The Non-Volley Zone in Pickleball & Why We Need to Get to the NVZ Line
What is the non-volley zone in pickleball? One of the first things you need to learn in pickleball is what the non-volley zone aka the NVZ is. It’s the 7 ft area that extends from the net on both side of the court. The next thing you need to know is how to get to the NVZ line. If you played pickleball long enough you have heard that points are more easily won when both partners are positioned at the NVZ line. Being positioned 7 feet from the net allows us to do two things.
- Hit better angles and more easily attack the ball by hitting it downward at our opponents’ feet.
- By positioning ourselves as close to the net as possible, it is more difficult for our opponents to hit the ball where we are most vulnerable (our feet).
Knowing the importance of positioning oneself as close to the NVZ line as possible, the questions becomes how to get there. Do we charge forward or strategically advance.
Getting to the NVZ Line
Advantage Service Returners – The receiving team has the advantage here. In fact, as a team you’re 50% of your way there before the ball is even struck. When receiving the serve the non returning partner should already be parked in that ideal position as the serving team prepares to hit the serve.
Strategically, the player returning the serve should immediately advance to the NVZ line the return is made. The return-of-serve should be as deep as possible. The serving team has to let the return-of-serve bounce before they can play it. That is why the serving team is at a disadvantage in getting to the non-volley zone. The return of serve should be hit with enough arc so as to give the returner sufficient time to get to the NVZ line where both partners are now ideally positioned and in control of the point.
Disadvantage Serving Team – The team that is serving must allow the return of serve shot to bounce before playing. This puts them at a significant disadvantage when it comes to getting to the NVZ line. It is much harder to win a point from the back of the court when the other team is at the non-volley line. A good lob a shot over the opposing team is a very difficult and for most a low percentage shot.
The team pinned to the baseline desperately wants to get to the NVZ line so they will be on “equal footing” with the team already there. The drop shot (sometimes referred to as the 3rd shot drop) requires hitting a soft ball over the net that lands in your opponent’s non-volley zone. This is a great option to transition yourselves to the NVZ line. A soft drop shot will force your opponent to “hit up” on their next shot to get the ball over the net. By having to hit up at the ball they will be unable to attack the shot. This is the perfect time for you and your partner time to make your way to the NVZ line.
This logic works for any team that finds itself pinned to the baseline.
How do I get to the NVZ line? My Drop Shot Sucks
The drop shot is the most difficult shot to execute in pickleball. There are many elements that can go wrong like poor execution, hit to high or hit to far beyond the NVZ line. Both of these leave your opponent with the ability to attack the ball while you are in a vulnerable position.
If you and/or your partner are storming the NVZ line in this situation you are in a vulnerable position. The odds are against you and you will most likely lose the rally.
You are also at a disadvantage if just one member of your team is at the non-volley line. If one person is up and other teammate is back or you both are back but only one person storms the NVZ line the odds are against you. Any time your opponent is at the no-volley zone and your team is not you are at a strategic disadvantage. You are open to the mercy of your opponents who are both in the stronger position at the NVZ line. Your opponents can smack the ball hard to the person close at the NVZ line or much more easily hit it between the two players as angles are opened up.
The Solution
The solution depends on the quality of the play. First you have to trust your teammate. If you and your partner can execute an effective drop shot (75% of time) your should both to get to the NVZ immediately. If your effective drop shot rate is than 50% of less (like most club players or newbies) you should take a wait-and-see approach. Wait until you or your partner hit the shot. If the shot looks to be good, proceed forward (with caution). If the shot is not good, stay where you are and defend the best you can. You may have an opportunity on the next shot. It is much easier to defend slams and hard volleys deeper in the court than it would be if you had blindly stormed the NVZ. You can split step your way to the kitchen line.
A lot of the stragegy you use will depend on your opponents too. If they struggle making aggressive shots or closing out points you will have more opportunities to keep the rally going and advance to the non-volley line.
Team play is important. Come up together. Stay back and defend together. And don’t go on a Kamikaze mission by yourself!
Need to See Some of These NVZ Line Strategies in Action
Watch this great video breakdown with analysis from the Pickleball Channel. It breaks down a lot of these NVZ line strategies in play.
More Pickleball Stategies
For more on winning pickleball strategy head over to our page on Pickleball Strategy. Getting to the NVZ line is the standard strategy for any pickleball team. Don’t believe us look at the first thing listed in USA Pickleball Associations Doubles Strategies after the serve