Catherine Parenteau Pickleball Court Strategy: Professional pickleball player Catherine Parenteau is teaching players how to avoid getting passed through the middle of the court. In a new video lesson, she explains how top teams stay strong at the kitchen line by moving together and covering the court based on where the ball is hit.
Catherine Parenteau shows how many players make mistakes with court positioning. She explains that some players focus only on their own half, ignoring the full team strategy. Instead, she advises watching the ball and adjusting positions depending on where the shot lands.
Why Players Get Caught in the Middle
Parenteau begins by showing how players often get caught off guard when shots come down the middle. This usually happens because players only guard their own “box” on the court.
“They’re like, ‘Yeah, I’m in charge of my box. I’m on the left side of the court. I’m on the right side of the court. I’m just going to worry about the middle of my box,’” said Catherine Parenteau.
But she makes it clear this mindset is not enough. Instead of standing still, players should move as a team and follow the ball.
How Pros Cover More of the Court
Using the example of a yellow team versus a red team, Parenteau explains what players should do after they hit the ball. If the ball is hit toward one red team player, the yellow team should adjust:
“If I hit the ball to this player here, I’m going to make sure my partner in this case covers the line and I’m going to come all the way here to the middle,” she said.
She points out that leaving the far crosscourt open is not a big risk because:
“If they decide for some reason to hit this ball back crosscourt, but as a dink, you’re going to have time if you’re in this position to recover and hit your dink,” Parenteau added.
However, if the other team speeds up the ball and you’re not in the right place, it becomes too hard to recover.
Why Middle Coverage Matters Most
The video focuses on how the middle of the court is where the most dangerous shots can happen. Catherine Parenteau explains why this part of the court should always be guarded:
“You always want to cover the quickest kind of ball movement on the court.”
She says if a player tries a fast crosscourt shot and you’re in position, you can handle it. If they go for a crosscourt speed-up and miss, the ball will likely go out anyway.
“What are the chances that ball stays in? They’re very low,” she explained.
She also adds that a team should try to guard about two-thirds of the court and only leave the lowest-risk areas uncovered.
How Teams Should Shift Together
Parenteau describes another situation involving dinking. She explains that if she hits a straight-ahead dink, she focuses on guarding the sideline while her teammate shifts over to help in the middle.
“So now we’re covering two-thirds of the court. And again, we’re leaving this open, the crosscourt open,” she said.
She repeats that a slow shot (a dink) gives enough time to recover, while a fast shot (a speed-up) must be guarded. If the opponent tries a risky shot and misses, your team gains the point.
She ends by stressing the importance of moving as a team and thinking about where your shots go:
“You don’t want to just worry about your own box. You want to worry about where you hit the ball on your opponent’s side of the court.”
Final Thoughts and Fun Moment
Catherine Parenteau hopes her lesson helps people improve their court positioning and teamwork in pickleball. She ends her video by saying:
“I hope this is going to help with your court positioning on the pickleball court.”
The video closes with a lighthearted moment where she jokes about hitting the ball with a pen and laughs with her team.
“That was funny that you hit the ball with the pen.”
“I know. I was like my back. That was cool. I like that.”
News in Brief: Catherine Parenteau Pickleball Court Strategy
Catherine Parenteau explains how pro pickleball teams cover the middle of the court. She says players should move with the ball, not just guard their own space. Using smart team movement helps block fast shots and win rallies. Her tips show how court awareness stops opponents from attacking through the middle.