Third Shot Drop Technique

What it's for

A neutral, controlled set-up shot that stays low and lets you lean in to take the next ball out of the air.

How

• Lock the wrist.
• Use the arm as a lever.
• Extend the bottom edge of the paddle towards the target.

Slice forehand dink, front view. Watch the firm wrist and the low finish.

• Its value is time: the extra distance gives more reaction time against drives and power shots.
• For beginners it is a defensive position: further from the net, more upward shots, less control.
• Serve and return deep and consistently to push opponents back, then use a controlled third shot, either a drop to get to the kitchen or a drive to pressure them.
• Stay balanced for fast exchanges, and don't stay back too long after a good third shot.

Staying back is sensible in three cases.

Right after serving

The two-bounce rule makes you wait.

Against hard drives

Opponents keep attacking your third shot with hard drives: a step back buys reaction time.

After a poor third shot

Your third shot sat up: retreat rather than walk into an aggressive volley.

Sources give different starting points for the space between partners.

Roughly 6–8 feet apart

A starting point for most recreational players, adjusted for reach and reflexes, to cover the court without leaving a gap down the middle.

Two feet closer to the centre

At the kitchen line, stand roughly two feet closer to the centre than feels natural. It shrinks the seam down the middle and allows quicker help on speed-ups.

About a metre apart

When advancing in sync after the third shot, partners move up about a metre apart.

Sources give two starting spots for the server’s partner.

A: Near the kitchen line

The server’s partner stands near the kitchen line on their own side. That gives one player at the net and one at the baseline, and the serving team then aims to get the server forward after the third shot. Detail from one source: about 1–1.5 feet (0.3–0.5 m) behind the kitchen line, roughly a large step inside the sideline, angled slightly towards the middle, paddle at chest height, mirrored on the left. Taller players can shade a little deeper, shorter players a little closer.

B: Deeper, wait for the bounce

The serving team starts deeper because the return must bounce, so the server’s partner shouldn’t rush forward before that bounce.

The sources differ. Both options are shown; the choice is for the coach.

Option A: one grip for everything

Use the continental grip for every shot, so no grip changes are needed. It lets you switch between forehand and backhand instantly, and most advanced players use it for fast reactions.

Option B: change grip by situation

The best players change grip from shot to shot. Many high-level players wait at the baseline in an eastern grip, to take as many returns as possible on the forehand, then switch to continental as they move to the net, where drops, resets, dinks and blocks are more likely. On the backhand, continental for dinks, drops and blocks; rotate to an eastern backhand only to drive or add topspin.

If you teach switching: learning steps

Master one grip at a time. Try each in different situations. Practise switching in sessions. Match the grip to how the ball is moving.

Move away from continental when you want to drive flat or hit topspin more easily.

• A balanced base that allows lateral movement and adjustment steps.
• Paddle in front but lower than at the kitchen.
• Avoid committing to a forehand or backhand before the ball is struck.

Serve with a step forward, side view. Watch the step forward as the swing goes through.

• Step into the serve to make it faster and harder to return.
• Keep the swing loose and carry it all the way through.
• Finish balanced, ready for the third shot.

Advanced drop, front view. Watch the balance and the upward swing.

• Same soft-shot mechanics as the dink, hit from about twice as far from the net: more arc, more arm commitment and more careful pace control.
• Set up behind the baseline with weight slightly forward on the balls of the feet. If the return pulls you wide or short, reset your feet first.
• A semi-closed stance with one foot slightly forward, shifting weight smoothly from the back foot to the front foot.
• Meet the ball as it begins to fall from its highest point, in front of the body, with the face slightly open.

• A reset is normally hit without letting the ball bounce.
• Hard volleys don’t need help from the arm: hold the paddle out and let the ball meet it.

• A roll volley is a topspin volley for a ball dropping into the awkward zone around the knees or lower, where a flat punch would pop up or go wide.
• Dip the paddle head below the ball before contact so you can brush upward and create topspin, which keeps the ball from floating. Meet the ball out in front rather than letting it get beside or past you.
• Aim at the opponent’s feet: topspin pulls the ball down so it lands in or just past the kitchen and dives at whoever is at the line. It is a placement shot that uses spin, not a full-pace crosscourt hit.

Roll volley, forehand. The paddle starts low, then rises through the ball and finishes high.

Roll volley, backhand. The paddle is taken out to the side and finishes with the arm extended.

• Drives come mostly from midcourt or the baseline, on higher balls, and carry medium to high risk.
• Drives suit situations where the opponent gives you a short or high ball, you want to speed up and catch them off guard, or you see a chance to force an error or set up the next shot.

From the baseline

There is room for a bigger backswing and a freer wrist, especially with topspin.

In the transition zone

Shorten the swing, lock the wrist and rely on the elbow, core and legs.

What it's for

An aggressive dink to create openings and unsettle opponents. It backfires if forced, so choose the right ball, for example a dead dink.

How

• Keep the motion simple.
• Push with the legs and lock the wrist.
• Brush up behind the ball with the shoulders.
• Lean in after contact.

Topspin roll dink, front view. Watch the legs drive up and the paddle brush the ball.

• Balls arrive too low to attack comfortably and too high to dink cleanly.
• Opponents' angles increase and your mechanics suffer on the move.
• For beginners, most mistakes happen here: balls at the feet, awkward half-volleys and little time to react.
• Pass through with purpose, using a split step to reset your balance mid-movement.

• Moving to the kitchen is part of the return itself: the feet start moving as the paddle makes contact.
• If you can’t get there before the third shot, split-step just before they hit instead of sprinting on. Stopping and reading is more reliable.

Move as a unit

Stay roughly level with your partner and shift together, as if joined by a rope, both up or both back.

Protect the danger area

Positioning is about protecting the highest-probability danger area, not mirroring. If your partner is pulled wide or under pressure, compress towards the middle. Structure beats symmetry.

Sources give different receiving depths.

2–3 feet behind the baseline

Standing too close makes deep serves hard to handle and removes your forward weight transfer at contact.

A foot or two behind

Standing a foot or two behind costs little against the rare short serve, because you have time to move up. Move forward only when you see a short serve coming.

Adjust to the server

Stand near the centre of the baseline and adjust: step back against deep servers, creep inside the baseline against weaker ones. The aim is for the expected serve to land in front of you.

Continental

‘Hammer’: the all-rounder

How to hold

V on top of the handle, slightly towards the backhand side.

Gives

Instant forehand–backhand switching; excellent control for dinks, drops and resets; suits serves and volleys, and players who vary spin and angles.

Costs

A little less forehand power than eastern.

Eastern

‘Shake hands’

How to hold

Palm on the same bevel as the paddle face, the V more centred.

Gives

More forehand power and leverage; natural for beginners.

Costs

Topspin is harder; wide or low backhands can feel awkward.

Western

Rare: intermediate and advanced players

How to hold

Not described in the notes.

Gives

Maximum power and topspin.

Costs

The backhand is its biggest weakness: it struggles with low balls and slice, and many players end up hitting reverse forehands.

• Lower your centre of mass to protect the feet.
• Get the paddle in front before the opponent hits.
• Use soft elbows and hands for blocks and resets.
• Split-step or settle as the opponent hits.
• Don't let the paddle drift behind you.

Advanced serve motion, side view. Watch the whole body move through the ball.

Advanced serve motion, front view. Watch the swing path and the finish.

Advanced serve motion

• Swing from the shoulder with a pendulum swing, not a flick of the wrist or a bend of the elbow.
• Keep it loose with a small backswing and swing all the way through.
• Make contact out in front, close to the paddle-side waist, so you can use more of your body for power.
• Move through the ball without losing balance, and finish balanced for the third shot.

• It peaks around the transition zone.
• It clears the net by about 1-3 feet.
• It drops into the kitchen with a low, skidding bounce that forces the opponents to lift the ball.
• Aim for the middle or back third of the kitchen, about 3-4 feet inside the line. A drop near the line sits up close to the net and is easy to attack, so deeper is better than targeting the front edge by default.
• Check it, beginner benchmark: by week 4, a soft, lifted drop landing in the kitchen 4 of 10 times.

Reset

A defensive shot under pressure, often from mid-court or deeper, in response to an attack. It is damage control.

Dink

A neutral or offensive shot from the kitchen line in a controlled exchange. It is rally control.

• Both are soft shots into the kitchen, but their intent differs.

• A ball at the knees or lower is the awkward zone: a flat punch would pop up or go wide. The roll volley is one answer to it (see Roll volley).
• In both clips the knees bend to get the body down to the ball.
• The paddle drops low to meet the ball out in front, then comes back up to ready.

Low volley, forehand side. Watch the knees bend and the paddle drop to the ball.

Low volley, backhand side. Watch the body lower and the paddle return to ready.

• Vary the power of the drive. A low, slower drive can be harder to volley than a full-power one, and buys time to move up the court.

90%: Baseline drive

A “90%” drive from the baseline to overwhelm the opponent.

60%: Drive at an opponent in mid-court

A “60%” drive aimed at their feet to make them hit up.

30%: Close to the net, or keeping it low

A “30%” drive when you are close to the net or need to keep it low and controlled.

What it's for

Advanced. Intercept the opponent's dink out of the air and redirect it into their kitchen, only when it's easy.

How

• Paddle tip out, arm straight.
• Push from the shoulder.

• Players there volley balls above the net tape downwards, cut off angles and put pressure on every opponent shot to clear the net precisely.
• You take the ball earlier, control the pace and win most points.
• The court is small and the non-volley zone rule stops you volleying from inside the kitchen, so the strategic centre sits close to the net.
• When you and your partner both hold it, opponents must hit upwards.

• In doubles, both partners advance together after the drop.
• Split-step together as the opponents hit.
• Keep going if the drop was low and unattackable.

• Stacking lets each player play their preferred side: both start in the same half, then switch after the serve or return.
• It keeps the strongest forehand in the middle.

Stacking on serve

The server stands near the centre line on the correct service side. The partner stands behind them on the same side, behind the baseline or just off the court so the return can’t hit them. After the serve lands, both slide to their preferred sides and work forward to the kitchen together.

Stacking on the return

Either switch after returning, or stay so the returner moves diagonally to the net. An off-court “step on” stops the net player blocking the returner’s view. Use a signal with your partner.

Set-up

The dominant hand holds a continental grip at the bottom of the handle. The non-dominant hand sits directly above it, touching but not overlapping. The non-dominant hand drives the shot and often uses an eastern or semi-western grip, so it can pull through contact.

Gains

More power and stability, easier topspin, and a more repeatable swing.

Costs

Less reach, and slightly slower to deploy in fast exchanges.

• Hold the paddle farther forward, because there is less reaction time.
• Keep the swing compact.
• Prepare for body, middle, shoulder and outside-hip speed-ups.
• A slight backhand bias is fine if you can still release to the forehand.

Advanced serve, side view. Watch the steps into the court after contact.

• A finish that leaves you balanced for the return is the starting point for moving in.
• Staying back is sensible right after serving, because the two-bounce rule makes you wait.
• Approach the kitchen under control rather than sprinting.

Passive drop

A safe drop when both opponents are established at the line.

Aggressive third

When the opponents are a few steps back.

• If your drop isn’t aggressive, you need to be ready, and good, at resetting the next ball.
• At knee height or below, resets and drops are the low-risk choice from almost every court position.
• Ball below the net: drop or reset, not drive.

• Resets help you survive pressure, slow the game down and win back kitchen position.
• If your drop isn’t aggressive, you need to be ready, and good, at resetting the next ball.
• Learning to take pace off the ball without popping it up takes time but transforms a player’s game.

• In both clips the paddle is raised to meet the ball higher, around head height.
• The arm extends upward and the paddle meets the ball out in front.
• The paddle comes back down to ready after the hit.

High volley, forehand side. Watch the paddle go up to meet the ball.

High volley, backhand side. Watch the arm extend up and the return to ready.

For a more powerful drive, use a square stance with the non-dominant hand on the throat of the paddle, load in a C shape and rotate the hips and shoulders through the ball.

It means standing where you can reach the next ball comfortably, hit it cleanly and recover quickly.

Your starting position at the beginning of a point.

How you move between zones during the rally.

In doubles, how you and your partner move as one unit.

Step back

The opponent is about to hit a ball above chest height.

Push forward

The opponent is reaching or leaning.

After your drop, don’t retreat

When the opponent volleys your drop, moving into the transition zone means you take the next ball at knee or thigh height, not near the ground.

Six reasons to stack

Reach for the taller player’s forehand

A stronger forehand in the middle

Hiding a weakness

Highlighting a strength

Changing matchups

Changing strategy

Half stack

The easiest way in. Stack only in the one situation that puts you or your partner in the most uncomfortable position, and play traditional positions otherwise. For example, stack only when serving from the even (right) side if that rotation forces your stronger player onto the weaker side. A targeted fix, not a new system.

Full stack

The formation on every point, serving or returning. It takes more practice and sharper footwork, because you reposition every point. A clean return or third shot is essential: a pop-up while you are still moving invites an attack.

When not to stack

When your serve or return is inconsistent, when you have never played with your partner (stacking relies on trust and timing), or when your third shot is unreliable, since that shot buys the time to move up. Work on those first, or stay in traditional positions.

Waist to chest is the usual cue. Chest height is traditional for defending high drives and fast attacks. Nearer the belly button is a growing trend: an equal distance to move up or down, and a quicker response to slow shots and body shots.

Advanced serve routine, front view. Watch the routine before each serve.

• A pre-serve routine works as a physical and mental reset. It helps attention and can reduce errors under pressure.
• Build it from a physical cue, such as a slow exhale, bouncing the ball or tapping the paddle to the ball.
• Use the pause to pick a target and picture the third shot.
• Keep it the same in every situation.
• Slow breathing also helps you stay focused through longer points.

Finish A

Finish at shoulder height or above, travelling towards the target. A low finish tends to produce flat shots that clip the net or sit up.

Finish B

Keep the follow-through soft and short, pointing to where you want the ball to land.

See the finish in real life

Front view. Two drops: the first finishes with the paddle high, the second lower and shorter.

Side view. Two drops: watch the paddle rise through contact towards the target, higher on the second.

Grip option 1: continental

Continental for drops, resets, dinks and blocks. It gives excellent control and lets you switch between forehand and backhand with no change of hand position. The trade-off is a little less forehand power.

Grip option 2: eastern or semi-western

Many high-level players wait at the baseline in an eastern grip and switch to continental as they move forward. One source recommends a loose eastern or semi-western grip for the drop, while noting that continental enhances control.

• When the ball is hit hard at you, don’t back up. Step forward and absorb the pace with the paddle face.
• Hard volleys don’t need help from the arm: hold the paddle out and let the ball meet it.
• Keep the arm straight without pushing, and absorb with the legs.
• Resets go wrong when players swing at the ball, try to add spin, stand too upright or try to muscle through a bad position.

Basic forehand volley. Watch the paddle stay in front and the ball met out in front.

Basic backhand volley. Watch the short motion and the return to ready.

Watch for

1. Paddle up and in front. The paddle is held in front of the body, ready between shots.
2. A short motion. The paddle goes back a short way and forward a short way.
3. Contact out in front. The ball is met in front of the body.
4. Back to ready. After the hit the paddle comes back in front, ready for the next ball.

Topspin on a drive, from a low-to-high brush, makes the ball dip so the opponent has to hit up, which can turn defence into attack.

11 o'clock

right-handers

1 o'clock

left-handers

Angle the paddle slightly towards the backhand side, so about 11 o'clock for right-handers and 1 o'clock for left-handers.

• Serving is about reliability, not power: a missed serve is a free point. Get the ball in first, then look to take control.
• Go deep. A deep serve, aimed 2-3 feet inside the baseline and usually at the opponent’s backhand, pushes them behind the baseline and often forces a weaker return.
• The purpose of the serve is to make your third shot easier.
• Then choose the target along the baseline. A: the corner. If the returner must move crosscourt after returning, a deep corner serve lengthens their run to the net.
• B: the opponent’s body. In tense moments, serve deep at the body.
• C: the T line. When ahead and confident, serve near the T.

Hit → Watch → Evaluate → Move

• Move forward in that order, and don’t rush forward before the ball lands.
• In doubles both partners advance together, split-stepping as the opponents hit.
• Keep going if the drop was low and unattackable.

1. Ready: the paddle is held up in front.
2. The paddle goes back a short way.
3. Contact out in front of the body.
4. Back to ready, paddle in front.

Forehand drive: front, angled and side views

Forehand drive, front view. Watch the paddle go back and the finish.

Forehand drive, angled view. Watch the feet and the body turn.

Forehand drive, side view. Watch the contact point in front of the body.

Watch for

1. Ready, paddle in front. The paddle is held up in front of the body before the swing.
2. Paddle goes back. The paddle is taken back on the swing side, below the ball.
3. Contact out in front. The ball is met in front of the body. The side view shows it best.
4. Finish, then reset. Watch where the paddle finishes, then how it comes back to ready.

Follow one drive: front view

1. Ready: the paddle is held up in front.
2. The paddle goes back.
3. Contact out in front of the body.
4. The paddle finishes.

Two-handed:

second hand rests lightly on the paddle while you wait.

One-handed:

use the free hand for balance and paddle recovery.

A two-handed backhand player rests the second hand lightly on the paddle while waiting, so it can release quickly for a one-handed forehand and does not pin the paddle to the chest.

The same serve, from two angles

Volley serve, side view. Watch the release, the contact point by the waist and the swing path.

Volley serve, front view. Watch the swing path and the balance at the finish.

Watch for

1. Release in front. The ball leaves the hand just in front of the body, on the paddle side.
2. Contact in front. Contact out in front, close to the paddle-side waist.
3. Loose pendulum swing. A small backswing from the shoulder, then all the way through.
4. Balanced finish. The finish leaves you balanced for the return.

The same dink, from two angles

Side view. Watch the knees, the contact point and the length of the swing.

Front view. Watch the paddle in front of the body and your balance.

Watch for

1. Get low. Bend your knees and sink down to the ball.
2. Contact in front. Hit the ball out in front of the body.
3. Short and compact. Keep the paddle close and in front, with a small swing.
4. Back to ready. Return to the ready position after every dink.

Forehand side, wide and low.

• Start from the ready position, then widen the stance and bend the knees to get low.
• Take the paddle back on the hitting side, then bring it forward and low to meet the ball in front of you.
• Keep your head still and your eyes on the ball through contact.

Backhand side, a visible loop.

• The paddle is lifted up and back in a loop, then dropped down to meet the ball low.
• The longer preparation makes the shape easy to see and copy while you learn.
• After the hit, return to the ready position with the paddle in front.

Backhand drive: one hand and two hands

Backhand drive, one hand. Watch the paddle go back low and the arm extend.

Backhand drive, two hands. Watch both hands stay on the paddle.

Watch for

1. Ready, paddle in front. The paddle is held in front of the body before the swing.
2. Paddle goes back low. The paddle is taken back low on the backhand side, below the ball.
3. Contact out in front. The ball is met in front of the body.
4. Finish, then reset. One hand: the arm ends extended. Two hands: both hands stay on the paddle. Then the paddle comes back to ready.

Follow one drive: one hand

1. Ready: the paddle is held in front.
2. The paddle goes back low on the backhand side.
3. Contact out in front of the body.
4. The paddle finishes.

Player at the baseline: ready, drive, back to ready

These clips show the baseline ready position between drives. Watch what the player does before the ball arrives and straight after the swing.

Forehand drive, angled view. Watch the knees and how quickly the paddle returns in front.

Forehand drive, front view. Watch the paddle in front of the body and the balance.

Watch for

1. Knees bent. Low and balanced between shots, not standing upright.
2. Paddle in front. Held in front of the body before the ball arrives.
3. Balanced base. Ready to move sideways with small adjustment steps.
4. Back to ready. The paddle returns in front as soon as the drive finishes.

The same serve, from two angles

Drop serve, side view. Watch the release, the contact point by the waist and the swing path.

Drop serve, front view. Watch the swing path and the balance at the finish.

Watch for

1. Release in front. The ball leaves the hand just in front of the body, on the paddle side.
2. Contact in front. Contact out in front, close to the paddle-side waist.
3. Loose pendulum swing. A small backswing from the shoulder, then all the way through.
4. Balanced finish. The finish leaves you balanced for the return.

The same dink, from two angles

Side view. Watch the knees, the contact point and the length of the swing.

Front view. Watch the paddle in front of the body and your balance.

Watch for

1. One hand. Hold the paddle with one hand.
2. Get low. Bend your knees and sink down to the ball.
3. Contact in front. Hit the ball out in front of the body.
4. Back to ready. Return to the ready position after every dink.

Beginner drop, side view. Watch the balance, the contact in front and the upward swing.

Beginner drop, front view. Watch the stance and the finish towards the target.

Watch for

1. Balanced base. Behind the baseline, knees bent, weight slightly forward.
2. Short, compact backswing. The paddle stays compact and low behind the contact point.
3. Contact in front, face slightly open. Contact out in front, then an upward swing through the ball.
4. Follow through to the target. The swing finishes up and towards where the ball should land.

Player at the baseline: ready, drive, back to ready

These clips show the baseline ready position between drives. Watch what the player does before the ball arrives and straight after the swing.

Backhand drive, front view. Watch the paddle in front of the body and the balance.

Backhand drive, side view. Watch the knees and how quickly the paddle returns in front.

Watch for

1. Knees bent. Low and balanced between shots, not standing upright.
2. Paddle in front. Held in front of the body before the ball arrives.
3. Balanced base. Ready to move sideways with small adjustment steps.
4. Back to ready. The paddle returns in front as soon as the drive finishes.

1. Ball held in front, on the paddle side.
2. Loose swing back from the shoulder.
3. Contact out in front, close to the waist.
4. The swing goes all the way through, balanced.

The same dink, from two angles

Side view. Watch the knees, the contact point and the length of the swing.

Front view. Watch the paddle in front of the body and your balance.

Watch for

1. Two hands. Keep both hands on the paddle.
2. Get low. Bend your knees and sink down to the ball.
3. Contact in front. Hit the ball out in front of the body.
4. Back to ready. Return to the ready position after every dink.

1. Balanced and ready, paddle in front.
2. The paddle drops low and compact to meet the ball.
3. Contact low and in front, the ball leaves in an arc.
4. The swing finishes up, towards the target.

1. Ready: paddle in front, knees bent.
2. The drive.
3. Back to ready after the swing.

Build a pre-serve routine, stand facing your opponent and prioritise getting the serve in.

If a player struggles with the serve, have them think of it as a forehand so the motion flows.

The ball bounces and starts to rise.

It rises towards the paddle.

Contact out in front of the body.

The ball travels up and towards the net.

Keep the backswing short and compact. Picture an imaginary wall a few feet behind you that the paddle can’t cross.

Common beginner drop mistakes: swinging too hard, gripping too tight, and abandoning drops in games because they pop up.

A first target: by week 4, a soft, lifted drop landing in the kitchen 4 times out of 10.