11 Ways to Improve Your Pickleball Third Shot Drop
The third shot drop is one of the most effective shots in pickleball and one of the hardest to master. It's an effective shot because it's nearly impossible to return well. And even if it is returned, the serving team should be in a strong offensive position. It's challenging because it requires finesse, control, and lots of practice.
If you are unfamiliar, the "third shot" is the third shot that happens every round after the serve, then the return of serve. It is considered one of the most important, if not the most important, shots of every round.
A "drop shot" is a shot that can happen pretty much anytime but is designed to drop over the net and into your opponent's kitchen area.
Using them together is exactly what this article is about.
Today, we're giving you 11 tips to help you improve your pickleball third shot drop.
Tip #1 - Get Low
One of the biggest problems that we see when players try to make a drop shot is that they don't get their body or their paddle low enough. A low-to-high swing through the ball allows a higher trajectory and arc. This is important because you want the ball to barely cross over the net then land short in the non-volley zone (the kitchen). Getting low with your body helps you do this.
Tip #2 - Shorten Your Swing
Typically, you want to shorten your swing into the ball because you don't want a lot of power on this shot. A big swooping swing will put too much power and cause the ball not to drop in the kitchen as you want it to.
You'll want to push your body through the ball, but the actual swing should be light and short.
Tip #3 - Follow Through
But, shortening your swing does not mean that you don't want to follow all the way through it. There is a tendency to activate your wrists during this shot and try to flick it over the net. That's not the way to do this shot well. Instead, lower your body and bring it, along with the paddle, through the strike of the ball.
Tip #4 - Hit the Ball 2 to 4 Inches Above the Net
An excellent third shot drop needs to fall into the kitchen and bounce as little as possible. So often, players will try to just barely hit the ball over the net by an inch or less. But, this causes a large margin of error. Instead, aim for 2 to 4 inches above the net to give yourself a little more room to drop the shot in.
Tip #5 - Step Into the Shot
Similar to not following through with your body, another tendency players have is that they stay flat-footed or even fall backward in their execution.
The thinking is that when you want to hit the ball softly, you have to let the ball catch the paddle. While you may get away with this in tennis, where the racket actually projects the tennis ball, this doesn't happen with pickleball equipment. Instead of launching the ball, the paddle deadens it.
So, to combat this, you step into your shot as you lower your body and bring it through.
Tip #6 - Remember to Aim
Regardless of the shot, you always want to aim where you want the ball to go. It's easy to become so focused on hitting the ball that we forget where to hit it.
If you aim for nothing, nothing is what you're going to hit.
Tip #7 - Aim for the Apex
Regarding aiming, let's talk about where to aim your third shot drop. Often, players will look at a spot on their opponent's side of the court. However, this could lead to clipping or hitting the top of the net. Instead, it's better to visualize the ball's apex as it's in flight. The apex is the top of the arc before the descent.
Since we want the ball to go about 2 to 4 inches above the net, the apex will be about 2 to 4 inches higher on our side. This is similar to putting in golf, where you aim for the putt's break, not where you want the putt to end up.
As you practice, begin to notice where the ball starts descending and aim for that spot instead of your opponent's kitchen line.
Tip #8 - Shoot at Your Opponent’s Weakhand
Another consideration is to aim the ball to hit on your opponent's weak side. Hitting a backhand is hard enough for most people; hitting a backhand while at the net is even more difficult.
Tip #9 - Play the Corners
Or mix it up by aiming your ball to hit at the corners instead. This forces your opponent to move laterally, leaving you a gap to hit a putaway.
Tip #10 - Add Topspin
What's more devastating than a third shot drop? How about a third shot topspin drop?
A topspin drop descends even quicker than a regular drop and forces your opponent to be in an extremely tough position when trying to hit the shot.
Adding topspin (or any other spin) to a ball takes a lot of practice but, when done well, can make players very difficult to beat.
Tip #11 - Don’t Stand and Watch
This final tip is less about action to take during the shot and has more to do with what you do after it. One of the goals of making a third shot drop is to allow yourself time to get to the net and be in a strong position to continue play. Hitting a third shot drop well but not taking advantage of it makes it almost useless if your opponent returns it.
After taking your shot, you should always be ready to advance toward your next position.
Having an excellent third shot is necessary to compete in pickleball. Developing a masterful third shot drop is necessary if you want to leave the competition in the dust.
Now get out there and practice that third shot drop!
