How to Hit a Fourth Shot Smash in Pickleball

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Steve Dawson

The fourth shot in pickleball is decided after seeing what third shot your opponent has hit toward you. If your opponent is hitting a third shot, drop shot, one of the most exciting, exhilarating, fun, and rewarding shots in pickleball is to absolutely destroy and smash your fourth shot when your opponent’s third shot drop strays a little too far.  

The harder you hit a ball in pickleball, the more power you generate, the more muscles you use, the more speed you have on your shot, the further from the line your shot should be aimed. So when you’re smashing your fourth shot, you should not be smashing it on the sideline. That’s when your opponent will call it out and half the time it’s coming at them so fast they can’t see it. But it’s also hard to control the ball when you’re hitting it as hard as you can. So a hard shot, a power fourth, is hit to a large area in the court, not near the sideline. The sideline is more reserved for touch or finesse shots.  

This video is going to go over returning serve, moving up, and smashing a fourth shot to a large part of the court, making sure that the harder you hit the ball, the further from the line you aim. 

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