The Third Shot Drive vs. The Third Shot Drop

December 6, 2017 By Prem Carnot 6 Comments

One of my favorite parts of attending a top tournament like Nationals or the US Open is the chance to discover some of the cutting-edge trends in the game.

Like Roger Bannister and the 4 minute mile, the trickle-down effect is amazing when top players prove that something is possible. Once we see someone do something, then other players discover that they can do it, too, and suddenly, it’s a new standard in the game.

I wasn’t in the game before dinking was “discovered” but I imagine it followed a similar pattern.

I HAVE been in the game since “the Erne shot” and around-the-pole shots have become popular.

They used to be few and far between, but now they are almost standard shots any 4.5+ player must be prepared to receive, if not be able to execute.

One shot that I saw implemented more frequently at Nationals this year than in the past, is the third shot drive instead of the third shot drop.

Today I want to talk about WHY top players are using the third shot drive instead of the third shot drop, WHEN it makes sense to use it, and how to tell whether it’s something that you should consider implementing in your game.

Now, if you’ve been following me for any length of time, you may already know my take on the drop shot. If you don’t, you might consider checking out my posts on the Top 3 Reasons You MUST Play at The No-Volley Line (And 2 Lies You Tell Yourself When You’re There) as well as 4 Secrets to Get Your Dropshot to Go Where You Want (and Not Where You Don’t) and What to Do When Your Drop Shot Doesn’t Drop.

But assuming you’ve already read all that, let’s dive in…

Why Players Use the Third Shot Drive

The short answer is:

To surprise their opponents into popping the ball up in the hopes of getting a put-away

The long answer is:

It’s never good to be too predictable. At beginner and intermediate levels consistency is generally more important than variability. At the top levels, consistency is a given, and you want to keep your opponents on their toes.

But Don’t Shake It Up Just for the Sake of Shaking it Up…

So it’s good to shake things up now and again, but ONLY, if you have something else to gain by mixing it up. I never recommend mixing it up just for the sake of mixing it up.

In the case of the third shot drive, here’s the ideal scenario: Your opponents are caught off guard and inadvertently pop the ball up, giving your partner a chance to put the ball away. At the very least, your opponents will be on the defense and in the best case, the put-away will end the point in your favor.

Remember, like I talk about in this article, whichever team is in a position to hit DOWNWARD on the ball has a better chance of winning the point. Conversely, whichever team is hitting the ball UPWARD has a better chance of losing the point.

The drop shot is ONE way to get your opponents to hit the ball upward, and as another alternative, the third shot drive is simply a set-up shot for hitting the NEXT shot at a sharp downward angle.

So if hitting a third shot drive is such a good alternative to the third shot drop, why don’t I recommend it to my students?

Let’s get specific.

Why the Drive Shot Will Never be a Full Stand-In for the Drop Shot

While the third shot drive CAN be a substitute for the third shot drop, the drive, in general, is NOT a substitute for the drop shot. Players who opt for the third shot drive and DON’T end the point, will end up going back to the drop shot for the 5th, 7th and/or 9th shots of the game. They’ll do this in order to get themselves off the defense, back up to the net, and in a position to win.

The well-executed drop shot is the fail-proof way to buy yourself time and keep your opponents from being too aggressive while you work your way up to the net. The drive will never buy you time to move up, which is why it will never be a full substitute for the drop shot.

Now, let’s talk about WHEN it makes sense to go for the third shot drive, and when it DOESN’T make sense.

When (and When NOT) to Go for a Third Shot Drive

When you see players at the top levels go for the third shot drive, there are a few things that they have in place which you may not have thought much about. (I talk more about this in my article, Top Pickleball Players: Why They Can Break The “Rules” & You Probably Shouldn’t.)

Reflexes

First of all, teams who use this technique well are generally athletic, quick on their feet, and have quick reflexes.

If you are NOT athletic, quick on your feet, and have quick reflexes, then you should NOT consider going for the third shot drive. (Having had quick reflexes 20 years ago, unfortunately, doesn’t count!)

A Game Plan

Additionally, these teams have a strong synergy and a shared game plan. They wouldn’t be going for a third shot drive if they didn’t know for sure that their partner was gonna be up at the net and ready to pounce on the opening

If your PARTNER is not athletic, quick on their feet, with quick reflexes, and a good understanding of the strategy behind the third shot drive, then you should NOT use the third shot drive.

Excellent Ball Control

The third shot drive attack ONLY works if your partner moves to the net quickly and is prepared to put the ball away (if it’s high), or hit a drop volley back (if it’s low).

If your partner is not able to control the ball well, then chances are the plan will backfire as your partner pops the ball up and your opponents (who are already up at the net) put it away for the win.

So don’t hit a third shot drive if your partner isn’t very quick with excellent ball control.

You should also NEVER hit a third shot drive if you or your partner are going to hang at the back of the court. (You should never hang at the back of the court ever if you can avoid, and hitting a third shot drive is most likely only going to keep you back there longer if you haven’t been able to get up to the net quickly.)

Let’s Bring it Back to YOUR Game…

All that said, let’s bring it back to YOU and YOUR game…

Chances are that the third shot drive is NOT a good strategy to implement into your game.

If you’re a recreational player who doesn’t have much control over who your partner is for a given game…
If you’re in less than tip-top conditioning…
If you don’t have years of racket sport experience and excellent hand and ball control…

Then don’t do it.

But, like I said…

If you’re in tip-top physical shape…
You’ve got a solid partner who you are working on strategic plays with…
And you’ve both got excellent hand and ball control…

Then give it a try once in a while to shake things up and let me know how it goes.

In the meantime, if you have any further questions or comments, go ahead and post a comment down below.

How to Find Your Point of Power

October 31, 2017 By Support 11 Comments

I get a lot of questions from players who are looking to improve their game but are hardly getting enough court time to play much let practice. Then, I get more questions from players who are trying to play Smart Pickleball™, but are confused and frustrated when their partners don’t do the same. And then there are the many, many people who are frustrated by better players who won’t give them the time of day.

Now, I do have some specific ideas that you could try, and I’ll mention some of them later in this article.

But, first, I want to speak to what these, and many more technical pickleball questions have in common.

So many questions I receive are about what OTHER people are or aren’t doing, and the answer always comes back to YOU.

You’ve got to find your point of power and take action from there.

You’re never going to be able to control what your partner, your opponents, or the snooty players on the other court do.

(And for that matter, you can’t control your spouse or children either–despite your best efforts.)

So you’ve got to find what you CAN control and make the most of the situation from there.

Let’s take the issue with better players not wanting to play with you.

The question I receive goes something along the lines of “Prem, I really want to improve my game. I have read your book and do drills at home in the driveway, but the better players where I play won’t even make eye contact with me let alone play with me. How am I supposed to get better if they won’t play with me?”

If that sounds familiar to you, first of all, let me apologize.

I am sorry that you’ve been treated that way by better players. In a widely-shared article I recently revised called “Tips for ‘Playing Up’ and ‘Playing Down’ in Recreational Play” I do my best to advocate for ALL players to remember where they started and find ways to make time to play with weaker players because what goes around comes around. But unfortunately, not everyone will take my advice. So, on behalf of snooty pickleball players of all levels, I apologize.

For better or for worse, it is NOT within your power to MAKE them change…

So now that we’ve got that out of the way, what CAN you do? How can YOU find your point of power in this situation?

First off, what NOT to do:

While it IS within your power to do so, I do NOT recommend printing out the article I linked to above, shaking it in their face and saying “See here?? The Pickleball Guru said you should play with me to improve my game!!”

I wish I could tell you that that’s all you had to do to get better play, but that would be the OPPOSITE of rapport-building, and it’s not going to make anyone happier to play with you, so, please: Don’t bother.

Instead, try going through these 3 steps. You can do them in your head, out loud, or even better, on a piece of paper or in a journal.

Step #1: Pause, Feel the Feeling, & State the Big WHY Behind It

This could be as simple as saying to yourself something like, “Man, I’m pissed! I REALLY want to improve my game and these guys won’t even give me the time of day.”

Or, “Gosh, I feel helpless! It doesn’t seem to matter what I do against these players, they seem to take my best shots and eat them like a piece of candy!”

The goal here is to give yourself a little bit of time to actually FEEL the feeling and notice how it’s hooked you. Paradoxically, that is often the only thing that will allow you to even just SLIGHTLY get some perspective and start to get “unhooked” by the feeling.

Step #2: Shift Your Attention to Your Point of Power

Now, it’s up to you…If you want to, you can spend allllllll your time and energy thinking about what an idiot so-and-so is, but at the end of the day (I hate to tell ya) it’s not gonna make a damn bit of difference.

So ask yourself, “Assuming nothing about this situation changes, what can *I* do differently here?”

Just asking yourself this question will probably give your brain access to a different solution than it could find when you are stuck in the “They are such an idiot!” or “They are so much better than me and I’m never going to win,” narratives.

Start brainstorming your options.

I promise you there are MANY more possibilities than you were considering when you started this process.

You’ll know you’ve found your point of power when the ideas you have start with “I could say x,” “I could do y,” or “I could decide z…” and also have a good chance of productively changing the situation.

Hint: You are NOT in your point of power when the idea you have for changing the situation starts with “Well, they could stop doing such and such…” or “They could start saying such and such…”

When you have one of those ideas, it’s no big deal. Just remind yourself, “Well, I can’t make that happen, so, again, what CAN I do?”

Step #3: Take Action from Your Point of Power

Once you have some ideas for what you could say or do differently in this situation, the next step is to TAKE ACTION.

That means actually saying or doing something productive that you probably wouldn’t have done otherwise.

If they won’t practice with you, go hit against the wall.

Go practice your serve.

Or, here’s a revolutionary one: Be vulnerable!

Don’t be vulnerable with an ulterior motive. Be vulnerable for the sake of fostering human connection.

Between games, park yourself near someone you feel like you can talk to and say, “Dang, I feel frustrated today. I really want to improve my game and I just feel stuck. I read this article from The Pickleball Guru and I’ve been trying to find my point of power in this situation, but I’m just at a loss.”

Even saying THAT much, reaching out to someone else, asking for help, IS finding your point of power and acting from it.

It may or may not change your situation that day, but at least you’ve DONE something DIFFERENT, and that alone will give you a sense of satisfaction you wouldn’t have found by complaining about the “idiots” on the next court over.

Surprisingly, in some ways, WHAT you do is less important than just doing something different.

As long as you do SOMETHING out of the ordinary with the intention of changing your situation, you are going to start to feel better.

Because the truth is, the satisfaction of having what we want only lasts a minute or two and then it’s over and we’re on to wanting something else.

Even if you won the US Open or Nationals, chances are you’d still be on the podium getting your medal when the satisfaction of winning would start to drain away and you’d begin wondering, “Hmmm, I wonder if I will be able to do it again next year…”

It’s human nature.

Happiness doesn’t come from having what we want.

We don’t want what we have (because we already have it).

We want what we don’t have.

(It’s called Hedonistic Adaptation and for a more in-depth (and still humorous) discussion of this concept, check out “What is Hedonic Adaptation and How Can it Turn You Into a Sucka?” “What is Stoicism and How Can it Turn your Life to Solid Gold?” or “Seek Not to Be Entertained” from one of my wife’s favorite bloggers, Mr. Money Mustache.)

Long-term satisfaction comes from know that we are taking action and making progress toward our goals.

Or, Acknowledge Your Choice NOT to Take Action from Your Point of Power, and Accept What Is…

Now, there are a lot of options you might have that you choose NOT to act on.

One of the BEST ways to get to improve your game and play against better players, even when the best players at your local venue won’t play with you, is to TRAVEL and PLAY IN OTHER PLACES. Ask any good player, and you won’t find one who won’t agree that they made a quantum leap in their game when they left their home courts and played somewhere else.

But, maybe you are choosing not to prioritize travel because you are prioritizing work and a steady flow of income instead.

That’s understandable.

Just acknowledge that if you wanted to do something different, you could do that (and face the consequences), but you are choosing not to right now.

Another way to create more court time or to set up a better system of rotation at your courts is to get more involved on an organizational level. Take on more responsibility. Reach out to a new venue and find out what you need to do to get pickleball started there.

But, maybe you are choosing not to take on more responsibility because you don’t want to added stress or the time commitment.

That’s understandable, too.

Again, acknowledge that if you wanted to do something different, you could do that (and face the consequences), but you are choosing not to right now.

Look for What’s Different

Somewhat magically, I often find that when YOU make a mental shift, it just so happens that it shifts the dynamic around you in favorable ways, too. And the crazy thing is, it doesn’t really even seem matter whether you decide to action or you decide to accept what is.

Maybe someone you’ve never met before will show up at the courts that day and give you a challenge. Maybe you’ll find an earring on the court that belongs to one of the people who haven’t given you the time of day and they’ll invite you to play out of gratitude for returning it. Or maybe nothing out of the ordinary will happen. It doesn’t really matter.

The point is YOU will feel better either way, and, there’s an excellent chance that you’ll be a lot closer to getting what you wanted in the first place.

How to “Make” Your Opponents Hit the Ball Where You Want It…

September 7, 2017 By Prem Carnot 20 Comments

One of my favorite moments as a pickleball coach is when I help my students take what seems (to them) like a very complicated scenario with myriad possible outcomes and simplify it down to a few, highly predictable, results.

In fact, one of the most popular segments of my Bootcamp Breakthrough events is always “Dancing with Your Partner.” This is where I break down partner positioning so that my students know EXACTLY where to position themselves in any given moment, and they practice STAYING in the right position for every. single. shot.

Now, I’ll admit, you can’t actually MAKE your opponents hit a particular shot.

BUT, you CAN make it very likely that MOST opponents will hit the ball where you want it to go MOST of the time.

And you can do this by understanding the body mechanics that make certain shots more likely than others and being intentional about where you place the ball.

Now, you may have read about the “two-thirds, one-third” strategy in my article on The Surprising Strategy to Make Sure You Cover Every Shot at the Net. That article tells you how to know exactly where to position yourself, based on which opponent is about to hit the ball.

In this article, I’m going to take it one shot EARLIER and explain to you how YOU actually hold the key to controlling where your opponents are going to hit the ball.

See, the moment you hit a shot, you’ve already drastically narrowed down your opponents’ options for returning your shot. By consciously CHOOSING where you’re going to place your shot, you can begin to predict 80-90% of the possible return shots your opponent will hit.

You can predict this based off a couple factors:

#1: Wrist Mechanics

It’s extremely difficult for a right-handed player to hit a backhand shot to their left.

Occasionally, very “wristy” players will be able to execute such a shot, but the vast majority of right-handed pickleball players, can only hit a backhand shot forward or to their right . (And of course, the reverse for lefties. A lefty’s backhand is mostly likely going in front of them or to their left, but rarely to their right.)

Similarly, a righty’s forehand shot is generally going to go to the middle or the the left, but rarely to their right.

The closer your opponent is to the net, the more limited their range of shots, and the more likely they are to follow this pattern.

Now that you know this, you can use these strategies to “decide” where you want your opponent to hit the ball.

Want the ball to come back to you?

Hit cross court to your opponent, and there’s a very good chance, it’ll come back to you. At the very least to the middle, where you can be ready and waiting for it.

Want the ball to go to your partner?

If you’re playing against righties, hit to the person in front of your partner and I’ll place bets they hit to the middle or to your partner.

Now, if you’re amongst the players who already use dinking in your game, congratulations. (If not, check out this article on why you need the dink.) Wendy and I used to practice sharp cross-court dinks for hours. And it’s essential, especially as you get into the higher levels, to be able to make them flawlessly.

But you might be surprised to hear that I tell my students that the sharp cross-court dink is actually one of the EASIEST dinks to hit, and the backhand cross-court dink is considerably easier to hit than the forehand cross-court dink.

Now, let’s bring it back to our topic of the day, which is how you can “make” your opponent put the ball where you want it.

When you hit a sharp cross-court dink, it’s very difficult for your opponent NOT to hit a sharp cross-court dink back, so anticipate it! If you don’t want them to hit a sharp cross-court, don’t hit THEM a sharp cross-court. If they are highly skilled they might have a few options to do something else with the ball, but in most cases it’s pure body mechanics that will force them to hit a sharp return shot.

If you want to push them into hitting another shot, and you are able to switch it up a little, try to return your dink to the middle of their court rather than going for the sharp cross court angle.

#2: The Leading Shoulder

The second factor you can look for is to watch their leading shoulder. This will either confirm your expectations based on the wrist mechanics or clue you in to when your opponent is going to do something different.

If you aren’t sure what I mean by leading shoulder, make sure to check out my article on how to predict the future (so to speak), where I give an in-depth explanation of what I mean by leading shoulder and how to tell where your opponent is going to hit the ball by which direction their shoulder is pointing.

But Wait a Minute…

Now, if you’re a particularly astute student, you might say, “Hey, but wait a minute, Prem. Isn’t the shot that I am about to hit already somewhat pre-determined by where my opponent hit the ball to ME? How do I get out of the pattern and take control of the point?”

Yes, you’re right.

Of course you can only play the shot you’re given. I always tell my students, don’t focus on your opponent’s choices, you can only look at what YOU have control of.

Even at the highest levels, I coach people not to focus on playing to your opponents’ weaknesses as much as playing your strengths.

You are only responsible for the strokes YOU hit.

Don’t waste time wishing you were “dealt a different hand” just get busy playing the hand you’ve been dealt to your greatest advantage.

And in the case of pickleball, that means consciously choosing where you are going to hit the ball so that it sets you up to be in the best position for the next shot.

The Third Shot Drive vs. The Third Shot Drop

Why Players Use the Third Shot Drive

But Don’t Shake It Up Just for the Sake of Shaking it Up…

Why the Drive Shot Will Never be a Full Stand-In for the Drop Shot