[ Rusty Howes & Wes Gabrielsen on the Third Shot Drop ]
The
THIRD
SHOT
DROP
DRILL
Rusty Howes, creator of Pickleball Channel, and
Wes Gabrielsen, a 5.0 player and winner of
multiple pickleball championships, offer tips on
how to master the Third Shot Drop.
RUSTY: To watch the complete video version of this drill, go
to pickleballchannel.com/third-shot-drop.
WES: Well, as you know, in pickleball, hitting a third shot
drop is a very important part of the game. And oftentimes,
some of the better players have a hard time keeping the ball
low on this shot. I’m going to give you some tips today on how
to improve that third ball drop.
The third shot drop is when a player is at the baseline trying
to hit the ball from deep in the court into the kitchen. One
challenge that people face when they hit this shot is they
often hit it too far. Here are some tips to help you make sure
you hit a good third shot.
A DIFFERENT STROKE
It’s important to know that when you’re hitting this third
shot drop, you’re not hitting a soft forehand. You’re actually
hitting a different stroke. The challenge of hitting a soft
forehand is that it’s difficult to actually drop the ball in
the kitchen. The trajectory of the shot is a flatter shot, and
it’s more difficult to control. What often happens is that
people hit their forehand too hard, because they’re trying
to hit it over the net. As a result, it usually goes right to their
opponent (to volley).
STAY LOW AND LIFT
When you’re hitting a third shot drop, it’s important to
follow a few key steps in order to be successful. First of all,
when you hit the shot, you want to make sure that you get low
to the ground. Stay low through contact. You do not want to
pop your body up too early. This is going to allow you to hit
the ball up and drop it effectively in the kitchen.
Next, you want to make sure that your paddle face is
open. As you’re hitting this shot, it’s important that the ball
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