Third Shot Drop in Pickleball Explained

The third shot drop is a soft, arcing shot that the serving team hits on the third shot of a rally so that it lands in the opponents' kitchen. A good one cannot be attacked, which buys the serving team the time it needs to walk up to the kitchen line.

It is one of the most discussed shots in the sport because it solves a problem built into the rules. Here is what that problem is, how the shot works and how to practice it.

What the Third Shot Is

Count the hits in a rally:

1. First shot: the serve.
2. Second shot: the return of serve.
3. Third shot: the serving team's first shot after the return bounces.

Under the two-bounce rule, the serve must bounce before the receiver hits it, and the return must bounce before the serving team hits it. Only after those two bounces can anyone volley. The rules guide covers this in full.

Why It Matters

The two-bounce rule puts the serving team at a positional disadvantage. The receiving team already has one player at the kitchen line, and the returner can follow a deep return forward to join them. The serving team, meanwhile, must wait at the baseline for the return to bounce.

So when the third shot is struck, the typical picture is two opponents at the net and two servers at the back of the court. If the serving team hits a medium-height ball from there, the net team can volley it down at their feet.

The drop takes that option away. A ball that falls into the non-volley zone and bounces low has to be hit upward, because a player may not volley while touching the kitchen and a low bouncing ball cannot be hit down. While the opponents let it bounce and lift it back, the serving team moves forward. The standard doubles strategy of getting both partners to the line depends on this shot or on a drive that sets one up.

Mechanics Step by Step

The drop is closer to a long dink than to a groundstroke. Standard coaching cues look like this:

1. Start behind the baseline. After the serve, stay back and expect a deep return. Stepping into the court early forces you to backpedal, and a drop hit while moving backward is much harder to control.
2. Use a neutral, relaxed grip. A continental grip is the common recommendation. Hold the paddle loosely so the paddle face absorbs pace instead of adding it.
3. Get low and set your feet. Bend your knees and move so the ball will be in front of your body at a comfortable distance.
4. Take a short backswing. A big backswing adds speed you do not want. Bring the paddle back only a little, with the paddle head below the ball and the face slightly open.
5. Lift from the shoulder. Swing low to high with a firm wrist, pushing the ball gently upward. Let your legs help with the lift.
6. Contact the ball out in front. Reaching back or letting the ball crowd you is a common cause of drops that pop up or find the net.
7. Aim the arc, not the landing spot. The ball should reach the top of its arc on your side of the net and be falling as it crosses. A ball that is still rising when it crosses will sit up for the opponents.
8. Follow through toward the target, then move. Let your weight carry you forward and advance toward the kitchen line.

Read your own shot before you run

How far you move forward should depend on the drop you just hit:

• Good drop (low, falling into the kitchen): move all the way up with your partner.
• Medium drop: take a few steps, stop in a balanced ready position as the opponent hits, and be ready to hit another drop. A second soft shot from the middle of the court is often called a fifth shot drop or a reset.
• High drop: stay back, get low and prepare to defend.

Where to Aim

USA Pickleball's coaching guidance describes three placement options and recommends the middle when you are unsure.

The net measures 34 inches at the center and 36 inches at the sidelines, which is why the middle and cross-court paths are more forgiving. See the court dimensions guide for the full layout.

Drop vs Drive

The drop is not the only third shot. The main alternative is the drive, a low, hard groundstroke aimed at the opponents. Standard coaching treats the two as partners, and the right choice depends on the return you receive.

Lean toward the drop when:

• The return is deep and you are at or behind the baseline.
• The ball is low and cannot be hit hard without going into the net or out.
• Both opponents are set at the kitchen line.

Lean toward the drive when:

• The return is short and bounces high, so you can step in and swing.
• One opponent is still back or moving through the middle of the court.
• You are off balance or on the run and a controlled drop is unlikely.

A drive is rarely meant to be an outright winner. Its usual purpose is to draw a weak block that makes the next shot, often a fifth shot drop from closer in, much easier. Driving down the middle keeps the ball over the low part of the net and away from the sidelines.

Practice Drills

Touch shots improve with repetition more than with theory. These common drills need only a partner, a court and a few balls.

Step-back drops

Start at the kitchen line with your partner across the net, dinking back and forth. After several dinks in a row, take a step back and keep hitting into the kitchen. Continue stepping back every few balls until you are at the baseline. This teaches how the same soft lifting motion scales with distance.

Baseline to kitchen feed

One player stands at the kitchen line and feeds deep balls to the other at the baseline. The baseline player hits drop after drop. Count how many out of ten land in the kitchen or force the feeder to hit up, then switch roles. To raise the difficulty, the feeder attacks any drop that is high enough.

Drop and advance

Play out the first shots of a real point. One side serves, the other returns deep and comes to the net, and the serving side hits a third shot drop and works forward. Stop the rally once the serving side reaches the kitchen line or loses the point. This connects the shot to the movement that follows it.

Drop or drive decision

The feeder mixes deep returns with short, high ones. The hitter drives the short balls and drops the deep ones. This builds the habit of reading the return before choosing a shot.

Common Mistakes

• Too much backswing. Extra swing length adds pace and sends the ball long or high.
• Wrist flick. Flicking makes distance control inconsistent. Keep the wrist firm and lift from the shoulder.
• Hitting while moving backward. Start behind the baseline so you can step into the ball.
• Running in no matter what. Charging forward behind a high drop puts you in the worst spot on the court. Watch the ball you hit first.
• Aiming for the sideline. The margin is small. Use the middle until the shot is reliable.

For definitions of any unfamiliar words used here, see the pickleball terms glossary.