Pickleball shots and strategy: the dink, third-shot drop, drive and kitchen line

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Pickleball rewards patience. Beginners tend to hit every ball hard; experienced players hit softly until someone gives them a ball to attack. This guide covers the shots that make up most rallies and the simple strategy that ties them together: get to the kitchen line, and keep the other team away from it.

Why the kitchen line matters

The team standing at the kitchen line, just behind the non-volley zone, controls the point. From there:

You can volley balls before they drop at your feet.
You can hit downwards at the opponents instead of upwards.
You cover most of the court with short movements.

A team stuck at the baseline has to hit upwards over the net, which gives the team at the kitchen line easy balls to put away. Most strategy in doubles comes down to who gets to the line first and who stays there.

The serve and the return

Serve deep. A deep serve keeps the receivers back and gives you time. Consistency matters more than power, because a missed serve loses the serve.
Return deep and come in. Because of the two-bounce rule, the receiving team can move forward right after the return. Hit the return deep and high enough to buy time, then walk to the kitchen line.

This is why the receiving team often has a natural advantage in the first few shots.

The third-shot drop

The serving team's third shot is the key shot of pickleball. They are still at the baseline, and the receivers are probably already at the line.

The third-shot drop is a soft, arcing shot that lands in the opponents' kitchen.
Because it lands at their feet, they cannot attack it, and they must hit upwards.
That gives the serving team time to move forward to the kitchen line.

Lift the ball with a gentle, open paddle face and a smooth swing from the shoulder, aiming for the peak of the arc to be on your side of the net. A drop that floats too high gets attacked; one that is too low hits the net. It takes a lot of practice, which is why players drill it constantly.

The drive

The drive is a hard, low, flat shot.

It is an alternative third shot when the opponents are slow to get forward, or when a return comes back short and high.
A drive often sets up a weak reply that can be followed by a drop or a volley.
Aim low and at the opponents' feet or body, not just hard over the middle.

Good teams mix drives and drops, so the opponents cannot predict the third shot.

The dink

Once both teams are at the kitchen line, rallies often become a series of dinks: soft shots that arc over the net and land in the opponents' kitchen.

Use a short, compact stroke, with the paddle out in front and a firm but relaxed wrist.
Bend your knees rather than your back to get low.
Aim to make the ball bounce low in the kitchen, so the opponent cannot attack it.
Crosscourt dinks go over the lowest part of the net and give you more margin.

The dinking exchange is a test of patience. The first player to hit a ball too high, or to attack from a low position, usually loses the point.

When to attack

Attack a ball that comes to you above the height of the net.
Volley it down at the opponent's feet or towards their paddle-side hip.
Do not attack a ball below the net; dink it back and wait.

Simple doubles tactics

Move with your partner, as if joined by a rope, so you do not leave a gap down the middle.
Middle balls usually go to the player with the forehand in the middle, or whoever hit the previous shot crosscourt; agree it beforehand.
Target the weaker player or the one who is out of position.
Reset hard shots aimed at you into the kitchen rather than swinging back.

A practice plan

Ten minutes of crosscourt and straight dinks with a partner.
Third-shot drops from the baseline, with a partner at the kitchen line feeding.
Drive and drop alternated, so you learn to choose between them.

What part of the soft game took you longest to learn? Share your drills or ask about a shot you struggle with in the comments below.