Transcription
The third shot is one of the most important shots in pickle ball. Get it wrong and you're stuck playing defense. Get it right and you take control of the point. But with so much information out there, it's easy to feel lost or overwhelmed. In this video, I'll show you the four types of third shots you need to master, how to hit them, when to use them, and why they work so you can start winning more points right away. Let's dive in.
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Before we even think about how to hit the third shot, we have to talk about why we're hitting it in the first place. What's the actual goal here? Well, it's simple. Get yourself to the kitchen line. That's it. The baseline is your defensive line. The longer you stay back there, the more pressure you're under. Your mission with the third shot is to get you and your partner up to the kitchen line where you can control the rally and build the point on your own terms. And while it's tempting to go for flashy winners or force airs, that's not what most great third shots do. The majority aren't designed to end the point. They're designed to buy you time, gain position, and set the stage for everything else that comes next. That even includes the third shot drive, which gets misunderstood all the time. And yes, we'll break that down fully at the end of this video.
So, the first third shot that everyone has to have is the slice drop or the shovel drop. The slice drop is your bread and butter. It's the safest, easiest way to take pace off your ball. Give yourself time and work your way up to that kitchen line. This is going to be a short bunt-like drop that gives you time to get up to that kitchen line. And there's almost no offense to it. When you're stretched, offbalance, or trying to buy time, this is the one you want. It floats the ball softly, slows the pace, and gives you space to move forwards without rushing. This is the most reliable way to neutralize aggressive returns. And it's the shot I rely on the most when things get chaotic.
So, for the shovel drop, the first thing we need to make sure we're doing is trying to get behind that ball. So, I want you to get your outside leg behind that ball, no matter where it is. We can hit this ball when we're stretched and it's actually very useful on a stretched ball because we're floating that ball up. But the main thing is first get there behind the ball with your legs. Second, we want to make sure that we're coming underneath that ball with an open paddle face. And the last thing I want you to really focus on, and I think this is the biggest key to the shovel drop, is trying to keep the ball on your paddle for the longest period of time. We're guiding that ball and floating it onto the other side. So, if we have the idea in our head that we want to keep this ball on the paddle for the longest period of time while lifting that shot, then we're going to make sure we have a lot of control. It's going to be a little hack that you can do to make sure that you really get extra control on that shovel drop. So, I'm getting the bottom part of the ball and I'm keeping the ball on my paddle as long as possible. and guiding it and making sure that my legs are also behind that ball and getting low with my body like you can see. And I just feel like I can't really miss this one because it's so simple. Of course, making that ball in the kitchen um over and over is a is a small zone, but this is the simplest drop you can hit. This is your bread and butter right here and what you should resort to as your basic neutral drop.
Next up is the roll drop. Your top spin option that adds just the right amount of pressure. Unlike the slice drop, which floats and gives you more margin, the roll drop comes off quicker, stays lower with a more aggressive, linear trajectory. You're not just dropping the ball, you're pushing it forwards with Thompson, which takes away time from your opponent and can catch them while they're still moving up to that kitchen line. That's really the beauty of this shot. It blends control with pressure. I love using it on a shorter return, especially if I notice that my opponent is slow getting up or stuck in transition. And if your slice or shovel drop isn't feeling great that day, this is an excellent alternative that keeps you in control. The roll drop keeps your opponent on edge while still helping you get up to that kitchen line.
So, now we have the roll drop, which is going to be the top spin option for our drop. This is going to be a simple push forward. And rather than hitting under the ball so much, I want you to think of trying to get the back of the ball and then brushing up a little bit. So, I'm pushing that ball forwards and I'm letting that top spin just kind of fall over once it gets to that kitchen line. So, it's going over that net and then it's kind of just dipping down. And it's a little more of a linear trajectory rather than the shovel drop, which is going to be floaty and higher, but it's very effective if you want to take time away from your opponent. You want to make sure that you get that leg behind the ball as well, that you get there early. And then a massive key for this one is try and keep your wrist locked here. So I when I hit this drop, I'm really making sure that my wrist is locked the entire time so that my arm is just one lever and I'm literally just pushing forwards with a little brush motion. That way I can focus on just making sure I'm hitting the same spot over and over. So here's what the roll drop looks like. I'm just brushing over. I'm using limited wrist mobility and I'm not trying to make it too high. I am just pushing forwards and trying to make sure that ball dips on the other side of the net. Super simple, super effective.
Next up is the famous drip. One of the most misunderstood but powerful third shot options out there. The drip is a hybrid between the drive and a drop. It's more aggressive than a roll, but it's not a full speed drive. Think it's like a drive, but with 40% pace that lands short and low, catching your opponent off guard. The genius of the drip is that it looks like a drive, which forces a reaction, but it's not actually a drive. This shot is especially deadly when your opponent is stacking or switching sides off the return. They're already scrambling and you're taking advantage of that space in front of them. Your goal is to aim at their feet while moving, not once they're set. It's definitely the hardest shot of the four that we're covering today. It's got more risk, a tighter margin, but when you get it right, it's incredibly effective and throws a wrench in their transition.
The drip is going to have a very similar technique to that forehand drive, but the main thing is that we're taking a lot of the power off. The reason we're taking a lot of the power off is because we want this ball to dip at the person's feet. So, when they're moving forwards, if we're hitting a full drive, that ball's not going to come down. But with the drip, when we take all that power off and we add a little more top spin, well, then the ball's going to fall when it crosses the net. So, imagine in between that roll and in between the drive, that's going to be your drip. So, it's going to be harder than a roll and a little more aggressive, but it's going to be less than a drive. We want to make sure we're getting behind that ball with our feet here. And then we're pushing that ball forwards. Again, not trying to go too much power. We're really just getting there with our legs and pushing the ball forwards with a little bit of brush and trying to get it to fall on the other side of the net. This works really well when your opponent is in that transition zone, and it doesn't work as well when they're already established at the kitchen line. So, he's going to feed a ball from the baseline like it's a return, and then I'm going to catch him while he's still in transition by hitting a drip at his feet, looking to close on that next ball.
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The drive is the most misunderstood shot of all the third shots. Not because of how to hit it, but because of the goal. Most players think that the drive is about ripping winners or forcing airs. But at the highest level, that's not what it's used for. The best players use the drive to set up an easier fifth shot, one that they can drop and follow into that kitchen line. It's not about hitting through your opponent. It's about creating a short, soft reply that makes your next shot easier. If you happen to hit a winner or draw an air, that's just a bonus. The drive is especially effective against players who don't handle pace well or have weak counters. It's also effective when your opponents hit a good return that's difficult to drop. So, you drive the first one and then drop the next.
So, for the drive, what we're trying to do is get an easier fifth. In order to do this, we want to aim low over the net so that way they're not getting a high ball that they can play more aggressive. We want them to still give us a shorter ball. So, we want to make it tougher for them. I don't think going for full speed on that drive is exactly the smartest idea because it's hard to stay consistent with that. I would go 80%. Get them to give you that shorter ball you're looking for and then drop that fifth shot. But some keys for the drive here. One, I want you to stay turned here as you're hitting so you're not opening up. That's going to throw your accuracy off. We're staying nice and turned here. Two is that I want you to get behind the ball with your outside leg or you can even step in here. But the first thing is going to be outside leg and then step in with your left leg. Um, and then lastly, make sure you have a little bit of top spin. It's just going to help bring that ball down and it's going to give us a little more margin. So, he's going to feed me a drive. I'm gonna drive the ball at him, ideally like I'd like it, and then I'm going to use that fifth to get up to the kitchen line.
Let's talk about targeting and strategy principles because this goes beyond just choosing whether to drive or to drop. The huge part to a great third shot is where you're hitting it and why. You could get an advantage by where you're hitting your third shot. Smart thirds aren't just about execution. They're about positioning, pressure, and setting up that next shot. So, here are the key targeting principles that I use every match. First, always target the weaker player or the person running in off the return. This is going to give you more margin, less defense, and will eventually make the better player try to overplay and take balls that they should. Next, middle is great for causing confusion, especially with pace. Use this especially when both players are equally as good. Next, never rush the kitchen after a poor third shot. Be comfortable winning from the midcourt or using it as a bridge. This is something that I'm going to make a whole video about later on. Lastly, always prep for your fifth shot after your third. Split step as they hit it. Stay balanced and keep your paddle ready.
Okay, so a bonus tip for the third shot. I just don't see enough people talking about this. You have a shot right before you hit that third shot called the serve that you can use to set up an easier third for you. Right? Part of the reason we're able to hit a good third shot is because we have a return that they gave us that we like. Right? It's easier to drop off a shorter return than it is to drop off a hard return on our back foot. So, how do we make sure we're getting those short returns? Or say we like our forehand drop, how can we make sure we're getting a forehand drop? Well, we use our serve to set that up. So, for this one, if I serve deep to his backhand there, and I want to get a return, a short return right here, I know that I'm going to have to put pressure on his backhand, and that that return is most likely going to go right here where I want it. Right? So, I'm using my serve to then set up my third shot so I can then get to the kitchen line in a ideal way. So, it's going to look like this. So, I'm going to serve deep to his back end here, and I'm going to get that short forehand that I like. Boom.
If you've made it this far in the video, I wanted to tell you about something I've been working hard on. It's called the Pickle Ball Collective. I truly believe it's going to be the best online instruction out there. Not just for tips or drills, but for actual frameworks on how to get to that next level. The same ones I've used to grow my own game and compete at a pro level. This is built to give you a clear path forward about how to see the game differently. If that sounds like something you'd benefit from, hit the link in the description or the pin comment and join the weight list. I'd love to help you level up.
I'll leave you with this. At a recent pro event, over 90% of third shots landed in play. This is one of the most missed shots at the amateur level, but pros keep it simple, consistent, and intentional. Start using these strategies and you'll notice a difference immediately. Thanks for watching, and if you got value from this, subscribe to the channel, and please comment on what you'd want to see more of. I'll see you in the next one.