Mastering The Third Shot Drop: What You Need To Know

If you have played pickleball for any amount of time, you have no doubt heard of the “third shot drop”. Difficult to master, easy to mess up, this shot is a crucial part of strategic gameplay. In this article, we will delve into why the third shot drop is pivotal, the challenges players face in perfecting it, and how to effectively incorporate it into your gameplay.

To begin, I want to first explain what this shot is and why it is such an important aspect of the game. The third shot drop is a shot performed near the baseline hit softly towards the opponents kitchen.

The goal of this shot is to neutralize your opponents’ positioning and get your team to the net for more favorable play.

See this picture here to visualize how this shot is hit.

You can see the trajectory of the ball and how it drops softly right in the kitchen to slow the pace of the game down.

Now, why is the third shot drop so important? Several reasons:

• It gives your team a chance to advance to the net
• It slows the game down

How do these things help you? Let me explain.

The first two shots in pickleball are nearly always the same, a serve to the opposing team and a deep return that lands near your baseline. The third shot is crucial to constructing the point because the defenders have the advantage. When hitting their return, they both advance to the net and can dictate the pace of the game.

In pickleball, whoever controls the pace of the game will almost always win the point. So, to even out the odds of winning the point, a well placed third shot drop can slow the game down and give you a chance to advance to the net where a point can be won. Easy, right? Well, not so much. Let’s go over how to hit this shot and when to use it.

Hitting the third shot drop is a difficult feat, as it requires a soft touch and proper arch to effectively slow the game down. Let’s break it down.

1. Holding The Paddle: To hit this shot effectively, your paddle needs to be angled up to get the proper arch for it to land in the kitchen. See the picture below. You want the ball to hit the apex of its flight path on your side of the court so that it drops properly. This ensures that the ball is not as attackable, which in turn slows the game down.

• 2. Soft Touch: Another crucial component to hitting the third shot drop is a soft touch. With you paddle angled up, if you hit it too hard, the ball is going to go flying for an easy smash or go sailing out of bounds. To control the shot and slow the ball down, you need to lift your paddle through the ball instead of swinging at it like you would a drive. Keeping your wrist frozen and lifting your paddle will help control the pace of the ball and give you time to recover and find better positioning.

When you are starting out, don’t stress hitting the perfect drop at first. Instead focus on just getting it over in or near the kitchen and working on your touch. If you keep practicing and drilling this shot, it will get much easier!

Alright, now that you’ve got the knowledge on how to hit the shot, it’s time to talk about when to drop.

Dropping is an important part of the game beyond just the third shot. It is useful in many different game scenarios. Take, for example, you are facing two players who only like to drive, drive, drive the ball on every shot. Mixing up your shot selection can give you the advantage by dictating the pace of the game.

Typically, you only want to drop if your team is forced back at or near the baseline. One mistake people make is they will drop too much on attackable balls. For example: The opposing team returns a ball that lands somewhere in the middle of your side of the court with a decent bounce. Hitting a drop on this shot allows the other team to recover their position and advance again towards the kitchen. Instead, attack the shot and take what the defense gives you.

Dropping is meant to recover your positioning and allow for a greater chance of advantageous play, so attack if you can!

Mastering the third shot drop is a significant step in becoming a well-rounded pickleball player. By understanding its importance, tackling its challenges, and incorporating it strategically into your play, you’ll enhance your game and gain a competitive edge on the court. Now, get out there and start dropping! 🙂