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3rd shot drop blueprint

3rd shot drop blueprint

Paul from Pickleball Daily
August 20, 2025

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The 4 Most Important Third Shots in Pickleball by Roscoe Bellamy Pickleball

This video from Roscoe Bellamy Pickleball provides a guide to the four most important types of third shots.

The primary goal of the third shot is to help you and your partner get to the kitchen line.

The first shot covered is the Slice Drop, a reliable shot designed to neutralize aggressive returns and buy you time.

The Roll Drop is a topspin option that adds pressure and is effective against opponents who are slow to get to the kitchen line.

A more aggressive shot is the Drip, which is a hybrid between a drive and a drop, hit with about 40% power to land short and low at your opponent's feet.

The Drive is used not to hit a winner, but to set up an easier fifth shot.

The video also shares targeting and strategy principles, such as targeting the weaker player and never rushing the kitchen after a poor third shot.

A key tip is to use your serve to set up an ideal third shot by forcing the return you want.

Key Points:

Slice Drop: A reliable shot to neutralize aggressive returns and buy time.
Roll Drop: An effective topspin option against slow opponents.
Drip: A hybrid shot used to catch opponents off guard in transition.
Drive: Used to set up an easier fifth shot, not to hit a winner.
Targeting: Target the weaker player and use your serve to set up your third shot.

Watch the full tutorial here.

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