Description:
Kyle Whatnall
Mastering the third shot drop in pickleball is critical for two reasons: 1) It allows the serving team to slow down the game so both players can get to the kitchen line, and 2) It often results in a dink return from the opponent rather than a drive or smash, giving the serving team a better chance to win the rally.
Check out the examples below and watch the video to learn three ways you can use the third shot drop to improve your scoring opportunities.
Example 1
To begin the rally, the serve-return comes back cross-court to the server who plays a third shot drop into the kitchen , allowing him and his partner to advance to the Non-Volley Zone. Because the third shot drop is low and slow, the opponent must return with a dink, giving the server the opportunity to hit a hard drive and win the point.
Example 2
The deep serve hit with good pace forces the opponent to hit the return from behind the baseline. Because the serve returner had to play the ball from deep, he’s late getting to the kitchen line. Recognizing this, the server hits the third shot drop to the serve returner who is slightly out of position. The opponent makes a poor return and pays for it as his opponent seizes the opportunity to put it away. Pro tip: it’s often a good play to hit your third shot drop cross court back to the returner. This gives you a little more margin for error and many times the returner is a bit late getting to the kitchen line. As a result the returner is a little out of position and more prone to hitting a high shot that can be driven for the point-winner.
Example 3
In this scenario, the ball is returned to the server who hits a third shot drop cross court to the returner. Once again, since the returner is a little late advancing, there’s a greater chance they will hit a poor shot or even an error. In this case, he hits a shot that stays a little too high, giving the serving team a ball they can smash.