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 first video from Deb Harrison and called The Third Shot discusses a preference for learning the shot by starting in mid-court.

The second video called Third Shot Drill from Pickleball Channel discusses the drill from the baseline and working your way to the kitchen line.

While drills are always the best way to learn a new shot, the third-shot drop almost demands non-play practice to learn it. So get out there and drill!