Most coaching treats the third shot drop as the correct third shot and the drive as what you hit when you’re too impatient to drop. That’s wrong. The drive is a legitimate, often better option — it just has narrower conditions.
Learning those conditions is worth more than getting marginally better at drops.
What the third shot drive is
The third shot is the serving team’s first shot after the return. A drop is a soft shot arcing into the opponents’ kitchen, designed to let you advance to the net. A drive is a hard, low, flat shot aimed at or past the opponents at the net.
The drop plays for position. The drive plays for a mistake or a weak reply.
When to drive instead of drop
The return lands short. This is the clearest case. If the return sits up around the mid-court and you can take it at waist height or above, you’re in a much better position to drive than to drop — a drop from a high contact point is a hard shot, and a drive from there is easy.
Your opponents aren’t at the net yet. If one or both are still moving forward, a drive at their feet is brutal. Drops reward opponents who are already set at the kitchen line; drives punish ones who aren’t.
One opponent has a weak backhand. A driven ball at the backhand hip is one of the highest-percentage attacks in the sport.
You’re being pushed deep and a drop is low-percentage. A return that lands at your feet on the baseline makes a good drop very difficult. A drive buys you time and keeps the point neutral.
Your drops keep getting attacked. If they’re reading your drop and crushing it, the drive changes the picture. Variety is the point.
When to drop instead
- Both opponents are set at the kitchen line with paddles up
- You’re contacting the ball below net height
- The return has pushed you well behind the baseline with a comfortable, low ball
- Your opponents block drives well and reset them into the kitchen
How to hit it
Contact out front, not beside you. Late contact sends the drive up. Meet the ball ahead of your lead hip.
Keep it low over the net. A drive that clears the net by two feet is a free putaway for anyone standing at the kitchen. Aim for the tape.
Drive to a target, not just hard. The three good targets are the backhand hip, the middle seam, and directly at the feet of whoever is deepest. Hitting hard at nobody in particular just gives them a ball to block.
Compact swing. Long backswings mishit under pace. Think punch, not windup.
Add a little topspin. Topspin brings the ball down inside the court, letting you hit harder without sailing. That’s the difference between a drive and a prayer.
The drive-and-crash pattern
The drive isn’t only a standalone shot — it’s the setup for the most reliable way to get to the net.
- Drive hard and low at an opponent.
- Their block will often pop up slightly, because a hard ball is difficult to absorb cleanly.
- Crash the net immediately behind your drive and take that pop-up out of the air.
This works because a block off a hard drive is much harder to control than a block off a soft dink. Your partner should read the drive and move up with you.
The failure mode: driving and then standing still on the baseline. You’ve given them pace and time. Either drive and follow, or drop and walk in.
Drills
Short return drive. Partner feeds returns landing mid-court. Drive every one at a cone on the backhand side. Ten in a row inside the target area before you move the cone.
Drive-and-crash. Partner returns, you drive and immediately close to the kitchen line. Partner blocks; you take the next ball out of the air. Focus on the transition, not the winner.
Drive or drop decision. Partner feeds mixed returns — some deep, some short. You call “drive” or “drop” out loud before you hit. Getting the read right matters more than the shot quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the third shot drive better than the third shot drop?
Neither is better in general. The drive is better off a short return, when opponents aren’t set at the net, or against a weak backhand. The drop is better when both opponents are established at the kitchen line and you’re contacting the ball low.
Where should you aim a third shot drive?
At the backhand hip, the middle seam between opponents, or the feet of the deepest player. Driving hard without a target just gives opponents a ball to block.
Should you run to the net after a third shot drive?
Usually yes. The drive-and-crash pattern — drive hard, then close in to take the block out of the air — is the main reason the drive works. Driving and staying back gives opponents pace and time.
Why do my third shot drives keep going long?
Usually contact that’s too late or too flat. Meet the ball out in front of your lead hip and add topspin to bring it down inside the baseline.