by Jenny Foster
All pickleball players know about the 3rd shot drop. But there’s another shot that comes after the return of the 3rd shot drop, that is, the 5th shot drop.
The 5th shot drop is made by the serving team. In this case, after the 3rd shot drop, the player hitting the ball will decide whether to drive the ball to get a point or drop the ball into the kitchen while hoping for an easier to hit return.
The 5th shot drop becomes useful in certain conditions, such as in pickleball games during a windy day or when the opponents are playing close to the net and have quite A poor reaction time. Another case is when the player decides to make a 3rd shot drive with the aim of getting a shorter return, which is easier to hit as a drop in the non-volley zone.
A sample series of shots the leads to the 5th shot drop is as follows:
What pickleball players should remember is that the 3rd shot drop is not only aimed to reach the 5th shot drop. It may lead to 7th or higher shot drops depending on the player’s situation in court, that is, the moment that is most conducive to make an effective drop shot.
The 5th shot drop can also be used by pickleball players to their advantage if their opponents have slower reaction time. However, every pickleball player should realize that they can only effectively use this shot with sufficient practice. Likewise, the improvement of the 5th shot drop should be complemented with the development of one’s drive skills.