The Third Shot Drop: How to Actually Hit One
Last updated: July 2026
The shot that separates people who've played twice from people who've played fifty times.
Loosen your grip — aim for about a 3 out of 10, since a tight grip is the #1 reason drops fly long. Use a short, low-to-high swing that brushes up and under the ball rather than pushing at it, driven from your shoulder, not your wrist. Aim to arc the ball just over the net so it drops into the kitchen instead of sitting up. Speed isn't the goal here — a drop that lands low and soft in the kitchen is a good shot even if it wouldn't win a race.
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What it's actually for
The third shot drop exists because of the double bounce rule — you can't just crash the net after serving. The third shot (your team's first shot after the return of serve) is your chance to get from the baseline to the kitchen line without giving your opponents a ball they can smash. A soft, low drop into their kitchen does that: it lands too low for them to attack, and it buys you time to move up.
Grip pressure is the whole game
This is the single biggest fix for most bad drops. If you're squeezing the paddle hard, the ball comes off faster and flies long — almost every third shot drop that sails past the baseline is a grip problem, not a swing problem. Loosen up. Think somewhere around a 3 out of 10 on a tightness scale — just enough to control the paddle face, not enough to launch the ball.
The swing itself
Keep your backswing short. This isn't a shot that needs a big wind-up — a compact, low-to-high brushing motion under the ball, powered mostly by your shoulder rather than a wrist flick, gives you the touch and the arc you need. Bend your knees, get your weight forward onto the balls of your feet, and let the paddle do a gentle upward push rather than a poke.
Where you're actually aiming
You want the ball to clear the net by a small, consistent margin and drop into your opponents' kitchen before it has a chance to rise. A drop that clears the net by six feet of height is going to sit up and get smashed — you're threading a window, not lofting a rainbow. If you're netting drops, you're probably not brushing up enough. If you're sailing them long, it's almost always the grip.
How to actually get better at it
This shot is built by repetition, not by understanding the mechanics once. Feed yourself balls from mid-court and just hit drop after drop into the kitchen without worrying about a partner returning them. Once you can land 8 out of 10 in the kitchen from a stationary feed, start doing it on the move, since in a real point you're rarely hitting this shot from a clean stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my third shot drop keep going long?
Almost always grip pressure. A tight grip transfers too much energy into the ball. Loosen your hold — aim for a light grip, roughly a 3 out of 10 — and you'll see the ball start landing shorter automatically.
Should I hit a third shot drop or a drive?
It depends on the situation, but as a default while you're learning: drop unless you have a clean, low ball you can drive hard and low. A rushed drive that sits up is worse than a safe drop that buys you time to get to the net.
What's a good drill to practice the third shot drop?
Stand at the baseline and feed yourself balls (or have a partner feed you), aiming to land 8 out of 10 drops in the kitchen from a stationary position before adding movement into the drill.
Related guides
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