Pickleball Magazine 3-4 Courtesy of Pickleball Guru | Page 62

PICKLEBALL INSTRUCTION
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Quick Tips
Benefits of an
Under-spin 3rd
Shot Drop
BY STEVE PARANTO
Why do so many top players
use slice on their 3rd shot drop?
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Most of today’s top players use slice or backspin
when hitting their 3rd shot drops. Why are they
doing this? It seems it would make one of the most
difficult shots in pickleball even harder to master,
right?
For beginners, it is certainly easier to hit a basic
3rd shot drop without spin – just by lifting the
ball with an open-faced paddle. But at the upper
intermediate to advanced levels, too many players
can aggressively play off a no-spin 3rd shot drop.
They simply let the ball bounce, then attack in.
Here are three advantages to using a
slice 3rd shot drop.
It’s different than a drop with no spin.
This means your opponent has to make
adjustments, which often leads to small
mistakes, allowing you to build the point in your
favor.
A slice or backspin ball will bounce lower
than a ball with no spin. This means your
opponent won’t be able to hit quite an
aggressive 4th shot.
By hitting a slice on your 3rd shot, you’re
“floating the ball” – buying more time to
get to the kitchen line. This is because a
ball with spin has more friction with the air as it’s
flying.
Start practicing your third shots with a mild
under-spin and you’ll see your game improve. •
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