Third shot drops are one of the most important shots in pickleball and often, they can be one of the hardest shots to master.
In a new Selkirk Pickleball TV episode, pickleball professional Catherine Parenteau shares her tips on how to improve your third shot drop.
Tips for the third shot drop
When executing the third shot drop, your motion should be very similar to the motion used when dinking.
You should maintain a firm base and make contact with the ball in front of your body. Keep your grip loose and push through your shoulder, not your wrist, when making contact with the ball.
However, as you are hitting the ball from a further distance over the net, you will need a longer follow-through. Rather than stopping your follow-through at waist height as you would a dink, your follow-through should extend to about shoulder height.
Be careful not to swing faster than you do a dink as this will cause your third shot drop to have too much power. Maintain a slower swing but add a longer follow-through to get the desired distance.
Aim to hit your ball as it’s falling back down after the first bounce. If you hit the ball while it’s moving upward after the first bounce, it is more likely to cause a pop-up.
Remember, a perfect third shot drop is shallow to the net and forces your opponent to make contact below their knees. This will give you ample time to advance to the net.
The slinky drill for pickleball
To practice the correct motion for third shot drops, try the slinky drill. Start at the kitchen line on the opposite side of the court from your partner.
Begin dinking back and forth. Once you are warmed up, hit two dinks inside the kitchen line and then take two steps back. Now, hit two drops into the kitchen.
As you work your way backward, add a little more follow-through to your swing. If you have difficulty hitting a drop from any point, stay there until you hit two in a row successfully.
Continue this pattern until you have reached the baseline. Once you reach the baseline, hit 5-10 drops. Then, work your way back to the kitchen line, hitting two drops successfully before advancing two steps.
Once you make your way back to the kitchen, stay at the kitchen line and allow your partner to slinky back to the baseline.
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