When I started to learn the rules and strategy of Pickleball, I heard quite frequently that I should rush to the Kitchen as soon and as fast as possible. Now after a couple of years, rushing the net as an absolute strategy is wrong.
First, if your opponent dinks a ball into the kitchen and you rush too fast to the net to hit the ball, your momentum will mess up your shot. Invariably, you will either hit he ball into the net or pop it up. In the end, you will lose the point. The better approach is to slow down as you approach the ball in order to create a better shot for yourself. If the only way to reach the ball is to go full speed, then you are left with no choice.
The other rushing to the net strategy is the timing of when to go the kitchen line. If you are serving, you of course have to wait for the third shot. If you or your partner hit a shot directly at your opponent who is at the kitchen line, then it is pretty clear that the ball will be coming back at you real quick
By rushing to the kitchen line in that instance will result in you being in no man’s lane when the ball is hit back to you.
My suggestion is to judge the appropriate time to rush to the kitchen line based upon the time you have to react to the return of your opponent. Try to avoid taking actions that result in you being in no man’s land when you have to hit your next shot.
To improve the opportunities for you to get to the kitchen line, work on your third shot dink, your ability to drive the ball and your lob ability. These three shots open up an opportunity for you to rush to the kitchen line and then be in a position to win the point.
My advice can be summarized be smart when you come to the kitchen. Don’t rush into situations where you will be in a worse situation than you currently are in. As always, try to put your opponent in a defensive position to allow you to be in an offensive one.