As a pickleball coach with over 10 years of experience playing and teaching the game, I’ve learned that mastering key shots is critical for improving your skills and winning more matches.
In this article, I’ll share the top pickleball shots that every player should work on along with tips and strategies for executing them effectively.
The Serve
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The serve starts every point in pickleball, so developing a consistent, well-placed serve is essential. There are two main types of serves in pickleball – the underhand serve and the sidearm serve.
The underhand serve is the most common. To execute it properly, hold the paddle out in front of you, keep your arm straight and brush the ball upward as you make contact underneath it. Aim to get just enough lift so the ball clears the net by a few inches. Focus on control rather than power. Place the serve deep in the court near the baseline to put pressure on your opponent’s return. An accurate underhand serve will set you up to win the point.
The sidearm serve requires a bit more wrist action. Grip the paddle normally and hold it out to the side. Toss the ball out in front, swing your arm in a windshield wiper motion and make contact out to the side. This serve can have more speed and spin than the underhand version. Use it when you want to mix things up, but it takes practice to control accurately.
I recommend starting with the underhand serve and developing consistency before moving to the sidearm version. No matter which serve you use, aim for targets in the service box corners. Vary placement – don’t fall into patterns. And focus on getting it in play rather than blasting aces. A well-placed serve will give you an advantage on the next shot.
The Return
Now it’s time to talk about the return, which is the shot after the serve. This is where you want to gain control of the point with a deep, well-placed return. There are a few keys to returning serve effectively:
- Get your feet moving quickly – shuffle into position just behind the line of the ball. Don’t stand flat-footed.
- Watch the ball onto your paddle. Tracking it visually will help with clean contact.
- For underhand serves, block the ball back deep into the court. Don’t swing aggressively or you may hit long.
- Against sidearm serves with more pace, redirect the speed using your opponent’s power. Aim crosscourt to move them wide.
- Keep your return low over the net. Higher returns sit up for the server’s third shot.
The main goal is simply getting the serve back deep in the court to reset the point. Don’t go for too much on the return. Focus on control and keeping the ball low. Even if the serve has pace, resist overswinging. Use their speed against them.
With an accurate, low return, you’ll be in a strong position for the next shot.
The 3rd Shot
If you know anything at all about pickleball, chances are you’re familiar with the concept of the third shot drop. Maybe you’ve seen it in action, but have no idea how to do it yourself. Or, maybe you’ve tried it, but you don’t understand why it’s so important. Either way, the third shot drop does have value and it’s worth your time to learn how to use it.
What is it?
The third shot drop is essentially just what it sounds like; it’s a drop shot that comes after the serve and return serve, hence the name “third shot drop.” This particular shot is intended to arch upward and then drop into your opponent’s kitchen, effectively bringing play closer to the net and evening the chances of winning the rally.
What’s the big deal?
The third shot drop is an important play for the serving team. After the serve and return serve, the serving team is typically still back at the baseline away from the net while the opposing team has had the opportunity to inch closer to the net. This third shot drop is a slow, arching shot that, if done correctly, buys the serving team enough time to meet their opponents near the net. The dropping effect also makes it more difficult for your opponents to smash the ball down in the kitchen, a move that could result in your team losing the rally. By moving your team closer to the net and lowering the level of play, you put yourself back in position to control the rally.
How is it done?
The third shot drop can take a lot of time and practice to master, but it will be worth your while. It might be helpful to think of it as a “long dink.” Be sure you’re consistent with your dink before you take on the challenge of the third shot drop. As you begin to feel more comfortable with your close-range dink, start moving back a few steps. Eventually, you’ll find yourself at the baseline of the court and you’ll see that your dink just needs more power and follow-through. Get low to the ground and stay there all the way through the shot; don’t come back up too early to rush up to the kitchen and ruin your shot in the process.
The third shot in pickleball has two main options – the third shot drive or the third shot drop. Let’s look at how to hit each one effectively.
The 3rd Shot Drive
The third shot drive is an offensive shot hit with power, usually crosscourt, to put pressure on your opponents. It’s typically hit after a soft return from your opponent lands short in the court. To execute it:
- Move quickly to get your feet set and ready in position. Don’t be flat-footed.
- Transfer your weight forward into the shot. Put some muscle behind it while maintaining control.
- Hit crosscourt to pull your opponents wide and open up the court.
- Keep the ball low to reduce their reaction time. Don’t leave it up for them to smash.
The key is controlled power and placement. Hit it hard enough to be aggressive, but don’t overhit. Aim crosscourt to gain an advantage.
The 3rd Shot Drop
The third shot drop, on the other hand, is a touch shot hit delicately to land close to the non-volley zone line (the “kitchen” line). Use it when your opponents hit a deep return – catch them backing up. To hit an effective third shot drop:
- Make quick adjustments to get in position. You may need to backpedal or sidestep.
- Use your wrists and arms to finesse the ball, don’t swing hard. Almost stroke the ball to take pace off.
- Disguise it by maintaining your ready position after contact. Don’t telegraph it.
- Let the ball arc just over the net and land close to the line.
The third shot drop requires soft hands and finesse. Contact the ball high on the face of your paddle to take power off. Vary the use of drop shots to keep opponents guessing.
Mastering both third shot options – drive and drop – will make you more versatile and dangerous on this crucial shot.
You can read my full 3rd shot drop guide here.
The 4th Shot
Not much gets written about pickleball’s fourth shot in the rally. When executing that 4th shot from the non-volley line, your team will – in almost all cases – have the positional advantage on the court. Don’t give up that advantage by hitting a soft dink unless the serving team earns it. If they do earn it, respect that and work the dink shots.
If your opponent drives the 3rd shot hard straight ahead, punch the volley firmly back at the feet of the opponent who executed the drive. This keeps them deep. Beware of the “shake-and-bake” where one opponent drives and the other rushes the net to poach. Avoid the middle, and make sure your 4th shot has pace.
If they drive with less pace, again, keep them deep with solid volleys. Don’t cede position with a soft dink. If able, hit a roll volley topspin shot to keep them back. But know how far forward they got on the 3rd and avoid letting the roll volley sit up chest high.
On loopy drops that force you or partner to move back, often best to let it bounce and drive the ball after the bounce. Although giving them some forward position, you’ll be in a better hitting stance.
The key is identifying what 3rd shot they hit, and responding with a 4th shot that maintains or regains the positional advantage. Don’t surrender that easily.
You can read my full 4th shot guide here.
Dinking
Learning how to dink in pickleball is an essential strategy for winning games because it helps players control the pace of the game, exploit opponents’ weaknesses, and maintain consistency.
What is dinking in pickleball?
Dinking is a soft shot that lands in the non-volley zone, also known as the kitchen. This type of shot requires finesse and accuracy. It is a particularly important skill for beginners and kids as it teaches control and enhances overall play of the game.
Why should you dink in pickleball?
- Control the pace of the game: Dinking forces opponents to slow down, preventing them from using their power shots. For example, if an opponent has a strong smash, a well-placed dink can neutralize their advantage by forcing them to hit a soft shot instead. This helps you dictate the pace and rhythm of the game, keeping your opponent off balance or resetting their attack.
- Exploit opponents’ weaknesses: A well-executed dink can reveal an opponent’s weaknesses or lack of mobility. For instance, if you notice that your opponent struggles to move quickly to the net, you can use a series of dinks to force them to cover more ground. Similarly, your opponent may have a weak backhand. Simply dink to their backhand and it may open up a gap you can return directly into. This type of play can lead to unforced errors or create openings for you to hit a winning shot.
- Maintain consistency: The main thing you can do in pickleball to improve is control your own errors and keep the ball inbounds. Dinking helps players maintain consistency by reducing the number of unforced errors. By focusing on placement and control rather than power, players can keep the ball in play and wait for the right opportunity to attack. This increases the likelihood of your opponent making a mistake, giving you a better chance to win the point.
Once the ball is in the kitchen, the rally often switches to dinking. This involves hitting soft shots close to the non-volley zone line back and forth, waiting for a put-away opportunity. Good dinking technique is vital.
Here are some tips for effective dinking:
- Move your feet to get in position quickly near the line. Don’t be too passive.
- Grip the paddle lightly and use your wrists. Let the ball come to you.
- Focus on control and placement. Keep the ball low and aim close to the line.
- Be ready to switch grips from forehand to backhand as needed. Light grip helps.
- Avoid “dinking battles.” Look for chances to change pace or placement.
- Don’t overswing or hit too hard. Finesse and control are key.
Dinking rallies require patience and soft touch on the ball. Work on alternating forehand and backhand smoothly. Stay active with your feet to cover the line. And mix in drops, lifts or angle changes to keep opponents off balance.
You can read my full dinking guide here.
The Speed Up
To successfully end a dinking rally, you need to speed up and hit a put-away shot. Watch for your opportunity to change pace and catch your opponents off guard after the ball bounces.
Here are tips for hitting effective speed up shots:
- Move quickly into position and have your feet ready to explode.
- Accelerate your swing speed through the strike zone to generate power.
- Keep your shoulders and hips open for maximum reach on your swing.
- Look to aim down the line to pull opponents farther out of position.
- Disguise the change of pace so opponents don’t have time to react.
The speed up is all about explosiveness after the slower pace of dinking. Strike the ball out in front of you and accelerate for power. Keep it low for a better angle. Catching opponents off guard with your change of pace is key.
Practice speeding up off both forehand and backhand groundstrokes. Develop quick footwork to get into position and work on disguising the shot until the last second. With an explosive and accurate speed up, you’ll find yourself ending more points with outright winners.
The Lob
When an opponent attacks with hard, low shots, the defensive lob can be just what’s needed to get you back into a point. Here are some tips for hitting effective lobs:
- Move back quickly and get your feet set. Prepare early.
- Use their pace and lift the ball high with an upward stroke.
- Contact it with the face of the paddle tilted back slightly to add height.
- Focus on control and keep the ball in bounds. Height is key, not power.
- Move higher up in the court after you lob to cut off their angles on the reply.
The lob creates time to recover position defensively. But don’t retreat too deep. Move forward after you hit it to reduce their attacking options. With controlled lift and placement, the lob will neutralize an offensive shot and prolong the point.
The Overhead Smash
One of the most emphatic pickleball shots is the overhead smash. You can hit this attacking shot after your opponent pops up a weak return high in the air. Here are some smash tactics:
- Move briskly into position, don’t be too eager and overrun the ball.
- Set your upper body sideways and keep your arm relaxed before the swing.
- Watch the ball and time your forward swing and contact point perfectly.
- Swing fast and accelerate through the ball, transferring your weight forward.
- Aim to placements – crosscourt angles, down the line or behind a player.
The smash requires explosive power focused into a controlled swing. Let the ball come down into your strike zone then accelerate your swing speed. Maintain balance and follow through toward your target.
Practice mixing up your smash placement and develop the ability to put it away off both wings. Smashing high-floated returns will allow you to hit more winners and apply tremendous pressure.
The ATP (Around the Post)
As the name suggests, an around-the-post shot — more commonly known as an ATP — is a specialty shot where a player hits the pickleball around (rather than over) the net post and into the opponent’s court.
Although this shot may seem illegal, according to the USA Pickleball rulebook, a player may return the ball around the outside of the net post.
When hitting an ATP, the ball does not need to travel back over the net and there is no restriction on the height of the return. This means a player may return the ball around the net post below the height of the net. The shot height could be as low as possible so long as it’s returned on the opponent’s side of the court.
An ATP is one of those pickleball shots that you talk about for weeks, months, maybe even years after you hit one. It’s a combination of flash, athleticism, and necessity. Successfully performing an ATP is all about the angle of your opponent’s shot and being patient enough to let the ball get wide so that you have the best angle to hit your shot.
Patience is key! The most common reason for unforced errors while attempting an ATP is thinking you have the angle to hit when you don’t. As flashy and great as it is to hit an ATP winner, hitting the right shot at the right time should always be the number one goal. Wait for the right opportunity to hit your ATP, and understand that it won’t happen often!
Let the ball get out wide by letting it get lower to the ground! When you sense the ball is going to be wide enough to hit an ATP, you’ll give yourself a better chance by letting the ball drop lower, which forces it to continue to get wider off the court. Hitting the ball high could force you to take the ball too soon and cut off your angle to the ATP. The more you let the ball drop, the wider the ball will be, which will help create a shot that makes a beeline for your opponent’s feet (a very difficult shot for them to return).
The Erne
The Erne shot, named after pickleball legend Erne Perry, involves hitting the ball out of the air around or over the non-volley zone to attack from a position closer to the net. It’s an advanced shot, but can be a point winner when executed properly.
Here are some tips for effective Erne shots:
- Move explosively to get your body in position at the net before the ball crosses the line.
- Time your strike so you contact the ball immediately after it crosses the plane of the non-volley zone.
- Keep your swing compact and controlled. Don’t overswing.
- Aim for sharp crosscourt angles or down-the-line to maximize your opponent’s movement.
- Use it selectively – don’t become predictable or overuse it.
The Erne requires precise timing and quick explosive movement. Stay low through the strike zone with your eyes on the ball. And choose your moments wisely – when opponents are stretched wide or deep in the court.
Developing Erne skills takes practice, so start by working on your sideways and forward explosiveness. Then progress to hitting the shot in live drills and games. Keep building your angles, timing and consistency. With sharp Erne shots as part of your repertoire, you’ll keep opponents scrambling.
Bonus Tip: Proper Shot Selection
Knowing when to use the right shot at the right time is a key pickleball skill. Here are some strategic pointers:
- Attack weak, high-floated returns with smashes or drives.
- Drop shots and dinks draw opponents up when they are deep behind the line.
- Change pace with speed-ups against soft shots in the kitchen.
- Counter low, hard shots with defensive lobs.
- Move them side to side by aiming crosscourt.
- Go down the line to open up angles when opponents cheat crosscourt.
- Mix up placements – corners, crosscourt, down the line, behind players.
The more shot options you have in your repertoire, the more ways you can win.
I hope this post has proved helpful. Good luck out there!
