The 3rd shot drop is one of the most commonly talked about shots in pickleball. But I rarely hear people talk about where to hit it so you gain advantages. So, that’s what I’ll do today!  Here’s 4 targets you can use the next time you play (in this order).

1. At the player who hit the return.
2. At the weaker player.
3. At the left side players' backhand.
4. At the right side players' backhand.

Let’s break it down.

1. At the player who hit the return. 

Movement creates challenges. If you hit your third shot drop to the player already established at the kitchen, they could make your life hard if you miss high. But, if you hit to the person who hit the return, you’re hitting at the player on the move. And any time you can attack a player who’s on the move, you increase your chances of forcing an error.

2. At the weaker player.

Against higher level players, it gets harder to get to the kitchen. Two reasons why. (1) Serve returns come back deeper and harder. AND, (2) the 4th shots come back with more spin and increased power. Also, the threat of a tough 4th shot often makes people tense up a bit and miss more balls high. And often, the opponent will hit a deep return that allows them to get to the kitchen before you make contact with your third shot. In this case, there is no “player on the move to hit to.” This is where you target the weaker player to make your life easier to get into the kitchen.

3. At the left side players' backhand.

This one’s simple. Most players have weaker backhands. So this spot is a good target to aim for. Specifically, if you’re playing on the left side because it’s your longest distance to work with, so you give yourself more room to lift the ball up and over the net at a good trajectory.

4. At the right side players' backhand.

Beware, this is NOT “hitting to the middle.” It’s hitting slightly to the left of center so it goes toward the right side player's backhand. (assuming a righty). This can create confusion if the left side player wants to slide over and hit a forehand. If they don’t do that, often the right side player will hit a weak backhand reply — which is good for you because you can get into the kitchen more easily. When I play on the right side, this is one of my go to targets with my 3rd shot drop. One caveat. If the right side opponent is left handed and I'm playing the right side, I like dropping all the way cross court to their backhand. 

One final thing. Don’t try all 4 at once when you play tomorrow. Put your focus on #1 for a few games.

And then add #2 and see how much easier it is to get into the kitchen.

Until Next Week,

Kyle

PS: I know that's a lot of info I just gave you. The good news is, I just started filming a new youtube video that breaks all of this down with video examples!  

PPS: No, I don’t think 3rd shot drives are bad, by any stretch. I believe it’s great to have both the 3rd shot drive and drop in your arsenal of shots so you become a more dynamic player. And if you’re interested in how to know which shot to hit when, watch this video.