How to Execute a Killer Shake and Bake in Pickleball

The shake and bake, or drive and crash, is a fun and effective way to string points together on offense. When executed correctly, it can be extremely difficult to handle and can drive your opponents crazy.

The shake and bake, or drive and crash, is an extremely effective offensive play used in pickleball across all skill levels.

One of the first shots an amateur player learns in pickleball is the drive from the baseline, and if you couple a good drive with a semi-athletic partner, you can win points in a hurry by putting pressure on your opponents by crashing the kitchen line.

However, as you progress up the pickleball skill level, this play can be harder to execute. Here are the keys to executing a killer shake and bake.

Your opponents’ body language is a signal

Let’s say you’re the crasher or attacker responsible for getting up to the kitchen line and trying to poach your opponents’ fourth shot.

As your partner is hitting the drive, you should begin moving up to the kitchen line, making sure to run in a straight line towards the kitchen instead of at a diagonal.

As you move forward, keep an eye on your opponents’ body language at the kitchen line
This will tell you what kind of ball you can expect them to hit and will be the initial signal of whether or not you can poach on their volley

Who is preparing to hit the ball? That will tell you where your partner drove the ball. If they are both preparing, your partner will likely drive it to the middle (which is almost always the best target for a shake and bake).

💡

Need some new pickleball gear? Get 20% off select paddles, shoes, and more with code THEDINK at Midwest Racquet Sports

Are your opponents crouching lower, or standing up tall? That will let you know if your partner’s drive is

a) low over the net (signaling all systems go for you to poach and crash)

b) or high over the net (you may have to hit a reset from where you are instead of crashing)

Jim Dobran, my former doubles partner and one of the best crashers at the net, used to watch our opponents’ body language instead of watching me drive the ball.

If you are busy watching your partner drive the ball, you are likely missing the valuable half second needed to get closer to the kitchen and start making your move to the middle to poach.

Follow the direction of your partners’ drive

Let me start by stating the obvious: it is incredibly difficult to execute a shake and bake or drive and crash if the drive is bad.

Your opponents will likely already be at the kitchen hitting a fourth shot volley out of the air. So, if the drive is too high, too slow, or worse (out, in the net, etc.) it is going to be very hard for you as the crasher to have any impact on the next ball.

My partners and I like to talk beforehand about where the drive will go from a target standpoint.

It is extremely rare and much more difficult to successfully drive and crash if the drive goes cross-court. Keep it either through the middle or down the line from whoever is driving it. And if you and your partner don’t communicate on the target of the drive, then the first tip I mentioned above becomes even more important.

Either way, the key as the crasher is to follow the direction of the ball.

Simply put:

If my partner drives the ball through the middle, I am going to move forward in a straight line and get ready to move towards the middle to poach the next shot.
If my partner drives down their line, I am going to move even more aggressively to the middle and look to even bert or cross all the way over the kitchen to be on the same side as my partner.

Not only will following the ball put you in a natural position to poach the next shot, but it will also force your opponent to try to hit behind you (likely a crosscourt angle), which is a difficult shot for them to execute, especially if your partner’s drive is good.

Be smart about the shot you hit when crashing

This is a very important part of the drive and crash. I see countless amateurs execute a drive crash, and they end up hitting the wrong shot.

If you poach off of your partner’s drive, make sure you analyze the ball your opponents’ hit to you and react accordingly.

For example, if your opponents can get the ball down at your feet as you are crashing, don’t try to hit it as hard as you can. Adjust, hit a reset that keeps the point alive, and give your partner a chance to join you at the kitchen.

One way to do this is to move with the paddle in a neutral position in front of your body. This will prevent the paddle from getting behind you or to one side as you move, and will allow you to hit a plethora of shots you might need depending on the quality of your opponents’ fourth shot volley.

If your partner does hit a good drive and you have an easy put-away, keeping the paddle in front will help you not overswing, and will allow you to hit the ball down or through the opening you need to win the point.

Eric Roddy has teamed up with Jittery Joe’s to release a new pickleball coffee – The Kitchen Brew. Whether you are hitting dinks or chasing dreams in the Kitchen, our medium roast gives you the perfect boost to power through every game. Start your day right, both on the court and in your cup!

You can purchase The Kitchen Brew on the Jittery Joe’s website.

The shake and bake, or drive and crash, is a fun and effective way to string points together on offense. When executed correctly, it can be extremely difficult to handle and can drive your opponents crazy.

However, when executed poorly it can leave you and your partner feeling disconnected and can make the court feel enormous. Use these tips to put your team in a better position to apply pressure on your opponents.

Heads up: hundreds of thousands of pickleballers read our free newsletter. Subscribe here for cutting edge strategy, insider news, pro analysis, the latest product innovations and more.