A deep neutral or light-topspin return is the best default for most intermediate pickleball players because it keeps the server back and supports movement to the kitchen. Slice still works when it lands deep, stays reliable under pressure, or clearly disrupts an opponent’s third shot.
Watch enough high-level doubles and you may hear a surprisingly blunt instruction: stop slicing the return.
That sounds strange to many intermediate players. A well-hit slice stays low, skids after the bounce, and can feel much more troublesome than a plain return. Former tennis players may also consider it their most dependable shot.
So why are advanced coaches and professional players increasingly favoring flatter or topspin returns?
The answer is not that slice is a bad shot.
It is that many recreational players use it for the wrong job.
What the Return Is Actually Supposed to Accomplish
The return of serve is not primarily an attacking shot.
Because the serving team must let the return bounce, the receiving team begins the rally with a major positional advantage: the returner has time to move forward and join their partner at the kitchen.
A good return should therefore accomplish three things:
- land safely
- keep the server deep
- give the returner enough time and balance to reach the non-volley line
Spin matters only after those priorities have been met.
That is where many intermediate players get into trouble. They judge a return by how uncomfortable it looks for the server. Better players judge it by what happens after the return.
Did the returner arrive at the kitchen balanced?
Could the server attack the third ball?
Did the receiving team begin the next exchange in control?
A dramatic slice that produces a weak third shot is useful. A dramatic slice that lands short and gives the server a waist-high drive is not.
Why Pros Are Using Less Slice
⮕ Slice often lands shorter than players realize
Backspin produces aerodynamic lift and tends to reduce the ball’s forward movement after the bounce.
That can make a slice feel nasty because it stays relatively low and does not jump toward the server. But the same characteristics can work against the returner.
A heavily cut return often loses depth. Instead of pushing the server behind the baseline, it lands around midcourt or near the service line.
That is an inviting third ball.
The server can step forward, take the ball at a comfortable height, and drive through it before the returner has completely established position at the kitchen.
This is the central objection to the routine slice return: its low bounce may bother the server less than its short landing helps them.
At professional speed, giving the server permission to move forward is often a poor trade.
⮕ Slice can give the server useful spin
Players sometimes describe backspin as though it remains a hostile force all the way through the next shot.
It does not work that simply.
When the server drives into a sliced return, the incoming underspin can interact with the server’s upward swing and help produce a heavily rotating third-shot drive. The exact result depends on paddle angle, swing path, pace, surface friction, and the amount of incoming spin, but skilled players are comfortable lifting low balls.
At the recreational level, slice may still cause errors because many opponents misread the bounce or fail to adjust their paddle face. At higher levels, however, a low ball is not automatically a defensive problem. A server with a strong topspin drive may prefer a predictable sliced ball sitting in front of them.
The returner has then supplied both rhythm and a clear attacking pattern.
Pro player Zane Navratil makes an excellent point: at the pro level, slice returns often get punished fast:
⮕ A carving swing can delay forward movement
The returner should ideally strike the ball while transferring through the shot and continuing toward the kitchen.
Many slice returns interfere with that sequence.
Players often reach sideways, open the paddle face, pull the swing sharply downward, and finish with their weight drifting backward or toward the sideline. They then need an extra recovery step before moving forward.
The problem is not backspin itself. The problem is the body action many players use to create it.
A return that saves the server half a step but costs the returner one full step is usually a losing exchange.
⮕ Topspin provides a larger aggressive target
Topspin creates a downward aerodynamic force, allowing a player to swing with greater forward intent while still bringing the ball down into the court.
For the returner, that means a topspin ball can be driven deep with substantial net clearance and pace. After the bounce, it tends to continue forward more than a heavily sliced ball, helping pin the server behind the baseline.
The goal is not to blast the return.
The goal is to create a ball that travels deep, carries through the court, and allows the returner to move forward behind it.
That is a much more useful combination than a low slice that dies short.
The Better Default for Intermediate Players
For most 3.5–4.0 doubles players, the best default is a deep, moderately lofted return with light topspin or very little intentional spin.
Think of it as a controlled rally ball rather than a drive.
Use a compact forward swing, clear the net comfortably, and aim for the final three to four feet of the court. The return should have enough height and pace to travel deep, but not so much speed that you must sprint behind it.
A useful cue is: “Deep enough to hold them back, slow enough to let me arrive.”
That second part is often missed.
A return can be too fast. If you crush a flat ball directly to the server, it may come back before you have reached the kitchen. A slightly higher, deeper ball may be more effective because its flight time gives you another step or two.
The best return is not necessarily the hardest one. It is the one that gets both you and the server to the positions you want.
@enhancepickleball Are topspin or slice returns better? 🤔 #pickleball ♬ original sound – Enhance Pickleball
Where to Aim
Depth matters more than finding a tiny target.
Against a strong third-shot driver, return through the middle or toward the player with the less dangerous forehand. The middle reduces angles and can create uncertainty when the serving team stacks or switches.
Against a slower player, return deep toward the corner that forces them to hit while moving. Do not chase the sideline unnecessarily. A return one foot inside the baseline and two feet inside the sideline is usually more valuable than a lower-percentage attempt at the paint.
Against a player who wants to crash forward after serving, prioritize depth above everything else. A shorter return allows that player to contact the third ball farther inside the court, shrinking the distance they must cover to reach the kitchen.
A useful tactical question is: where do I want the server standing when they hit the third shot?
Your return should be designed backward from that answer.
When Slice Is Still the Right Return
“Do not slice by default” is good advice. “Never slice” is not.
Use slice when it is your most reliable deep return
A player with a developed tennis slice may be able to place that shot within two feet of the baseline repeatedly.
That is very different from the recreational player whose slice floats and dies near the service line.
Depth is the deciding factor.
A deep slice that keeps the server behind the baseline and allows you to move forward is a perfectly legitimate return. You do not need to replace a dependable shot simply because pros use another pattern more often.
Use it against opponents who struggle to lift low balls
Many intermediate players are uncomfortable driving a ball that stays below knee height. They open the paddle, lift too steeply, and either hit the net or send the ball high enough to be attacked.
Against that player, a slice return can be effective—particularly if you place it deep to the backhand or make them move laterally before contact.
But observe the result rather than admiring the bounce. After two or three attempts, ask:
- Is the opponent actually struggling?
- Are they driving it comfortably?
- Is my slice landing deep enough?
- Am I reaching the kitchen on time?
A tactic should survive evidence.
Use slice as a changeup
Even a strong server can become comfortable when every return arrives with the same height, pace, and rotation.
An occasional slice changes the contact point and timing. It may be particularly useful after several deep topspin returns have pushed the server backward and encouraged a larger upward swing.
The slice is most valuable here because it is unexpected—not because it is inherently superior.
Treat it like a changeup, not your automatic selection.
Use it on a stretched or low contact
Sometimes the serve pulls you wide or stays too low for a comfortable topspin stroke.
Trying to manufacture topspin from a late, defensive position can lead to a rushed swing and poor recovery. A compact slice may be the simplest way to neutralize the serve, buy time, and get the rally started.
In that situation, survival and depth matter more than following a stylistic rule.
The Slice Test
Rather than debating the shot in theory, test your own return. Have a partner serve 20 balls. Hit 10 with your normal slice and 10 with a neutral or light-topspin return.
Track four things:
- how many land in the final four feet of the court;
- where the server contacts the third ball;
- whether you reach the kitchen before that contact;
- whether the third shot is driven aggressively, dropped, or missed.
Do not judge the returns only by whether they went in.
Suppose your slice lands in 9 out of 10 times but only four reach the deep target. Your topspin return lands in 8 out of 10, with seven reaching the target and allowing you to arrive balanced.
The topspin return is probably the more valuable competitive shot, even though its raw consistency percentage is slightly lower.
Conversely, if your slice repeatedly lands deep and produces weaker third balls, there is no tactical reason to abandon it.
Two Technical Cues That Fix Most Returns
For a neutral or topspin return, avoid trying to create dramatic rotation.
Start the paddle below the ball, swing mainly forward with a modest low-to-high path, and finish in the direction of your target. The paddle face should feel stable—not rolled over aggressively.
The cue is: “Lift the ball with the swing, not with an open face.”
For a slice, avoid chopping straight down.
Move the paddle forward through contact with only a gentle high-to-low component. A pure downward chop creates excessive float, reduces depth, and leaves the player stationary.
The cue is: “Carve forward, not downward.”
A useful slice return should still travel through the court.
The Verdict for Intermediate Players
Do not eliminate the slice because professionals appear to use it less. Eliminate the short, floating, off-balance slice that feels clever but hands the server an aggressive third ball.
For most intermediate doubles players, the best default is a deep neutral or light-topspin return. It provides a cleaner forward movement pattern, holds its depth more reliably, and gives the serving team less opportunity to step inside the baseline and attack.
Keep the slice when you can land it deep, when an opponent clearly dislikes the low contact, when you are stretched, or when you want a deliberate change of pace.
The real rule is not “never slice.”
It is: never choose spin at the expense of depth, movement, and the quality of the next ball.
