How to Stop Being Late on Pickleball Drops and Play More Linear

Main Points

• Contact the ball earlier and farther in front to make your drops more linear.
• Aim for low, deep misses instead of short or high errors that invite attacks.
• Finish the swing forward and through the ball, then let it rise naturally.
• This approach works for forehand, backhand, push, slice, and roll drops.
• From the middle, a little more height is fine, but from wide balls keep the drop flatter and deeper.

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Summary

This video breaks down one of the biggest keys to better pickleball transition play: hitting drops earlier and more in front of your body. The goal is to create a more linear ball flight so that even when a drop is not perfect, it still lands low and deep instead of floating high and giving opponents an easy attack.

The main adjustment is in the swing path. Rather than lifting up too much, the focus is on moving forward through the ball and then finishing upward naturally. That forward contact point helps keep the paddle face more closed and produces safer misses, especially on third shot drops and backhand drops.

The lesson applies to multiple drop variations, including push drops, slice drops, and roll drops. No matter which version you use, the priority is to contact the ball in front and send it low over the net so opponents receive it at hip or waist level instead of chest height.

The video also explains that court position matters. Drops from the middle can include a little more height because there is less space to work with, while drops from wide balls should stay even more linear and controlled. The overall message is simple: when in doubt, miss deep, not high.

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Tags: 3rd Shot Drop | Backhand | Consistency | Control | Drop | Forehand | pickleball third shot | pickleball tips | Richard PIckleball | Strategy