Pickleball drop shot defense is a critical part of the game. You need to play exceptional defense against good players to advance to the 3.5+ level.
Advanced players will use drop shots to move through the transition zone to the kitchen line.
A well-executed shot that lands just over the net and into the kitchen signifies success for them, allowing them to move forward.
Hold Your Position
In the illustration below a drop shot is hit to the outside of the court at the backhand side of the defensive player.
Defensively, it’s crucial to maintain your position at the kitchen line and volley back any reachable drop shots above the net directly at the offensive player’s feet.
Never back up to let the ball bounce if you can volley it back. Stay alert, as aggressive offensive players may rush the net if they see a dropping shot.
They are looking for a mistake where you lift or popup your volley, making it attackable.
Volley Back the Third Shot Attempt
This is a critical moment and the pressure is on. If the drop shot is not great, is reachable and above the net, respond with a forceful smash or volley.
Always aim this shot down at your opponent’s feet.
For a good drop shot that you can’t put away, if you can reach it use a volley shot. If you see either player not advancing quickly, volley it back at the opponent further back.
If both players are advancing, volley the shot across the court and at the feet of the more distant player and not to the one right in front of you.
As you advance and see the court better, you will get better at this.
If you are volleying back a shot with an upward motion and your opponents are close to the net, this is what they are looking for. You need to judge if they are far enough back to execute this type of shot and land it in front of them.
These techniques and defensive pressure keep the offensive players back and at bay and it challenges them to execute a precise drop shot to advance.
If you have to play a dropping ball with an upward motion and your opponents have advanced quickly, use a volley dink shot to softly drop a response just over the net. This counters your opponent’s expectation of an underhand return volley that is popped up.
A volley dink shot is just a soft dink shot hit in the air before it bounces. You are trying to volley the dink shot back just over the net. If possible, hit this shot cross court and away from the player in front of you.
In summary, you have the advantage, make the offense work hard to get to the kitchen line.
Keep them back and don’t give up any ground by backing up.
Drop Shot Defense Mistake -Backing Up
In the illustration below a third shot drop is hit to the outside of the court at the backhand of the defender. The defender isn’t confident to play a volley shot or dink back and they backup from the kitchen line.
As mentioned, always hold your position at the kitchen line and volley the drop shot if you can. Many players make the mistake of backing up when a drop shot comes their way.
This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in pickleball.
When you back up, it’s usually because you’re uncertain whether the drop shot will land in front of you or if you can reach it for an effective volley.
Backing up takes you out of an offensive position and gives your opponents the advantage.
At this point, you’re like a deer in the headlights—focused on the drop shot and unsure of your next move. Backing up might seem like the safer choice, giving you time to adjust and make a more controlled return, but it usually results in losing control of the point.
When you are at the kitchen line, mentally prepare to stay there when you see a drop shot heading your way. Staying committed and ready to volley will help you keep your advantage and keep the pressure on your opponents.
Your Opponents Will Take Advantage
Once your opponent notices you’re allowing the ball to bounce on their drop shot, they’ll advance to the kitchen line. They will do this even when their shot isn’t that great because they know they have more time to advance.
If you let it bounce, a high bounce might let you drive the ball successfully, but if it’s near net height or lower, you risk driving it into the net or out of bounds.
Even if you hit a decent shot off the bounce, your opponents are advancing quickly to the kitchen line now and are ready for anything coming their way above the net.
If the drop shot is good and does drop into the kitchen, you may be able to dink it back without moving or you may have to back up a bit and adjust to dink it back. This is the only time you should adjust a little backwards.
Maintaining your position at the kitchen line will involve hitting backhand volleys from the kitchen line as your opponents will be targeting your backhand with their third shot drop.
This is a tough shot, and you will hit a lot of these into the net as you start to play against more advanced players, as they continuously hit good drop shots to your backhand.Â
You need to practice this backhand volley shot a lot and use it effectively to advance in pickleball beyond the 3.5 level.
Summary of Pickleball Drop Shot Defense
In summary, don’t backup to defend against a drop shot unless absolutely necessary.
Stay positioned and learn to reach volley the shot back at your opponent’s feet.
If you learn to stay at the kitchen line and volley drop shots back, this one action will significantly improve your game, especially against good players.
Watch Ben Johns Backhand Roll shot
Video courtesy of Ben Johns
Watch Ben Johns video on the Pickleball backhand roll shot on Youtube.