Developing a good third shot drop strategy is an important aspect of advancing to the 3.5+ skill level in pickleball. As your drop shot improves and you have more confidence in yourself and your partner you can start to position your shot where it will be the most challenging for your opponents to play.
In many cases, this means hitting your drop shot towards the backhand positioned on the outside of the court. This is a difficult shot because you risk hitting it out of bounds, but the shot will be needed as you advance your game.
The best play is to hit your drop shot to the backhand of the opponent in front of your partner. Your partner should expect this and can move in more quickly than you to the net because they aren’t hitting the shot, you are.
Targeting the Third Shot Drop
In the illustration below a third shot drop is hit to the outside of the court at the backhand side of the defensive opponent in front of your partner.
In this scenario:
1. You aim at the backhand of the opponent in front of your partner. This will be the most difficult for them to return.
2. Your partner watches your drop shot and moves in with you quickly if it is dropping. You are now both looking for a popup mistake you can put away.
Another approach is to hit the drop shot to the opponent directly in front of you.
You may be better positioned to do this, or your partner may be weaker or just not experienced enough to move in on your drop shots hit in front of them.
Aim at the backhand of the opponent right in front of you. This will be the most difficult for your opponent to return. Watch your shot if it is dropping and looks good move in and look for a mistake popup from your opponent.
Summary
As you get better at it, and more confident, start positioning your drop shot in more difficult positions for your opponents to handle.