Basic Third Shot Drop -- Building A Solid Foundation 

Great video. Agree...bowling analogy will stick in my head (and I'm not a bowler!). Thank you for clear, concise info on technique.

five years in, and still learning every day. You are terrific, as a player and as an instructor. Thank you!

This is the best video on RU-vid on third shot drops. Thank you!

Love your videos. You explain the 3rd shot drop so well and I'm in a clinic now and I like your drop better. Thanks so much

It is so kind of you to take the time to help others by responding to their questions! You are a great ambassador for the game. Thank you Sarah, and continued success!

Beginner here. Sarah, you have a super-effective coaching style. Love the 'upfront' instruction followed by the demo, which you slow down at the right spot so we can actually see you doing what you just talked about. Very effective. Just subbed. Thanks. Rgds from Kelowna, BC!

Excellent description and then demo. I'm new to PB and this helps a lot. Thanks Sarah!

Thank you Sarah, found this to be very helpful. Only video I have watch that has really improved my Third Shot drop. You make it look so easy

I have watched this video at least three times. The more I play the more your videos make sense. This week I am going to pay more attention to my body position as I hit the third shot. Thanks.

Thanks for the instructions. I have been struggling with the 3rd shot sending floaters that are crushed for winners. This really helps with paddle and foot positions. A lot of PB videos on YT and I found this to be the most helpful especially for someone who has been playing seriously for several months and having issues with this shot.

Wow! What consistency! Not often the demo portion is as consistently exactly what the instructor is telling you to do. Her (your) demos are really helping me out. I've played for 5 weeks now, and I really want to step up my game. (right after posting this I saw she has a video on dinking consistency. Who better?)

Excellent video! As a new player there is so much to learn and it can be difficult to decide on what the practice focus should be . . . definitely going to add this in!!

Sarah - love your teaching style and I have watched this video 3 times and still keep learning. You explain things simply and demonstrate perfectly. Thank you so much!!

Solid Tips for a Solid Foundation. Wow, Sarah, well said. As a tennis instructor, I am playing pickleball once a week at the YMCA and kind of researching the sport to bring it to the club where I teach. Like in tennis, that 3rd shot is so critical. You really stayed focus on your points, not getting sidetracked with the backhand approach (3rd shot). You started and finished with the same tips and really demonstrated exactly what you were saying. I noticed that you make contact in line with your right leg/hip which leads to a solid, well-balanced hit. I like the use of your non-dominant hand lending to well-maintained body posture and balance. On a side-note, I noticed that I have the same paddle as you, I think. Mine is a pro-lite/Magnum XP, like yours, but it's blue. This is my first paddle to purchase. I've only been playing since around Thanksgiving last year. I'm a 5.0 tennis player, new to the sport. I was thinking of getting a new paddle, maybe an upgrade. Do you think that is wise or do you think the paddle I have is sufficient? I know this is a tricky question because you've never seen me play. I'm now thinking if it's good enough (quality/performance) for you that it's sufficient for me. Thanks in advance. Keep up the great instruction.

Love the detail in your instruction. Thank you for your thoroughness.

Wow Sarah! I'm so glad I found your videos. I've been playing for several months now and looking for drills and tips. I loved how you explained the non-dominant leg step forward with full arm movement and compared it to a bowling motion. That never occurred to me and it makes so much sense. I'm a pretty decent bowler. I can't wait to play again and keep that motion in mind. I suspect I do a lot of off balance and forearm only movement. thanks very much. new subscriber

Any time the instructor breaks it down like this it's easy to grasp. I'm always in favor of showing what I'm talking about. That way everything syncs together and becomes lucid. Great video!

Great instruction! Thank you---Sarah!

Thanks Sarah for the simple explanation covering the basics like you explained. It is a difficult task to try and master but works like a charm when it's executed the right way. I love the way you break it down to with regards to the arm, elbow, and body positioning. There is so much that goes into it!

The absolute best video on the third shot. Thanks I am glad I have found this channel.

Excellent instruction and then demonstrating it consistently - you make this difficult shot look easy.. Thanks Sarah!

I'm a beginner and today was my first game at the YMCA. I will be viewing your videos for more tips to improve my game. Thank you for sharing your technique, it was very helpful and simple to understand.

Excellent demonstration. Very helpful. Thanks a lot for doing this.

Sarah, many thanks, I always love your teaching. I hope to make to one of your camps sometime.

Excellent video - best one I’ve seen on pickleball technique- please make more!

This is a great lesson. Thanks for the video! Coach David

I enjoyed this video, he makes a lot of good points about the 3rd shot, the way I teach this shot is to take it as a half-volley right off of the bounce , this allows you to get to the net a lot quicker, and it is my experience it is just as easy to learn if not easier, other than that I think he did a good job explaining things, his split step is quite good, some players forget that the split step is never static, he shows how the split step is only used to change positions quickly and never be Static. Good Job.

Thanks much, new to this but find it a lot of fun. Your videos are well done and informative.

You are awesome-finally starting to understand this shot!

Instruction with clear detail... the best

Excellent! Great detail!

Great tip and I will put that into practice.

My favorite video of yours yet Sarah 👍🏻

Great display of footwork and split step

Great instruction! Thanks

Great Video. This is very helpful. Thanks...

Excellent teaching, thanks.

Thank you very much. Still works today. Enjoy.

I like this video because of the really methodical breakdown of the mechanics of the shot and also getting to see the shot from different angles. I got slightly distracted during the far view because the camera was moving around a bit tho.

Terrific instructional tips, thanks! New subscriber!

Thanks, Sarah This really breaks down the fundamentals(accent on the 'mental'), and demo shows how it works in real time. Can we agree to call this the 'transition shot'? It doesnt always happen on the 3rd,5th,7th, etc and can be used by both teams-not just the Server. Subscribed-keep 'em coming!

great video!

Soo helpful, thank you!

Fantastic. Thank you

Just found your channel. You are very good at explaining how body positioning affects the hit. I hope you are still playing.😎

Excellent video! Simple and concise in explanation. All one needs to do is adopt the same technique, then simply practice, practice and practice. Before I ever played my first came of Pickleball I would practice with a bucket of balls using the same technique. Now I find I can hit or place 80% of my drop shots on a consistent basis. Mastering the drop shot has allowed me to reset the point many times when I get into a slam fest I know I can't win. Thanks for taking the time to make the video. I'll be sharing it with my group and hopefully the "light" will come on, that this is not as hard a shot as people make it out to be.

Thank you Sarah so much for this drill! I discovered you and your drills when you visited Fort Collins, CO in June, 2016. I have since been watching all your drills. Wishing you the very best in all your endeavors! Thanks again.

Wow! You're fast responding. I'm impressed. That for the extra insight. Will definitely improve my game. Cheers.

Beginner, but learning fast. Thanks for the instruction.

i will try to do it looks easy thank you

Thanks for the informative video. A++

Most helpful Third Shot video I've seen. Keep up the good work

Great video.

clear and helpful

Nice got to master the drop and drive 💪

KEEP DOING VIDEOS! EXCELLENT!!

I agree that this is the best Third Shot Drop Video on You Tube. I do have one question and that is high high is the apex of the shot (at its peak). Thanks

very nice!!

Bowling analogy just sparked a huge lightbulb

Thanks

Do you have a book you recommend for mental strength ?

Thank-you Sarah, Rick Marshall

Question what kind of shoes are you wearing? They look comfortable. the Ball of my feet hurt

If you could only have two of the three Ps, which would they be? Also why would you choose them?

My third shot is the worst part of my game. Thanks Sarah!

Can you share more drills video???

Hi Sarah. Paul from Canada here 🇨🇦 Another awesome video with great tips. Couple of questions. Weight transfer is an essential part of success no matter what the sport whether it's tennis, PB, golf, baseball and so on. You refer to" moving your weight forward" when executing the 3sd and I can see it in your demos. When I hit the ball should it feel as if most of my weight is on my leading foot? If I move forward too quickly and have too much weight it may cause a timing issue. Is there a "rule of thumb"? Second question. You paddle seems to be more paddle pointing down as opposed to parallel to the ground with a "wrinkle in the wrist". Is this personal preference?

Sarah: Thanks for the informative video. However I didn’t hear you mention the grip. It seems like the continental grip is awkward to use on that shot as it requires you to turn your wrist about 90 degrees to the right to keep the paddle level. What grip should be used for that shot?Thanks, Bill

The return 3rd shot into the opponent's kitchen, for me, is the most difficult shot in all of pickle ball. I simply don't have the skill level to pull it off with any consistency, even with repeated practice. My most effective 3rd shot is a deep lob to the opponent's base line, which gives me the time to set at the no-volley line.

When would you use this shot? Why would you want to bring your opponent into kitchen line? thxs, great instruction

When u instruct put yourself on the proper place on court, helps us visual learners

I didn’t understand the value of being able to do this rather difficult shot. Could it be that after the serve is returned that the other side has already made it up to the non-volley line?

Sarah great video, how long did it take for you to learn the shot?

I am ready to hit a third drop shot against big and tall opponents by the kitchen line. I get intimidated by the size of the big wall and I feel that if my third drop shot is slightly higher than I meant to hit, then they are going to nail me. How do I approach this kind of situations?

What is optimal height (at apex) for this shot? Links to other sites didn't work for me

5

I have been working sooooooooo hard on this shot, and I am still struggling. I've watched your video many, many, many times, and it appears like it should be easy enough. When using the underhand technique, as in your video, my balls are going way too high, and if my ball ends up too deep in the kitchen, I'm getting killed. I've tried holding my paddle more to the side as in a ground stoke, and then my trajectory is too flat, and the ball ends up in the net. Are you hitting the ball from "underneath", with a flat paddle? My confusion is the angle of the paddle so that I get the correct trajectory. PLEASE HELP!!!! I am so frustrated. Thank you.

Aloha Sarah! This is wonderful precise instruction. Thanks so much. What I'm finding is that many players are getting so good at receiving the Third Shot Drop (now that it's popular and in most PB players' repertoire)...they can stretch out and volley it really well before it lands in the kitchen or they can even drive it. Sometimes I think I've placed a really great third shot, and boom! It comes back and I'm not expecting it. Any thoughts on this?

Yup, decent. Where's the advanced vids on doing this with back, top, high speed etc.?

I am confused by the third shot. Serve #1 shot. Run to the net. Return #2 shot.Im at the net on the third shot.

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ Pickleball

IMO the third shot drop is only good shot if you can hit it good enough that it don't bounce too high. If it bounces too high the guys I play with able to put it away with authority and even if you get your paddle on it most likely it's easier put away if it makes it over the net. I have found I only drop ball if the player/players has made it to the no volley line, if he/she in the back court or in no mans land I hit third shot deep to keep him back while I take control of the net. being tennis player for 40 years it's hard for me to draw or allow the opponents to take control of the net. Thanks for the fundamentals of the drop shot, probably the least practice shot?

Informative video but if I can add something. Camera work could be better. Pan out so we can watch everything, and less movement of the camera.

Pickleball as you never seen before ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gUjIvNlCpbM.html

or

3 THINGS that can happen on the third shot drop, and 2 are bad.Hitting it SHORT not going over net,or long and easy smash. I rather keep the ball in PLAY and wait for better chance to DINK. DOMINIC GRILLO DUNEDIN FL

Over 200K views on a pickleball video is quite impressive.

not...third shot hard at their feet is where the numbers indicate

nah i disagree. it makes a high bounce return that is a disadvantage

Same mistake as other amateurs, two minutes of nothing... then starts to get to the point....

Working your way to net is NOT good! You either get there or you don't. Against high-level competition, you will get clobbered if you are caught in "no-man's land". Get up there ofrstay back!

so boring my goodness get to the point

This video was far too long and complicated for a " basic" shot.