, Anna Leigh Waters, and her coach/mother, Leigh Waters.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll break down the key insights from these pickleball pros on six critical components of the game: serving, third shot decisions, attacking, counterattacking, drilling, and the winning mindset.
Anna Leigh Waters is widely regarded as a G.O.A.T. of pickleball, known for her aggressive playing style, tactical intelligence, and mental fortitude. Her mother, Leigh Waters, brings years of coaching experience to complement Anna Leigh's on-court perspective.
Let's dive into their expert advice that can help players of all levels—from 3.5 to 5.0—improve their pickleball skills and strategy.
You can watch the video here or read the summary and key takeaways below:
Table of Contents
Mastering the Serve
Third Shot Decisions
Attacking Strategy
Defensive Counterattacking
Effective Drilling Practices
Mental Toughness
Key Takeaways
FAQ
Mastering the Serve
The Pre-Serve Mindset
According to Leigh Waters, two crucial elements make for an effective serve:
Wait for the referee - In tournament play, let the referee completely call the score before starting your service motion. While rules allow you to begin your motion during the call (as long as you make contact after the score is announced), waiting for the complete call helps prevent "hitching" in your service motion.
Target selection - "Before you serve, pick your target, look at it, and then go," Leigh advises. With all eyes on you during the serve, pre-selecting your target helps focus your mind and prevent distractions.
Fluid Service Motion
Anna Leigh emphasizes the importance of a continuous, fluid service motion rather than a stuttered or "hitchy" one:
"I actually used to serve a little bit like I'd go here (holds paddle down) and then I'd go here (takes paddle back and stops) and then I'd serve... It's so hitchy and you're losing so much momentum."
Her advice? Think of your serve like a forehand:
"In pickleball, it's kind of like you're hitting a forehand. A lot of players sometimes struggle with the serve, but then they have a great forehand, so it's like just hit a forehand as your serve."
The key is maintaining momentum throughout the motion without stopping or hitching, which would force you to rely solely on arm strength rather than body momentum.
Strategic Serve Placement
When it comes to serve placement, Anna Leigh suggests adapting based on:
Match situation - In tight moments, a more conservative corner serve might be preferable to a riskier "T-serve" (aimed at the intersection of the sideline and baseline).
Opponent positioning - If an opponent is "unwinding" (shifting their weight in anticipation of returning cross-court), serving wide forces them to run across the court.
Target practice - Leigh recommends practicing serves with physical targets. Anna Leigh shared that during one tournament, she visualized color-coded targets: "I'd go red, I'd go green, I'd go yellow... I knew exactly where those targets would be in my head."
Third Shot Decisions
The third shot—the shot that follows your serve and your opponent's return—is a pivotal moment in rallies. Anna Leigh offers clear guidance on when to drop and when to drive:
When to Drop
Short returns - "If it's short up here, it's really hard to drive because not only are you moving forward and it's low, but you have less court to work with."
From mid-court to non-volley zone - Generally, drop shots work well when the return lands in this zone.
When to Drive
Deep returns - "If it's super deep, I would drive."
When a drop is too difficult - "It's so freaking hard to hit a drop if you're back here and the person hits such a good shot... your drop's going to be high or you're going to miss it."
Leigh Waters adds an important distinction about drives:
"A drive isn't necessarily hitting the ball 100%. You can hit a ball 100% if you want, but you can also hit a drive at like 50%."
This medium-paced drive that's low over the net can be highly effective when pushed far back, as it's harder for opponents to attack and gives you time to reset.
Playing in the Wind
Both players emphasized how weather conditions affect third shot decisions:
"If it's super windy or if it's really cold, it's really hard to hit a good solid drop... I just think driving at medium pace is a lot easier."
For those wondering about playing with or against the wind, Anna Leigh notes that in moderate wind, playing against it allows you to "swing out" more on groundstrokes. However, in extreme wind conditions, playing with the wind is generally more advantageous, especially with modern paddles that allow for increased spin.
Attacking Strategy
Anna Leigh is known for her aggressive play style, which is evident in her approach to drops and attacks.
Penetrating Drops
Unlike many players who hit softer, loopier drops, Anna Leigh prefers more aggressive, penetrating drops:
"I'm not thinking like I'm going to try to hit a winner on this, but one of the best things about my singles game is my rolling drops."
These more aggressive drops:
Set up her partner for easier poach opportunities
Give her opportunities to follow up with aggressive volleys
Provide opponents less time to reach the non-volley zone
Prevent opponents from comfortably setting up their next shot
Understanding Attack Patterns
Anna Leigh shares insights about making strategic decisions on where to attack:
Target opponents in motion: "If somebody's been dinking and been moving, that's a great time to attack them because they're off balance."
Know your opponents: "This also comes down to really knowing your opponents... maybe there's a team that if you drop middle, they're confused."
Attack the returner: "If somebody's just returned, they're coming in, so that's probably a better place to hit your third than the person who's just standing at the net."
Play to your strengths: "Is my best third a forehand crosscourt roll or is it a drive down the line?... I think you got to think of your best shot, strategy, and then their weakness, in that order."
Leigh adds that sometimes your strength might feed into an opponent's strength, requiring adjustments:
"If my best shot is the forehand but if I'm going to speed up my forehand and your best shot is the forehand counter, I'm not going to sit there and speed up every single ball."
Anticipation and Court Awareness
One fascinating insight involves staying mentally engaged even when the ball isn't coming to you:
"Even when you're off the ball, you should be thinking about what you would be doing with that ball... you're always in the point, you're always expecting that shot."
Anna Leigh sometimes even mentally coaches her partner during rallies:
"When I'm playing with Catherine, I'm on the left, she's on the right, she gets a dink and I'm like 'dink, dink, dink'... I'm saying this in my head... 'speed up, speed up, speed up'... 'don't speed up, don't speed up'..."
This level of anticipation ensures you're never surprised when the ball comes your way and helps you predict your partner's actions.
Defensive Counterattacking
Anna Leigh rarely gets "chicken-winged" or jammed, thanks to her exceptional defensive positioning and footwork.
Defensive Positioning
Rather than rigidly standing on the non-volley zone line, Anna Leigh constantly adjusts her position based on the quality of her shots:
"My feet are always moving. I'm never just standing here waiting for somebody to speed it up. If I can tell you've hit a little bit of a high dink, I'm going to take a step back and be ready for the speed up."
She positions herself strategically based on where the opponent is most likely to attack:
"If you've hit a high dink there, I'm probably going to set up here or be ready for this... you always want to be ready for the shot that's easier to make."
The Split Step
A crucial element of Anna Leigh's defensive success is her constant use of the split step:
"I split step before anybody... because she could hit it to me, so I need to be ready to move anywhere."
This split step helps her prepare to move in any direction and react quickly to attacks.
Sliding and Positioning
Anna Leigh makes deliberate adjustments to her court positioning based on opponent tendencies:
"If I'm playing mixed, it depends on the guy's tendency. If the guy speeds up a lot through the middle, I'll sit here, whereas if the guy tends to speed up line a ton or flick line a ton, then I'll slide this way."
When surprised by an unexpected attack, her default response is to reset the ball unless she has enough time to switch her position.
Countering Attacks
Both Waters emphasize that you should expect to be attacked in modern pickleball:
"Beyond what Anna Leigh already said, imagine that every single ball is coming at you as a speed up... Just know the game has changed and the ball is coming."
Leigh advises amateurs who panic when being attacked to understand that facing aggression is now a fundamental part of pickleball. The key is to expect it and be prepared.
Effective Drilling Practices
Anna Leigh's training regimen has evolved significantly since her early days in the sport.
Balanced Practice Approach
Anna Leigh suggests a balanced approach between drilling and playing:
"I think there was this thing on drilling where it's like you just need to drill like 90% of the time and just play a little bit, but I honestly think it's a little more even than people think."
Her current practice ratio is approximately:
60-70% drilling
30-40% playing games
The reason for including significant game play is crucial:
"When you're drilling, you're supposed to be working on things, and if you don't ever play, you never get to practice using the things that you've learned in your drilling."
Progressive Training Schedule
Anna Leigh follows a progressive training schedule leading up to tournaments:
Post-tournament rest: "After a tournament, I take a couple days off because I'm just so exhausted."
Early week fundamentals: "The first day I'm back on the court, I'm hitting a ton of dinks in every direction, and maybe that's the day we work on speed ups."
Mid-week movement: "The next day, I'm hitting thirds and moving in, doing a little bit more active movement type drills."
Late week game simulation: "By the end of the week, I'm playing a lot of games."
Focus on Strengths vs. Weaknesses
Anna Leigh offers a perspective that differs from conventional wisdom:
"A lot of people spend tons of time trying to get their weaknesses better. I also feel like you should make your strengths better. If you have an amazing backhand speed up, why not make it better?"
Leigh takes a unique approach to skill development, particularly for newer players:
"Most people feel like you need to have the finesse game first. I think you need to have the aggression first because the finesse game takes time. The scariest part of pickleball for your opponent is the attacks, not your nuanced little dinks."
She observes that many players, especially those coming from tennis, start with an aggressive style but gradually become less aggressive as they try to conform to what they think "pickleball should be." Leigh encourages players to maintain their aggressive edge while developing their finesse game.
Mental Toughness
One of Anna Leigh's most remarkable attributes is her mental resilience, particularly her ability to come back from seemingly impossible deficits.
The Comeback Mindset
Anna Leigh recalls a match where she and Ben Johns were down 4-10 and managed to come back and win. When asked about the timeout conversation at that critical juncture:
"We know we can come back, but at the same time, we've had absolutely no momentum. I think that's a thing where one or two points can kind of change a match."
Leigh describes another remarkable comeback where Anna Leigh was down 3-10 against JW and Jorja Johnson:
"She comes over to me and she's like, 'All right mom, what do we do? I'm not losing this match. What do we do? Tell me what to do.'"
This unwavering belief in the possibility of victory, even in dire circumstances, is a defining characteristic of championship mentality.
Controlled Aggression
During these comeback situations, Leigh notes that players need to find the right balance:
"You cannot afford to lose those points when you're down 10-4 and they're serving, so you really have to come in with a mental mindset of being very high percentage with it. But you also don't want to take that to the extreme and come out and be super tight."
The key phrase both coach and player use is "controlled aggression"—maintaining an attacking mindset while ensuring each shot has a high probability of success.
Positive Self-Talk
Anna Leigh emphasizes the importance of positive self-talk during matches:
"You hear me obviously on the court. I'm like, 'Come on, fight, you got this.' Even if I miss a shot, I'm like, 'That was the right idea.'"
She continues: "Even in the matches that I've lost, halfway through I'm telling myself, 'You're going to win this match.' I think it's just always thinking and saying positive thoughts."
When dealing with mistakes, Anna Leigh recommends:
"It's okay to go crazy for a second after you miss a bad shot as long as right after that, you're getting back into being yourself. Don't say 'Oh, I suck.' Try to keep it to some sort of yell to get that energy out."
Key Takeaways
After analyzing the insights from Anna Leigh and Leigh Waters, here are the essential strategies that can help elevate your pickleball game:
Develop a fluid, forehand-like serve with pre-selected targets
Adapt your third shot based on return depth—drop when short, drive when deep
Hit penetrating drops that give opponents less time to reach the kitchen
Constantly adjust your position based on dink quality and opponent tendencies
Use the split step before every potential hit, even when off-ball
Balance drilling (60-70%) with actual gameplay (30-40%)
Develop both your strengths and weaknesses, with emphasis on making your best shots even better
Cultivate unwavering belief in your ability to win from any score
Practice controlled aggression—attacking with high-percentage shots
Maintain positive self-talk, allowing momentary frustration but quickly resetting
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a T-serve and a wide serve?
The T-serve aims for the intersection of the baseline and centerline, while a wide serve targets the far corner of the service box. Anna Leigh recommends using wide serves when opponents are "unwinding" and T-serves against opponents with weaker backhands.
Should I always stand on the non-volley zone line?
No. Anna Leigh suggests taking a step back when you've hit a less than perfect dink, as this gives you more time to react to a potential speed-up. The days of rigidly standing on the line are over due to the increased power and spin capabilities of modern paddles.
How do I decide whether to drop or drive on the third shot?
Use the depth of your opponent's return as your primary guide. Drop when the return is shorter (from mid-court to kitchen), and drive when the return is deep. Consider environmental factors as well—driving at medium pace is often easier in windy or cold conditions.
What should I focus on in my drilling practice?
Balance is key. Work on both technical skills (dinks, speed-ups, third shots) and movement/footwork. Don't just focus on weaknesses—continue to enhance your strengths. Progressively introduce more game-like situations as you approach competition days.
How can I improve my mental game?
Develop the belief that you can win from any score. Use positive self-talk continuously during matches. Allow yourself a brief moment of frustration after errors, but quickly reset. Think ahead to the next shot rather than dwelling on mistakes.
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