Reset

Getting the fundamentals right...

After all of the equipment talk, let's get back to some play with Tuesday's regular featured Jordan Briones' video. This week, Jordan has Daniel Moore discussing the how to reset the point when the opponents are on the attack and you are back away from the NVZ line. The video is titled How To Hit A Reset Shot with Daniel Moore.

The reset shot is a cross between a "staying alive" shot and a defensive shot to gain a neutral position. It usually results from a poor third-shot drop that allows the opponents to attack from their NVZ line while you are stuck well behind it. As they attack, you are forced to take hard low shots and try to get them back. A reset shot takes it to the next step by dropping it into the NVZ and allowing you to get to the net. One of the most important points Daniel makes is that this shot is hard and it may take multiple attempts before success.

Recycle Sunday - Pickleball Statistical Analysis - Drop Shots

A blast from the past...

This week's Recycle Sunday article was originally published February 11, 2016.

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I have discussed several options for the third shot, including the drive, the lob, and the drop shot. In my post on The Third Shot, I stated that the drop shot is the best option. I based that recommendation on observations, discussions with 4.0+ players, as well as personal play. Now, I have statistics that support the recommendation. My post on Pickleball Statistical Analysis mentioned 5 areas of the game that were analyzed by Noel White. One of these 5 areas was drop shots. The conclusion (Results Nutshell) reached by Noel was:

In the 2013 research sample, 73% of the time the winning teams hit a majority of the successful drop shots. In the 2012 research sample, approximately 90% of the time the winning teams hit a majority of the successful drop shots.

Third Shot Footwork

Getting the fundamentals right...

The Jordan Briones Primetime video series continues from a different position - the baseline. Today's post uses his video Pickleball | Essential 3rd Shot Footwork to show how proper positioning will help to make your third shot drop more consistent. 

The fundamentals of any consistent shot, especially the third shot drop, consist of hitting the ball in the same place every time. I talked about this extensively in the December 16, 2017 post Positioning and the Natural Swing. I stated:

I believe that everyone has a natural swing. The swing that you took the first time you touched a paddle was likely your natural swing. You performed it without thought and used what felt comfortable. Ever since that day, your swing has been influenced by your mind as it adjusts your swing to fix mishits and misplays and to add others' technical advice...

The principle of a natural swing is simple. It is all about comfort zones - something I have talked a lot about in this blog, especially when targeting spots to take your opponents out of their comfort zone. The same theory can be reversed when thinking of yourself. Getting yourself into a position to take your natural swing is the ultimate comfort zone. That's a place you want to be.

Jordan talks about hitting the drop shot in your comfort zone, i.e., not reaching and not allowing the ball to get too close to your body. It is the area when you are balanced and most in control. In order to always contact the ball at the same point, it is imperative that you move your body to the proper position. This takes anticipating the ball's path and and getting your feet positioned early.

3rd Shot Drop Drill

Make drills fun...

This post is another in the series of Jordan Briones' drills. As with his other videos, he makes this drill a game. This makes what otherwise can be a task into a fun exercise, meaning we all are more likely to do it. 

The fifth video, Pickleball 3rd Shot Drill | "0 to 60" Drill, covers the 3rd shot drop. To set up the drill, one player (the feeder) starts at the NVZ line and the other player (the driller) starts at the opposite baseline but in the same half of the court. This drilling game will use only 1/2 of the court for boundaries. 

No Man's Land Drill

Make drills fun...

This post continues the Jordan Briones series of drills. As with his other videos, he makes this drill a game. This makes what otherwise can be a task into a fun exercise, meaning we all are more likely to do it. 

The fourth video, Pickleball Drill | No Man's Land Drill, covers drop shots from no man's land - that area between the baseline and the NVZ line. No one likes to play from no man's land because it is easy for the opponent to hit balls down to your feet. But everyone must play in this area as they transition from the baseline to the net. Therefore, it is important to learn to hit effective shots from this area. Jordan's drill helps the learning process along.

First, what is no man's land? Jordan describes it as follows.

The Third Shot - Summary #1

I have often noted that more pickleball information becomes available daily. I try to keep the blog updated with both new ideas and new perspectives on old ideas. Those pertinent to the third shot are archived in Chapter 4: The Third Shot, the third chapter of the "book" from A Pickleball Life that can be found along the left side of the blog. While I like the idea of the book chapters - it was mine, after all - I love the idea of an occasional synopsis of where we are...based on the archive to-date. This is the first synopsis about the third shot. We'll start with a list of the most important learnings and then summarize their sources.

The 10 Commandments about the Third Shot

1. Hit a drop shot when opponents are at the kitchen line.
2. Hit the drop shot high and deep enough to clear the net. Do not hit into the net.
3. Hit the drop shot softly with an arc about 6' at its peak (when hitting from the baseline).
4. Get into proper position before the shot.
5. Hit a low driving shot instead of a drop when the return of serve is short.
6. Target the opponent's backhand, the area between opponents, or diagonally cross-court.
7. Use a topspin drive to set up a fifth shot drop.
8. Stay behind the baseline until the return of serve is hit.
9. Split-step into the ready position while advancing to the kitchen line.
10. Practice, practice, and practice some more.

Skills

Drop Shot Drill from Deb

We have seen that the drop shot is very important. We also know that the shot is hard to execute, especially as it gets deeper in the court. So how does a player learn the shot and get better at it. Learning is hard but there have been several posts on the subject (see Chapter 4 - The Third Shot along the left column of the blog). Getting better isn't hard but takes time and practice. A good practice routine is shown by Deb Harrison in her video Don't Stop the Drop.

Mark's Third Shot Drop

Yesterday we looked at a comprehensive review of the third shot based on a video from Jeff Shank. Today we will drill down a little more by looking only at the third shot drop as discussed in Pickleball Strategy: Third Shot Drop, a video from Mark Renneson. 

Many coaches, like Jeff Shank in yesterday's video, talk about gaining the kitchen as the primary goal of the third shot. Mark's focus is using the shot to prevent good net players from driving the third shot back for winners. Hitting a hard groundstroke from the baseline toward opponents at the kitchen line often results in an even harder ball hit back to the serving team's feet. Hitting a third shot lob from the baseline often results in an overhead smash. The drop shot is a ball that stays below the top of the net and forces the opponent to hit their return upward rather than downward.

Third Shot Review

This week will be focused on the third shot. We opened with a short article revisiting the topic yesterday. We will continue it today with a video from Jeff Shank called 100 Pickleball Strategies HD part 2 of 7.

The video is a comprehensive discussion of the third shot. It begins with positioning. First, remember what the third shot is. The first shot is the serve, the second shot is the return of serve, and the third shot is the serving team's first opportunity to play a regular shot. The disadvantage to the serving team on this shot is that they must allow the return of serve to bounce. Therefore, they cannot advance from the baseline until they know where the return of serve is hit. Jeff emphasizes that the serving team must stay behind the baseline and not move into the court. Moving into the court can create a difficult play if the return of serve is hit deep to the serving team's feet.

Revisiting the Dropshot

The last few weeks have included discussions on the serve and the return of serve (in conjunction with groundstrokes). These topics were chosen based on a review of the Sarah Ansboury article 3 Ball Pickleball Drill: 1-2-3 Drill and my follow-up article titles Deep, Deep, Drop, Dink. We will continue the review of the most basic shots in pickleball with an article from Jeff Napier called Pickleball – The Dropshot.

Pickleball – The Dropshot

As you know, the serve must bounce in your court before you can return it. And, your return must bounce in the opponents’ court before they can hit it back. After that, you can do anything you want. Most beginners believe the best response for the third hit is to hit it hard and low to the opponents backcourt. As it turns out, that is seldom the most successful strategy, especially when playing with experts. The approach they usually use, for good reason, is called the “dropshot.” The idea is to drop the ball just over the net, so it ideally lands in the non-volley zone, and does not bounce high. you then follow your shot by coming quickly to the non-volley line.

This initiates a classic quality pickleball rally, in which the ball is hit softly with control back and forth within the non-volley zone until someone makes a mistake. The common mistakes are to hit the ball into the net, or to hit it so it is high enough that the opponet can smash it, or place it where you cannot reach.

Beginners and some intermediate players will assume that the drop shot is not important. They may even assume that it is guaranteed to fail because they do not yet have the skill to place drop shots well. This assumption is actually OK when you’re playing a game with non-skilled players, although even for them, the drop shots will generally confound them. But with advanced players, you really need a good drop shot. Otherwise, they’ll be able to come to the non-volley line while keeping you in the backcourt, and that’s not a successful place to be.

One of the best ways to learn the drop shot is to purposely practice it. During warmup, or with someone who is willing to help, try rallying with you in the backcourt, and the other person at the non-volley line, where you try to execute drop shots continuously, and the other person returns the balls to your backcourt.

If you find the opponent has an overwhelming response to your drop shots, either smashing them or placing the ball strategically, your drop shots are going too high over the net, or too fast. Slow them down so they’ll drop soon enough, and keep them low over the top of the net, so they won’t bounce too high.

If you often hit your drop shots into the net, you might notice what’s happening when you make the shots. Most people with this problem are moving forward at the time they hit the ball. Instead, make your move forward, if necessary, as early as possible, so you can come to a stop, and focus on a good hit. You might also try watching your paddle strike the ball.

Drop Shot Drill

As I've discussed many times, the drop shot is the single most difficult shot in pickleball. But the drop shot is - by far - the best option for a third shot since it provides the best opportunity for the team to get to the kitchen line. Therefore, it must be developed into an effective shot.

I've also stated that the best way to perfect a skill is to drill. Here is a simple drop shot drill from Pickleball Channel called Improve Your Drop Shot with this Easy Drill.

Third Shot Drop = Winning

I posted several articles recently on drop shots. I've often said that drop shots are the most important shot in the game, while adding that they are also the most difficult. It is nice to see reinforcement of my advice from top players and such is the case with a recent Pickleball Channel video called Third Shot Drop Makes the Difference Between Winning and Losing.

When their opponents in the Mixed Doubles 45+ Gold Medal Match at the Minto US Open Pickleball Championships came back in the second game with a new fire, forcing the match into a third tie-breaker round, Dave Weinbach and Gigi LeMaster had to adjust their strategy. Hear their winning tip about what changed to give them the win and what shot they felt was the key to their success. Plus check out exciting footage of their dynamic game play!

My favorite part is when Dave Weinbach says "The most important shot in pickleball, really, is the third shot drop, and I don't think people practice it enough back at home. It isn't an easy drill to do, but if you can effectively hit a third shot drop in the kitchen, then your partner and you can get into the kitchen line where you have to be to play effective pickleball."

Good - and reaffirming - advice.

When Drop Shots go Bad

I have often said that the third shot drop is the hardest shot in the game. Even 5.0 players make mistakes with the shot. So what do you do when you hit a bad shot? Prem Carnot has an answer in his article What to Do When Your Drop Shot Doesn’t Drop.

What to Do When Your Drop Shot Doesn’t Drop

Let’s admit it: Even if you are convinced about the merits of the third shot drop, sometimes you don’t hit a perfect drop shot. (ahem, perhaps even more often than not…)

And even if you believe you are (or actually are) amongst the blessed few who can drop them shot after shot like a pro basketball player sinking free throws, chances are you’ll be on the same side of the net sometime soon with someone else who can’t.

Third Shot Drop with Sarah

I previously posted about controlling the pace of the game with an article from Prem Carnot. That post, Third Shot Drop, was a written description of the shot. Now we will go deeper into the technique of the third shot drop with a Sarah Ansboury video called Basic Third Shot Drop -- Building A Solid Foundation.

I always tell attendees at my clinics that the third shot drop is the single most difficult shot to learn, but the shot is so important that it must be part of every player's repertoire. Sarah states the same thing and concludes that the practice needed to gain confidence in the shot is worth it.

Third Shot Drop

When I schedule a specific shot clinic, I try to prepare both attendees and myself by writing about that shot. For example, I had a series of posts about dinking starting with Dink Like the Pros prior to a dinking clinic. I'm now thinking of the next clinic - as yet unscheduled - that will demonstrate how to initiate the dinking game. Therefore, this particle will kick off a series about controlling the pace of the game by slowing it down. 

This post will focus on the first opportunity to do so with the third shot drop, a topic previously discussed in The Third Shot. That article included the various options for the third shot and concluded that the drop shot was the most effective option to deal with opponents positioned at the kitchen line. Now we will go into the technique of the third shot drop with an article from Prem Carnot called 4 Secrets to Get Your Dropshot to Go Where You Want (and Not Where You Don’t). Tomorrow's post will have a great video demonstrating and discussing similar concepts.

Before going to the article, I should note that that the drop shot is not limited to the "third shot" as the name presupposes, but applies to any shot that is struck after the ball bounces. The name comes from the the most common usage of the drop shot - when a serving team makes its first return and the opponents are positioned at their kitchen line. The shot is appropriate at any time in the rally when the ball bounces. Keep that in mind as we progress through this series.

4 Secrets to Get Your Dropshot to Go Where You Want (and Not Where You Don’t)

Last month I had someone write in asking for advice on how to better calibrate their drop shot.

The Basic Overall Strategy of Doubles - Phase 2

A previous post mentioned that this is a theme week focused on understanding what is happening on the court. The centerpiece is a video, Doubles Pickleball - The Basic Overall Strategy. That initial post introduced and emphasized the overriding strategy of getting to the net. The next post moved on to the first phase of most points which the video calls "The Formality Phase". This post advances to phase 2 of most points - "The Service Team Struggle to the Net".

Phase 2 is when the service team tries to advance to the net in order to level the playing field. Remember that phase 1 concluded with the non-serving team positioned at the net. They have a tactical advantage because the service team had to stay back waiting for the return of serve to bounce. The service team must overcome their disadvantage by gaining the net through a third shot strategy.

Pickleball Statistical Analysis - Drop Shots

I have discussed several options for the third shot, including the drive, the lob, and the drop shot. In my post on The Third Shot, I stated that the drop shot is the best option. I based that recommendation on observations, discussions with 4.0+ players, as well as personal play. Now, I have statistics that support the recommendation. My post on Pickleball Statistical Analysis mentioned 5 areas of the game that were analyzed by Noel White. One of these 5 areas was drop shots. The conclusion (Results Nutshell) reached by Noel was:

In the 2013 research sample, 73% of the time the winning teams hit a majority of the successful drop shots. In the 2012 research sample, approximately 90% of the time the winning teams hit a majority of the successful drop shots.

Noel's conclusion is clear - successful execution of the drop shot on a regular basis will lead to more winning. Teams that successfully hit more drop shots than their opponents won between 7 and 9 games out of 10 games played. This is true even with some built-in lost rallies due to the difficulty of the shot.

Third Shot Drive

A previous post stated that a third shot drop is the best option to give them time to get to the kitchen. There is one situation where a drive may be a better option for players with a very strong groundstroke or, better yet, an ability to hit a strong topspin.

In most cases, the return of serve will be deep in the servers' court as illustrated below.

A deep service return allows the returner to join his partner at the kitchen. So, the typical third shot must be made with both serving team players near the baseline and their opponents at the kitchen. The best option in this situation, by far, is the third shot drop.

Third Shot Drop Drills

The Third Shot Drop is a very important element in playing competitive pickleball. Getting to the kitchen is essential and the third shot drop is the equalizer that allows the serving team to earn its way there. It is a difficult shot to execute and requires lots of practice. This post shows how 2, 3, or 4 players can drill until mastery is accomplished.

An easy 2-player drill has players positioned at opposite baselines.  One player has a bucket of balls and feeds deep shots to the second player who practices drop shots.  The following video from David Majick called Baseline Drop Shots shows this drill in action.

Other drills are also simple but allow for more continuous play. One person (or team) is positioned at the kitchen line and one person (or team) is positioned at mid-court or the baseline. The player(s) at the kitchen line hit the ball to the player(s) in the back of the court. The player(s) in the back of the court hit third shot drops into the kitchen. Shots are traded back and forth without attempts for winners. Remember, this is a practice drill and not a competition.

The Third Shot

The first shot of a game is the serve. It is the easiest shot to execute since the server has complete control of the ball. The second shot of the game is the return of serve. It is the second easiest shot to execute since the opponents on the serving side must stay back to allow the ball to bounce. The third shot is hit by the serving team and follows the return of serve. It is one of the most difficult shots to execute since the shot generally occurs near the baseline and the opponents are likely to be positioned at the kitchen line. There are 3 options for the third shot – a hard low shot, a lob, or a drop shot into the kitchen. The following Deb Harrison video called Third Shot Options discusses these options.

The hard low shot

This shot is a powerful groundstroke hit low over the net in an attempt to hit it past your opponent or cause them to make an error. It is a stroke that is used by beginners and mid-level players due to their comfort with driving the ball. However, it is effective only against low to middle level players who have not yet mastered the volley game. The low hard driving shot typically reaches the opponent above the net and can be easily volleyed at a variety of angles and back to the feet of the serving team.