The shake and bake is one of the few genuinely coordinated two-player plays in pickleball, and it’s the most effective way for a team to win points from the baseline without ever hitting a drop.
What it is
One partner drives the ball hard and low from the back. The other partner crashes the net, closing in to take the resulting block out of the air and put it away.
The logic is straightforward: a hard drive is difficult to block cleanly. Most blocks off pace pop up a few inches. Someone standing at the net with a paddle up turns that pop-up into a winner. The driver plays for the weak block; the crasher finishes it.
The name is pickleball slang — “shake” the opponents with the drive, “bake” the pop-up.
How to run it
Driver: hit low and at a body. The drive has to be low over the net and aimed at an opponent — the backhand hip or the middle seam. A drive that’s too high gets punched back past your crashing partner. A drive at nobody in particular gets blocked calmly. See the third shot drive.
Crasher: move on contact, not before. Time your movement to your partner’s paddle hitting the ball. Going early means the opponents see it and go behind you. Going late means you arrive after the block.
Crasher: paddle up and out front, chest height. You’re taking a ball out of the air with very little time. A low paddle is a lost point. This is a punch volley situation.
Crasher: aim down at feet, not at the baseline. The block will often be slightly high — put it down into the court, not over it.
Driver: follow the drive in. Don’t stand and admire it. If the crash doesn’t finish it, you need to be at the kitchen line too.
Who crashes
Usually the non-hitting partner, and usually the player whose forehand covers the middle. But it depends:
- If the drive is crosscourt, the crashing partner should cover the straight-ahead reply.
- If the drive is straight, the crasher takes the middle.
- The stronger net player crashes if there’s a clear difference.
Agree before the game which of you drives and which crashes by default. Two players both crashing leaves the baseline empty; neither crashing means the play doesn’t exist.
When to run it
Against opponents who block poorly. Some players cannot absorb pace — their blocks float. Against them the shake and bake is nearly free.
When the return is short. A short return gives the driver a comfortable high contact point, which is when the drive is best.
When your drops keep getting attacked. If the soft game isn’t working, this is the alternative.
Against a team that’s slow to the net. If they’re not established at the kitchen line, the drive at their feet is brutal.
When not to
Against good blockers. Players with soft hands will absorb your drive and reset it into the kitchen, and now your crasher is stranded at the net against a soft ball at their feet — a bad position. See how to reset.
When you’re contacting the ball below net height. You can’t drive effectively from there. Drop instead.
Every single point. It’s a pattern, and patterns get read. Mix in drops or opponents will simply wait for it and hit behind the crasher.
How to defend it
If you’re on the receiving end:
Soft hands on the block. Absorb the drive rather than punching it. Loose grip, paddle out front, no swing. A block that dies into the kitchen defeats the whole play.
Aim your block at the crasher’s feet. They’re moving forward at speed. A ball at their shoelaces is almost impossible to handle mid-stride.
Hit behind the crasher. Once you recognise the pattern, the space they vacate is large. A block or dink into the crasher’s original position wins the point outright.
Don’t back up. Retreating gives the drive time to drop and gives the crasher time to arrive. Hold the line.
Lob the crasher. A player crashing hard at the net cannot recover for a lob over their head. See the pickleball lob.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a shake and bake in pickleball?
A coordinated doubles play where one partner drives the ball hard and low from the back while the other crashes the net to put away the resulting block out of the air.
When should the crashing partner start moving?
At the moment their partner’s paddle contacts the ball. Moving earlier lets opponents hit behind you; moving later means you arrive after the block.
How do you defend against a shake and bake?
Block with soft hands so the ball dies in the kitchen, aim the block at the crasher’s feet, and once you read the pattern, hit behind the crasher into the space they vacated. A lob over the crasher also works well.
Does the driver come to the net too?
Yes. The driver should follow the drive forward so the team ends up at the kitchen line together if the crash doesn’t finish the point.
Why is it called a shake and bake?
It’s pickleball slang: the drive shakes up the opponents and the crashing partner bakes the resulting pop-up.