everything from mishits to pop-ups to cautious blocked balls that fall short.
Those short replies let you advance into the transition zone and either attack or drop from a far better spot. This is the backbone of combos like drive – drop or drive – drive – drop.
HOW TO ADVANCE AS A TEAM USING DROPS
Before hitting a drop, the off-ball partner who’ s not hitting the shot should take a few steps forward before their partner makes contact. This applies positional pressure and creates the threat of an advancing presence.
If the drop is executed well and forces an upward reply, that advancing partner is now in position to capitalize or at least shrink angles. If the drop is high, stay back and prepare for another neutralizing shot.
Great drops operate like moving wedges— you and your partner tighten the space between you and the kitchen with each successful ball. When both partners advance together behind a quality drop, you eliminate angles, reduce your opponents’ options, and force them into harder shots.
Even when a drop is only decent, advancing a couple of controlled steps can shift momentum, especially when you get comfortable at hitting drops and resets in the transition zone.
MOVING AS A TEAM
Advancing toward the net is a coordinated effort. With experience, you’ ll quickly learn to read which balls to advance on, which to pause on, and which require you to retreat— this is something great players do extremely well.
As a team, move with purpose, protect the middle, and maintain a slight stagger when necessary. Even two or three deliberate steps forward after contact can change the geometry of the point and your opponents’ ability to pressure.
Whether using a drive or a drop, the timing of the offball partner’ s advance is crucial— it creates the visual and tactical pressure that affects opponents’ decisions. Team movement transforms shots from isolated attempts into coordinated sequences that build advantage.
BEYOND THE THIRD SHOT
Developing the ability to reset effectively is essential. Handling hard shots while transitioning toward the kitchen is similar in strategy to a drop but requires a more abbreviated, defensive technique— think like a volleyball player bumping a low ball.
Use a short, compact motion with an open paddle face, low stance, and stable base. Keep your head still, absorb pace, and redirect the ball with control rather than power. Force your opponents to hit off the bounce or awkward volleys by keeping shots low.
If your partner manages to hit a ball below net height and you’ re playing an aggressive opponent who likes to pressure the fourth ball( or any ball after it), this becomes a prime opportunity for you as the offball player.
If you’ ve already moved forward before your partner’ s contact— and you recognize that your partner’ s shot will force the opponent to hit up— you can look to be aggressive with your positioning.
This is your green light. Move forward, looking to take the ball out of the air, and attack. By stepping in early and cutting off that upward reply, you turn defense into offense and apply immediate pressure.
When“ attacking” in transition, control and placement matter far more than power— attack open spaces, hips, and the paddle side of the body while keeping the ball low enough that opponents can’ t hit down.
Against stronger players, this“ smart aggression” becomes essential. Pure power may come back in hardto-handle places when you’ re in transition and your opponents are at the kitchen, but low, targeted attacks are harder to deal with, leading to pop-ups and replies you can finish if they happen to get it back.
FINAL THOUGHT
Every third ball is a decision— drop, drive, drip, or lob— and it’ s the moment that defines your control of the rally. The serving team starts at a disadvantage, but by understanding how and when to apply pressure, that disadvantage can become an opening.
Mastering this phase means mastering technique, movement, timing and strategy. Start by developing consistency with low, dipping drives and highpercentage drops. Then build patterns— like a third-shot drive followed by a fifth-shot drop— to set up points you can finish. Over time, these choices become instinctive, your teamwork becomes seamless, and the rallies begin to flow your way.
When you can turn your serve from a position of defense into one of controlled opportunities, you don’ t just stay in the point— you own it. •
Kyle McMakin is a touring pickleball professional, former Division I tennis player( UC Davis) and head pro for LevelUp Pickleball Camps. Kyle is a two-time Triple Crown winner. His DUPR is above 6.0 in both singles and doubles.
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