Forehand 3rd Shot Drop Technique | Key mechanics for a consistent 3rd shot drop

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Do you struggle with your 3rd shot? If you do or if you'd simply like your 3rd shot to be better then this is the lesson for you. In this video we'll cover the technique behind the forehand 3rd shot drop.
We see many players with incorrect and/or extraneous movements when hitting there 3rd shot drop which leads to inconsistency. All though the 3rd shot is considered the most difficult shot in pickleball the technique is relatively simple and straightforward. It mostly mimics a basic dink.
If you can master a dink then you can master the 3rd shot drop because it's basically like hitting a dink from the baseline.
Watch the video to get all the details on 3rd shot drop mechanics.
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About Nicole Havlicek & Jordan Briones
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Nicole Havlicek is a former nationally ranked Division 1 tennis player turned pickleball player and an IPTPA certified pickleball coach.
Jordan Briones is a 5.0 pickleball player and a IPTPA certified pickleball coach.
Together we've launched PrimeTime Pickleball to bring you the best and most up to date pickleball information and training that will help you take your game to the next level.
Our hope and our mission is to do our part to grow the game of pickleball globally using video training to break down every aspect of the game and deliver it to you in a fun and easy to understand way and for free so that you can take that information to the court and play the best pickleball of your life.
What you can expect from us is to provide you with technical breakdown of successful strokes, smart pickleball strategies, proper court positioning, effective and efficient footwork patterns, fitness and conditioning for pickleball and much much more… all designed to be specific and actionable so that you can implement the information right away and become a menace on the pickleball court.
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Music Credit: TAKE THE CHANCE by Nicolai Heidlas Music / nicolai-heidlas
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[@ryanedward7508]

The “L” shape in my wrist is what I changed today and, for me, it solved my inconsistency in drops. I was hitting confident and consistent 3rd ball drops this morning. Another great video Thanks again Jordan 💯🙏

[@ryanedward7508]

And Nicole!!

[@primetimepickleball]

Awesome!

[@kylebutz2003]

For anyone who plays golf, the concept of chipping and pitching distance can be used for both dinking and third shot. The swing stays nearly the exact same with hit position and body position. The swing simply becomes longer to allow for more acceleration through the ball. As the shot becomes longer, the swing becomes longer. The key thing is to always accelerate the paddle through the ball towards the target. Set your target and accelerate through the ball. Third shot drop can be intimidating if looked at as a different skill. In essence, most shots in many games share a lot of techniques to hit the ball where you want to. Acceleration, impact position and swinging to the target are fundamentals that do not change. Still picture at impact of a dink or 3rd shot should be nearly identical.

[@primetimepickleball]

👍🏻

[@RichardsWorld]

The dual camera view is a really good idea.

[@primetimepickleball]

👍🏻

[@jordannewport638]

Thank you, thank you, thank you - by far THE BEST instructional video for 3rd Shot Drop I have viewed. Outstanding effort on your part!

[@primetimepickleball]

👍🏻

[@megsanddan]

I think the closed stance is a more effective technique. The arm swing as a result is parallel to the side lines of the court (perpendicular to the net) which will push the ball in that direction. Also, you are able to use your whole body to either push the ball over (body momentum) or to cushion the ball if it is is hit extremely hard and you are looking to take some energy off the ball. In the more open stance, the arm swing will have an arc that crosses over the mid-line of the player and I would argue is less consistent. More shots will either go left or right increasing the chance of going out. Great video and I look forward to seeing more.

[@primetimepickleball]

Thanks Dan!

[@brigiddevney-rye2399]

This is great, thanks Jordan!

[@barkonpickleball6966]

How to hit a third shot against a return of serve that has a lot of spin? I already know how but it would be good information to put out there.

[@primetimepickleball]

👍🏻

[@paflyfish]

Good video on the 3rd shot drop. I would have like to have seen some drops following a few hard driving returns, as the increased speed of the ball changes the mechanics. Some of the folks I play with really bang the return of serve, low and fast.

[@primetimepickleball]

Thanks Keith! We have other videos that show this too.

[@lukasgriffin4537]

@@primetimepickleball where?

[@rich3419]

Another excellent video! Thanks!!

[@primetimepickleball]

Your welcome!

[@jimwatkins3396]

Love the video. it is very helpful in understanding the mechanics of the third shot drop. I am curious how you would approach the third shot drop in a game setting. In the demo the "opponent" is always hitting the ball back to you in an ideal manner. In a game, the ball only occasionally comes back to where you are standing. Is the third shot drop recommended when you have to move significantly to get to the ball? That is, when you have to take a number of steps before you can even get to the ball? Thanks for the lesson and insight.

[@primetimepickleball]

Yes, as long as you can be balanced and stable when hitting it, you can move and the hit it. See this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/noGpg6Jrh56WipI at the 10:03 timestamp for game based drills on how to work on this.

[@ateamreball]

Can you do a video on the 3rd shot topspin drop shot ive been hearing about?

[@primetimepickleball]

Yes, soon!

[@ateamreball]

Thank you!

[@Mr.DJones]

Thank you for posting. Just reviewing as I am practicing at Legacy with their ball machine. Question please. When you hit the ball (ball contacts with the paddle), are you looking at where you want to hit it, OR, are you looking at your paddle and ball at contact? Thank you.

[@primetimepickleball]

LOOK AT CONTACT!!!

[@charleysweet235]

That is how it's done.

[@jeromeyap7357]

Wanna use this tool to win my men double semi and final if possible, tended to hit too high , may be due to I didn’t follow through after hit third shot

[@primetimepickleball]

Yes, it could be that, but it could also be a variety of other factors as well.

[@paulmcdevitt2038]

Another great video. I love that you are not hard and fast and talk to pro experimenting to find what works best for them. I have a couple of questions though. I play indoors and the ball has some different characteristics - does that change how you play the shot? Most returns are coming in low with a lot more pace than this and sometimes spin, so I am a bit tentative about trying to play this shot. Are there any differences in playing th shot under those circumstances?

[@primetimepickleball]

With indoor balls, technique shouldn’t change, although you are going to have to hit the ball a bit harder to make it go further. That is the main difference. The other is that you might not be able to put the same spin on indoor balls as outdoor balls.

[@tvilla412]

I wish you showed in real time from serve to third shot

[@randallkadish5663]

I always thought I should try to hit the drop after the ball has reached its apex and is on the way down. Halle Sperre says the opposite, I should hit the drop before the ball starts to descend. What do you think?

[@primetimepickleball]

I like to hit it around the apex. The ball has slowed down considerably, and you will have the highest contact point.

[@trsbabu]

what kind of paddle are you using/playing in this video? can you post a link please.?

[@primetimepickleball]

The one in this video is the Engage Elite Pro: alnk.to/dAhU0Mj It's a great paddle however many new paddles have come out since then and we now use the Engage Encore 6.0 MX: alnk.to/aWyxiwq

[@MrScalius]

Thanks for the demo but in real game situation the ball comes fast at you. Is it exactly the same technique? How do you ensure the ball does not pop out?

[@primetimepickleball]

It is the same technique regardless of the speed. You just have to read, react and setup quicker. To limit your pop ups...practicing a lot to dial in your shot is the way.

[@vnguyen888]

Hey Jordan, thanks for the video. Is it abnormal to hit the 3rd shot drop with backspin? habit from my tennis days, i feel like i can control the drop shot better with a slicing motion

[@primetimepickleball]

Nope. I slice it a lot, especially on my backhand side. My forehand 3rd shot is hit with a lot less spin. Do whatever feels good to you, but more importantly whatever seems like is more consistent.

[@vnguyen888]

thanks Jordan!. Right now its about 80- 85% consistent where i drop a 3rd shot drop low enough in the kitchen that cant be attacked. back spin helps keeps the ball low

[@gg80108]

I think the Badger Dave Weinbach hits his that why.

[@RichardsWorld]

I was going to say the same thing. Watch how Dave Weinbach does the chip with backspin on it.

[@gordonmoog6981]

would be nice to see the serve, the return and THEN see a true 3rd shot drop executed in its squence of events

[@primetimepickleball]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@a.joseph4233]

Grip pressure would be what? Thanks

[@primetimepickleball]

Depends how hard the incoming shot is but roughly a 4 or 5 out of 10

[@a.joseph4233]

@@primetimepickleball Okay..thanks for helping

[@ScottLive1]

Hitting into the NVZ from the baseline is a lot more difficult when the ball is banged hard at you.

[@primetimepickleball]

Yes! This is why it takes a lot of practice !

[@BikerTechTC]

I'd venture to say as a former tennis player: use the same mechanic as Jordan described, always be in the ready position and prepare for the shot as soon as it leaves the opponent's paddle and keep your eyes on the ball. When hitting the ball, use the body (as Jordan also pointed out) to counter hit the ball.

[@brucehawkinson8901]

Here’s a video a little bit of what we did

[@primetimepickleball]

?

[@brucehawkinson8901]

@@primetimepickleball that was a error, I thought I had forwarded your video to someone else and commented that was a drill to do

[@wurtzi1221]

Loose the split screen. Just use a pull away shot where we can see both players.

[@gg80108]

I can get to the kitchen when I return serve, but when I hit a 3rd shot from the baseline into the kitchen, I cannot get to the kitchen to hit the dink from the opponent. Guess I'm stuck with a drive or lob return? Kinda makes sense, one has to be twice as fast when your only hitting the ball half as far. Forgot to mention I'm 70 years old two hip replacements, 3.5. I also have learned that I can overhead 90% of lobs by taking two steps back, and I let the other ones go. Those who make the less "unforced" errors wins. You don't need to make every hero shot, it's percentage or smarts that counts. Its ironic you dont notice that you might be fast enough until your 3rd shot starts going in.

[@primetimepickleball]

Hey Don, you should be able to get to the ball if you hit a good third shot drop. Unless they hit a perfect ball that drops less than a couple feet from the net, that can be a different story. You should be moving in right after you hit the ball.

[@inflxshn6175]

Follow your shot in. Driving or lobbying from the Baseline is a terrible strategy. The lob is low percentage from the Baseline and driving will only be shut down by better players taking the pace off and Landing it in the kitchen.

[@gg80108]

Jason D hitting the perfect drop and not being able to get to the kitchen seems like a terrible strategy too. You will find in old farts pickleball the lob looks better all the time, and my percentage is up to about 70% push em back to baseline. I have watched many videos, blocking into the kitchen sounds great, but I have never seen any one do it but by accident during a game. Even myself have accidentally done it.

[@jordanbriones1985]

Hey Don, if lobbing or driving the ball works against the players that you are playing, then I think that there's no reason to change what is working. If it is working, then they probably are lower level players anyways, or maybe not as mobile. It is when you play higher level players, this strategy won't usually work. Anyways, driving the 3rd shot is a good option, and as the players at the net volley the ball, the volley usually won't be as deep or might not have as much spin as their return initially had. Then you can hit a drop shot off of the 5th ball, which will likely be around mid-court, and you will be much closer to the net which will help you get to the NVZ line, which is the initial problem I believe you were having. =]

[@gg80108]

Jordan Briones Txs I also noticed something today, if I go crosscourt I have enough time, problem is that some partners run blindly to the net before I hit my shot and block that play. Guess I'll try hitting over my partner, maybe they will get the idea that they are in the way.

[@a.joseph4233]

I tried this shot this morning on the court ...am hitting the ball too long..right back to my opponent who "bangs' in back to me..

[@primetimepickleball]

Keep working at it! Try going a little lower as you cross the net. Opponents are getting better at attacking from lower contact points now. Add a little slice if you can.

[@a.joseph4233]

@@primetimepickleball Okay Jordan...thanks for helping

[@patriciakenny9976]

Hint: stop saying Okay.

[@primetimepickleball]

Answer: OKAY

[@grashew4323]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@MichaelAMcDermott]

Do you EVER Hit a Backhand?

[@primetimepickleball]

Yes, you definitely do hit backhands...many in fact.

[@MichaelAMcDermott]

@@primetimepickleball Will you post a video where you are hitting Backhands? Also, it is my experience that it is VERY difficult to Step BACKWARDS to hit a Shot, THEN try to change direction from moving Backwards to Forwards in order to advance to the Non-Volley Zone. I instruct my students to stay far enough behind the Baseline so that they are ONLY moving forward to hit the Ball... Simone Jardim covers this VERY succinctly in a Video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4m1g32AlLxmf6c

[@johnsnow3602]

When I return a serve, I’d never give a slow soft return.

[@primetimepickleball]

great!

[@terrys2735]

“As you can see, I’m really clearing the ball (I think he meant ‘clearing the NET’) by two or three feet and it’s landing short into the kitchen.” No you weren’t! You’re clearing the net by more like 9 to 15 inches each time, not by the height of the net. 😂 🤦‍♂️

[@primetimepickleball]

Thanks for the feedback