How to Hit a Third Shot Drop in Pickleball

A third shot drop is the soft, arcing shot you hit from the baseline after the serve and return, aimed to land inside the kitchen before your opponents can attack it.

You hit it instead of driving the ball because a hard shot from the baseline usually sits up for the net players to smash. The drop buys you time to move forward and join them at the line.

When to Drop Instead of Drive

Pick the drop when both opponents are already standing at the net and your team is still back at the baseline.

A drive works better when the return sails short or high, since a firm shot at their feet or body can end the point before they reset.

Most rallies settle into dinks once both sides reach the kitchen line, and the drop is the shot that gets you there in the first place.

Video: USA Pickleball

The Court Numbers Behind the Arc

The ball has to clear a net that sits higher at the sidelines than at the center, then drop into a shallow landing zone before your opponent can reach it.

Figures per the USA Pickleball Official Rulebook. That eight-inch difference in net height from center to sideline is why a cross-court drop, which crosses over the lower middle of the net, clears more easily than a shot hit straight down the line.

Paddle Angle and Contact Point

Open your paddle face slightly and contact the ball out in front of your body, at or below waist height, using a soft push rather than a full swing.

A paddle built for touch helps here. Reading up on how paddle shape affects spin and control will tell you whether your current paddle is working against your drop.

Grip pressure matters as much as the paddle itself. Hold it the way you would hold an egg, loose enough to absorb pace instead of adding to it.

Where the Point Sequence Starts

The drop only exists because of what happens before it. A clean deep serve pushes your opponent back, and a deep return does the same to you, which is what forces this soft third shot in the first place.

Once your drop lands, the next battle happens in the non-volley zone, where the rules about foot faults and volleys decide who controls the point from there.

Fixing a Drop That Pops Up

If your drop keeps floating high enough for opponents to smash, you’re likely hitting from too far back or swinging instead of pushing.

Step closer to the kitchen line before you attempt the shot, and slow your paddle speed down until the ball barely clears the net.

Practice with a partner feeding balls from the baseline. A live rally is the only way to build consistent touch under pressure.