The Third Shot You Don’t Consider

Week 50

Welcome back to the Road to Pro Newsletter! Just by opening this issue, you are now automatically eligible to get a free paddle this week. Last week’s winner was Polly from Ohio!

Here’s what I’ve got for you this week:

• Two essential strategies for hitting effective drives

• A way to practice starting off your rally offensively

Now, let's get to it!

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Drive…If You Dare

Let’s talk about your third shot. The most common third shot of each rally is a drop, but you should also start considering adding in some drives. If you can hit a strong, well-placed drive, you might force your opponents to hit a weak shot, putting you in an offensive position right off the bat.

But there are a few things to consider. A drive isn’t always the right choice, and there’s definitely a right way to do it. Here are two key factors:

1. If you’re at the baseline, you can drive the ball.

   If the return lands in the back half of the court, you’re usually safe to drive the ball without much fear of hitting it long. However, you do need to keep in mind that there is a risk involved here. Your opponent could respond by dumping the ball really short in the court, forcing you to sprint forward to return it. But, thankfully, the pickleball court isn’t that big, so just be ready to move and cover the court quickly if you choose to drive from deep.

2. Target your opponent’s paddle-holding shoulder.

   This is a great location to aim. Most players use a continental grip, which favors the backhand at the net more than the forehand, so this spot is really awkward to defend. A drive to this shoulder can easily jam your opponent up and lead to a weak return. If you can get your opponent in this awkward position, you’ll get an easier fifth shot – either a soft ball you can seamlessly drop into the kitchen as you move in or a pop-up that you can put away.

Driving the third shot, fifth shot, or even the seventh shot can be a game-changer when done right. Just make sure you focus on establishing strong technique and strategy before you go crazy with it.

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Drive and Reset

Here’s a drill to go out and start practicing the strategies I shared with you this week. It’ll help you work on targeting the paddle-holding shoulder side and reacting to your opponent’s returning shot.

Set up at the baseline and have your drilling partner stand straight ahead of you at the kitchen line.

Start the drill by hitting drives at your partner, and make sure you aim for the shoulder on their paddle-holding side. Really focus on that target—like we talked about earlier, this is the spot that jams up a lot of players.

Have your partner mix up their returning shots. They should send some deep to try to keep you back, but they should also throw in some short ones that’ll force you to run forward quickly to get it. This will help you stay ready for whatever shot you get.

Whenever you can, start moving forward in the court, just respond appropriately to whatever shot your partner hits off your starting drive. If they happen to pop up the ball, then run up and put it away – that was your goal all along anyway. If they send back a strong shot, then keep aiming drives at their weak shoulder, or start resetting until you can make it up to the kitchen. If they dump the ball short in the court, then be ready to cover the court and return it. Just be careful that you’re only driving from far back in the court. It’s almost never a good idea to drive from midcourt because you could easily hit it out or get an attacking shot to your feet that’s really tough to return.

Each time you make your way up to the net successfully, reset the drill and start again from the baseline. Feel free to switch positions with your partner so you get practice in both situations.

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