The Many Flavors of the Third Shot Drop

I think we've all played pickleball with bangers or are people who hit the ball hard. Often times, they are tennis players who are used to playing an aggressive game. They can hit the ball hard from the baseline or hard from just behind the kitchen line. But if you are finding them hitting the ball hard from the non-volley zone line, then it means you are placing the ball too high over the net. The way to combat the pace is to hit a soft shot nice and low over the net and to your opponents feet in the form of a third shot drop.

The third shot drop comes in many flavors but most people lump them all into one category. But there are actually dippers, hairpins, side spin, under spin, and blocks. 

A dipper is a third shot drop with a lot of top spin. 
A hairpin drop is a ball which bounces near the net on your opponent's side of the court. 
A side spin third shot is where you come around the side of the ball and it can be inside out or outside in.
Finally, there is the under spin third shot drop which keeps the ball low and the block where you really are not swinging at the ball. 

Regardless of the type of third shot drop, the goal is to keep the ball in a position so your opponent has to hit up on the ball. This makes it difficult for your competition to be offensive with their shot.

Now there are different times when it makes sense to hit a certain type of third shot drop. If the second ball is deep in the court and has a lot of pace and spin, then just block it back. If the ball has considerable pace but lands short in the court, you will need to lift the ball and hit a top spin third shot drop. If the person you are playing hits a softer shot to you, then it's a good time to hit a hairpin drop as it is easier to control the ball and make it go shallow in the court. 

So you have many options on how to hit the third shot drop. Just be sure when playing against bangers that you use one of them.