Pickleball Magazine 2-2 Courtesy of Pickleball Channel | Page 33

THE THIRD SHOT the V of your hand goes to the left side of the racket handle and creates an open racket face whether you’re hitting on the forehand side or the backhand side. This allows you to lift the ball to take pace off of it. A common misconception is that people try to hit the third ball too hard, which can make it too low going over the net, creating errors. You want to hit a ball that’s a little bit higher. The stroke itself is not a long stroke, and what you want to do is lift the ball. The goal is to have the ball reach an apex on your side of the net and then descend into the kitchen, making your opponent hit the ball up. Those are the mechanics of the third ball. Remember, the shot’s not that easy, so go ahead and take some time to practice the third shot and you’ll become a better player. Rusty: So, that’s our Pickleball 411 for today. Brian and Matt, thank you so much. We really hope that this has been helpful for you. And now there’s only one thing left to do, and that’s go play! To watch the complete video version of this article including Brian and Matt Staub demonstrating the third shot live, visit Pickleball Channel online. And consider becoming a subscriber of Pickleball Channel for free to receive weekly pickleball videos just like this one by going to pickleballchannel.com/subscribe. Special Thanks to: Brian Staub and Matt Staub HOW TO TRANSITION TO THE KITCHEN It’s very important to note that just because you hit a good third ball doesn’t mean that you’re necessarily going to be able to make it to the kitchen line right away. You might have to hit additional drop shots, and each time it’s important to do a split step. This will allow you to have some lateral mobility. Rusty Howes is the Executive Producer and creator of Pickleball Channel. Rusty worked for the likes of Warner Bros and Disney before creating Pickleball Channel to develop and provide fantastic, professional video content for the pickleball community. He is deeply involved in promoting the sport of pickleball at home and across the country. MARCH/APRIL 2017 | MAGAZINE 31