A third shot can decide whether your team earns the kitchen line or spends the rally defending from the baseline. That is why the best pickleball drills for thirds focus on more than simply getting the ball over the net. They teach you to control height, depth, pace, and your movement forward after contact.
For most recreational and competitive players, the goal is not a perfect winner. It is a ball that prevents the return team from attacking while giving you time to move through the transition zone. At Around The Post Pickleball, our certified instructors see the same pattern across beginner clinics and 4.0-level training: players improve faster when they practice the third shot with a clear target, a realistic return, and a defined next-ball decision.
Start With the Right Third-Shot Goal
The third shot is usually played by the serving team after the return of serve. Because the returning team should already be near the non-volley zone line, they hold the early positional advantage. Your job is to take some of that advantage away.
A third-shot drop is the traditional answer. It lands softly in or near the opponent’s kitchen, encouraging a neutral dink rather than a hard volley. A third-shot drive is a lower, faster ball aimed at a safe target, often at the opponent’s body, dominant hip, or backhand side. A good drive can force a weak block or create a fifth-shot drop.
The right choice depends on the return. A deep, high return may favor a drop. A shorter ball, a slower opponent, or a predictable gap can make a drive worthwhile. The mistake is treating either option as automatic. Strong players read the ball first, then choose the shot with the highest percentage.
1. Crosscourt Third-Shot Drop to a Target
Place a flat marker, cone, or towel just inside the opposite kitchen, roughly two to three feet from the sideline and kitchen line. One player serves, receives a deep return, and hits a crosscourt third-shot drop toward the target. The returner catches the ball after one bounce or blocks it gently back if the drill is advanced.
Crosscourt is the best place to begin because it gives you more court, a lower net in the middle, and a safer margin for error. Focus on sending the ball up with shape, not stabbing at it. The ball should clear the net comfortably, then descend into the kitchen.
Run sets of 10 balls from each side. Count a success only if the ball lands in the kitchen without sitting high enough for an easy attack. If it lands short, it may still be playable, but it has not met the drill’s target. This distinction matters because vague repetition creates vague improvement.
2. Deep Return, Drop, and Advance
A third-shot drop without forward movement is only half a drill. In live play, the serving team needs to recognize when the ball has bought enough time to advance.
Start with one player serving and staying near the baseline. The opponent returns deep. The server drops crosscourt, then takes two to four controlled steps forward while the opponent sends a cooperative dink back. Continue until both players reach the kitchen and begin a dink exchange.
The key is timing. Do not sprint through the transition zone while your drop is still rising. Watch the opponent’s contact. If they are reaching down for a low ball, move forward. If the ball sits up and they can volley aggressively, split step and prepare to defend.
This drill builds a habit that wins points: third-shot quality and court position must work together. A beautiful drop that leaves you frozen at the baseline does not fully solve the problem.
3. Third-Shot Drive at the Body
Many players drive too close to the sideline, where a small miss becomes an unforced error. This drill teaches a more reliable target: the area around the returner’s torso or inside shoulder.
Have the returner stand at the kitchen line with paddle ready. After a deep return, the server drives the third ball firmly but under control toward the returner’s body. The returner blocks the ball back into play rather than counterattacking at full speed. The server then works to hit a fifth-shot drop or a controlled reset from the next ball.
A productive drive should be low, directed, and difficult to clear cleanly. It is not a wild attempt to overpower someone. If you can hit the drive with 70 percent pace and keep it below net height at the opponent, you will often receive a more manageable ball than you would after a harder, riskier swing.
Practice from both sides of the court. The forehand drive may feel easier, but a dependable backhand drive is valuable when the return pulls you wide or lands at your feet.
4. Drop-or-Drive Decision Drill
This is one of the best pickleball drills for third shots because it trains the decision, not just the stroke. You need three players, although a fourth player can make it more game-like.
The server feeds or serves. The returner varies the depth and height of the return without announcing the choice. A deep return near the baseline calls for a drop; a shorter or floating return can invite a drive. The player hitting the third must call out “drop” or “drive” before contact, then execute it.
The call forces recognition. Was the ball below net height? Were you moving backward? Is the returner balanced and waiting for speed? Those clues should guide the choice.
After each set of eight to 10 balls, discuss the decisions, not only the misses. A well-chosen drop that lands slightly too deep is a technical adjustment. A reckless drive into a prepared player’s forehand is a strategic adjustment. Players who can separate those two issues make faster progress.
5. Third Shot to a Live Kitchen Opponent
Target drills create touch. Live opponents create honesty.
Set up with the return team at the kitchen line. The serving team hits a third-shot drop, and the receiving team is allowed to volley or dink naturally. Play the point out, but give the serving team a bonus point whenever both players reach the kitchen line before the receiving team attacks.
This scoring gives the drill a purpose beyond simply winning the rally. It rewards the actual mission of the third shot: neutralize the advantage, move forward, and join the point from a balanced position.
Start with cooperative play if your group is newer. As skill rises, allow the return team to attack any ball that lands high, short, or too deep. Players quickly learn that the margin for a usable drop is narrower than it seems, especially against opponents with active hands.
6. Transition Reset After a Missed Drop
Not every third shot will be ideal. The players who improve most are not the ones who never hit a poor ball. They are the ones who know what to do next.
In this drill, deliberately hit or feed a third-shot drop that lands too deep or rises slightly high. The receiving player volleys to the transition zone. The serving player must reset the ball softly into the kitchen from wherever they are standing, then continue forward only when the next ball allows it.
This is a demanding drill, especially for players who want to rush the line. It teaches balance, soft hands, and discipline under pressure. A reset from the transition zone can turn a shaky third shot into a neutral point. Trying to force a winner from a compromised position usually turns a recoverable error into a lost rally.
7. Third-Shot Games to 11
Finish training with a constrained game. Play to 11, but every rally begins with a serve and return. The serving team earns two points for winning a rally after a third-shot drop or drive that meets the intended target. They earn one point for any other rally win. The returning team scores normally.
You can also add a rule that the serving team loses a point for a third-shot error into the net or beyond the baseline. That consequence encourages smart margins without making players timid.
Keep the format competitive, but rotate partners and opponents often. Different playing styles reveal different third-shot challenges. A tall, aggressive volleyer may demand a softer drop. A quick player with a strong backhand counter may make a body drive less effective. The drill should prepare you for those adjustments, not lock you into one pattern.
How Often Should You Train Third Shots?
For players trying to make measurable gains, dedicate 15 to 25 minutes of each practice session to third-shot work. Begin with controlled repetitions, then add movement and live decision-making. Hitting 100 identical drops may build feel, but it will not fully prepare you for a deep slice return, an awkward backhand, wind, nerves, or an opponent waiting to attack.
Quality matters more than volume. Track where your misses go. If most drops find the net, give yourself more arc and use your legs. If they sail deep, soften your grip pressure and shorten the forward push. If your drives are routinely countered, lower the target or reconsider when you are choosing speed.
The third shot becomes dependable when it stops feeling like a specialty shot and starts feeling like a repeatable sequence: read the return, select the right ball, create a difficult contact, and move with purpose. Practice that sequence with intent, and your team will spend far more rallies where pickleball is won – together at the kitchen line.