When hearing from Pickleball coaches or reading books about Pickleball strategies, it is often professed that the third shot drop shot is the “gold standard” of play.

What that means is that after the serve, the opposing team returns serve and the serving team should then drop the ball into the non-volley zone (the kitchen). This is a good strategy for many occasions, but it is also a hard shot to make repeatedly without much practice.

Another point to consider is that the opposing team might “catch” on to this ploy and begin to move up on the ball.

Having a variety of third shot options might help. Deb Harrison’s Pickleball Tip Bit (video below) offers some ideas in this area.