3rd Shot Drop vs. Drive: Which to use and WHEN?

ThatPickleballSchool

Hey guys, it’s Kyle from ThatPickleballSchool.

The third shot of the rally—the serve is the first, the return is the second, and then comes the third. The legendary General Sun Tzu said, “Victorious warriors win first then go to war; defeated warriors go to war then seek to win.”

General Sun Tzu

My friend Tyler shared this quote with me, and it got me thinking: how does this relate to your game? Too often I’d get into a point and try to win without any sort of plan. I need intent—so whether I’m driving or dropping, I react with a why, not just hit and hope.

Planning with Intent

Most players go in without intent, which makes sense if you’ve never played before—you won’t recognize patterns or know what intent looks like. This article helps you establish intent so you win more games. Players who “win first, then go to battle” are the ones who rack up wins.

Attack Where Your Opponent Is Weak

It’s not just “drop or drive?” It’s “be strong where your opponent is weak.” If your opponent’s return is short and bounces high, drive it. A short, high return puts them on the move and off balance. A volley on the move is challenging—but you could also mix in an aggressive drop and still be effective.

Identifying Specific Weaknesses

If you’ve already driven a couple balls and they keep dumping them into the net or mishitting along the line, they struggle with pace and power—so keep driving. But always consider personnel: who are you, and who are they? If your drive is weak, lean on your drop. Attack where they’re weak and where you’re strongest.

Leveraging Your Strengths

For a long time, my drive was poor, so I rarely used it. I stuck with my drop because I was more confident hitting it consistently. Your decision process should factor in your comfort zone. If you’re strongest on roll drops cross-court, use that. If you’ve driven every ball, mix in a drop to catch them off guard.

Unpredictability and Certainty

Confidence comes from certainty. If you drop 100 percent of your balls, opponents know exactly what you’ll do. To make them weaker, be unpredictable. Drive a few, then drop one. Keep them guessing.

Exploiting Fourth-Shot Weakness

Another scenario: if one player struggles on the fourth shot—after your drop or drive—bomb your drop to their side so you can capitalize on the kitchen advantage. Getting to the kitchen line unpressured is your biggest edge.

Recognizing Stacking and Positioning

When opponents stack (figure 1)—shifting one partner to their stronger side—you must recognize it and punish their vulnerability with your strongest shot. (see my article that explains stacking here).

Putting It All Together

It’s not simply “drop or drive?” It’s understanding patterns: be strong where they’re weak and where you’re strong. The game will ask many questions; build a toolbox of responses so you execute with intent.

Takeaways for Beginners

Beginners struggle with when to drop versus drive—especially tennis converts. To avoid those mistakes, check out my article on the seven mistakes tennis players make when transitioning to pickleball.

Remember Sun Tzu: “Victorious warriors win first then go to war.” Establish your plan, know your strengths and your opponent’s weaknesses, and you’ll win more matches.

Think you know pickleball inside and out? Challenge yourself with ThatPickleball IQ Test and see if you can score a perfect 10 out of 10! 

Related Articles: 

How to Choose a Pickleball Paddle 

How to Play Pickleball: Easy-to-Follow Guide