Dec 12, 2024

Basics of the third shot drop

Tip 1

The third shot drop is one of the most important shots in pickleball. It is a strategic bridge between the baseline and the kitchen line that allows you and your partner to get to the net safely, where most points are won.

A third shot drop is essentially a dink from the baseline that lands in your opponent's kitchen. You use it as the serving team on literally the third shot of the rally, after the serve and return. If you can get it to land in your opponent’s kitchen, they have to let it bounce, and they can’t run in and slam it. Therefore, you are limiting their offensive options and neutralizing the advantage they gained from “returning and running” up to the kitchen. While your third shot drop is traveling in the air to your opponent’s kitchen, you and your partner can move forward towards the net without the fear of being attacked.

Tip 2

In order to hit a successful third shot drop, there are a few things that you should keep in mind:

Having the proper stance is key. There are three main stances in pickleball that you can hit from: an open stance, where you’re facing directly towards the net, a closed stance, where you’re standing sideways facing towards the sideline, and a semi-open stance, which is a hybrid where you’re standing halfway between open and closed. When you’re hitting a third shot drop, stand in a semi-open stance. This will prevent you from taking too big of a backswing, and it will help you control the ball straight to your target.
Keep your paddle in front of your body. Pretend that there is a brick wall behind your legs, and if your paddle gets to it it is stopped immediately. Eliminating your backswing is key!
Relax your hand. In order to hit a soft shot, you need to be holding your paddle super loose. On a scale from one to ten, your grip pressure should be at a three. The tighter you squeeze, the farther the ball will go.