Learn the three most critical shots in pickleball that form the foundation of every point and separate beginners from competitive players.

The Pickleball Shot Trifecta: Mastering Return, Drop & 4th Shot Volley

Okay, real talk. When I first started playing pickleball, I was a mess. I thought the goal was to hit the ball as hard as possible and hopefully it would go over the net. I had no idea there was this whole sequence of shots that actually mattered.

It took me about six months—and a lot of frustrated partners—to realize that pickleball isn't about individual shots. It's about sequences. And there are three shots that determine pretty much every single point you play.

I'm talking about the Return, the Third Shot Drop, and the Fourth Shot Volley. Master these three, and you'll go from a player who just hits the ball to a player who actually constructs points. Ignore them, and you'll stay stuck in the "just hitting" phase forever.

Let me show you what I wish someone had showed me when I started.

Shot #1: The Return of Serve

Here's the thing about the return that I totally missed at first: it's not about hitting winners. I can't tell you how many times I tried to absolutely crush my returns, thinking I was going to end the point right there.

Spoiler alert: I didn't end the point. I either hit it into the net or popped it up for an easy putaway. Meanwhile, my partner would give me that look. You know the one.

The Real Goal: Just get the ball back in play deep, and get yourself moving toward the kitchen line. That's it. You're not trying to win the point on the return—you're trying to not lose it.

What Actually Worked for Me:

I used to stand right on the baseline because it felt safer. Closer to the net, right? Makes sense. But then this 4.0 player named Mike watched me struggle for like twenty minutes and finally said, "Dude, you're standing where you need to be stepping."

He was right. I moved back about two feet, and suddenly I could actually step into my returns instead of reaching for them. Game changer.

The Setup That Finally Clicked:

Stand about 2-3 feet behind the baseline. Not right on it. Not five feet back. Just give yourself enough room to actually step forward when you hit.

Keep your paddle up and ready. I used to let my paddle hang down by my side like I was waiting for a bus. Don't do that. Keep it up and in front.

When you hit, short backswing. I'm talking like a foot. Not a big windup. Just a little takeback and then push through the ball.

Placement Priorities:

Here's what I learned the hard way: deep beats perfect. I used to try to hit these perfect corner returns and miss by a mile. Then I started just focusing on getting it deep—like 2-3 feet from the baseline—and suddenly I was winning way more points.

If you can hit to the weaker player's backhand, great. But honestly? Just get it deep and low. That's 90% of the battle.

The Mistakes I Made Constantly:

Trying to hit winners. (Don't. Just don't.)

Standing too close to the baseline. (Give yourself room to step.)

Not moving forward after hitting. (This one killed me. I'd hit the return, watch it, stay back, and wonder why my next shot was terrible. You have to move immediately. Like, the second you hit it.)

What to Actually Practice:

Have someone serve to you twenty times. Count how many land in the back third of the court. If you're getting less than 14 out of 20, that's your problem. Fix that first.

Shot #2: The Third Shot Drop

Okay, this is the one that changed everything for me. And I'm going to be honest—it took me months to get comfortable with this. Months of hitting it into the net. Months of popping it up. Months of my partner sighing.

But once it clicked? Holy cow. It was like someone handed me the cheat codes to pickleball.

What It Actually Is:

You're standing at or near the baseline. Your opponents are already at the net (or getting there). You need to hit a soft shot that lands in their kitchen so you can get up there too.

Sounds simple, right? It's not. It's actually one of the hardest shots in pickleball.

The Breakthrough Moment:

I was practicing with this guy Dave who's like a 4.5 player, and I was struggling as usual. Finally he stopped me and said, "You're trying to hit it soft. Don't hit it soft. Hit it high."

I was like, "What?"

He explained: "You're thinking 'soft,' so you're babying it. Think 'high lob with control.' Get it up there and let gravity do the work."

I tried it. Instead of trying to gently tap it over, I just... hit it up. High arc. Let it come down in their kitchen. And it worked.

The Motion That Actually Works:

Use a continental grip. That's the one where you hold it like you're shaking hands with the paddle. Not some crazy eastern grip. Just nice and neutral.

Take a longer, smoother swing than you think you need. Most pickleball shots are quick and compact. This one isn't. You need time to get under the ball and lift it.

Brush up the back of the ball. You're not hitting through it like a drive. You're sliding under it and lifting.

Open paddle face. If your paddle is angled down, it's going into the net. Open it up.

The Mental Shift:

Here's what helped me most: I stopped thinking about hitting a perfect drop. I just started thinking about surviving the shot and getting to the net.

Some of my drops are perfect. Some are just... okay. But even the okay ones let me get up to the kitchen. And that's the whole point.

Common Mistakes (AKA My Greatest Hits):

Hitting too hard and watching it sail long. (Classic.)

Hitting too soft and watching it hit the net. (Also classic.)

Using too much wrist and losing all control. (The ball goes anywhere but where I wanted.)

Hitting from behind my body and popping it up. (Easy putaway for opponents.)

Not moving forward after hitting. (So now I'm stuck at the baseline while they're at the net. Great.)

The Reality Check:

You're going to mess this up a lot at first. That's normal. I probably hit 500 bad third shot drops before I started hitting decent ones. Just keep practicing. It will click eventually.

Shot #3: The Fourth Shot Volley

By the time you get to the fourth shot, everything depends on what happened with the third shot. If you hit a good third shot drop, you're probably at the kitchen line ready to volley. If you hit a mediocre one, you might be stuck in no man's land trying to figure out what to do.

The Decision:

This is where you have to be smart. You can't just hit every ball the same way. You have to read the situation.

When You're at the Kitchen Line:

If they hit a soft dink back to you, just dink it back. Don't get fancy. Minimal backswing, push it over, aim for their feet or a corner.

If they pop the ball up above net height, now you can attack. This is what you were waiting for. Short backswing, hit down on it, put it away.

If they drive it at you hard, just block it back. Soft hands, absorb the pace, reset the point.

When You're in the Transition Zone:

This is trickier. You're not at the net yet, so you can't really volley. You have to choose:

If the ball is high enough, you can drive it. Use their pace, aim deep, keep moving forward.

If the ball is low, just hit another soft drop. Buy yourself time to get to the net. Don't try to do too much.

If you're under pressure, lob over their heads. It's not pretty, but it works. Gives you time to reset.

What I Used to Do Wrong:

I would try to attack balls that weren't attackable. I was so eager to end the point that I'd try to crush balls that were below net height or I was off-balance for. Result? Errors. So many errors.

The lesson: Be patient. Wait for the right ball. Not every shot is a winner.

How the Trifecta Actually Works in Real Life

The Ideal Scenario:

You hit a nice deep return. They hit a decent third shot drop. You get to the kitchen line. Now you're dinking back and forth until someone makes a mistake or pops one up. That's high-level pickleball right there.

The Aggressive Scenario:

You hit a deep return. Their third shot drop is weak and pops up. You attack it and win the point. This happens when you put pressure on with your return.

The Defensive Scenario:

You hit an okay return. Your third shot drop is mediocre. They attack it. Now you're scrambling to reset and stay in the point. This is where your defense matters.

The Reality:

Most points are somewhere between these. You're constantly adjusting based on what your opponents give you.

The Practice Plan That Actually Works

Week 1-2: Returns Just practice returns. Have someone serve to you 50 times. Track how many go deep. Aim for 70% or better.

Week 3-4: Third Shot Drops Practice third shot drops from the baseline. Have someone feed you balls. Don't worry about winning points—just focus on getting the ball in their kitchen consistently.

Week 5-6: Fourth Shots Practice responding to different shots. Have your partner hit dinks, drives, and lobs. Learn to choose the right response.

Week 7+: Put it together Play actual points focusing on these three shots. Notice patterns. Adjust. Improve.

The Mindset Shift

Here's what I finally figured out: these three shots aren't just techniques. They're a mindset.

The return is about patience. Not trying to win immediately.

The third shot drop is about accepting imperfection. Just get it in play and get to the net.

The fourth shot is about reading the situation. Smart decisions over big shots.

When you start thinking this way, your whole game changes. You stop trying to hit winners on every ball and start constructing points. You become a chess player instead of a button masher.

And honestly? That's when pickleball gets really fun.

So go work on your trifecta. Start with the return. Get comfortable with the third shot drop. Learn to read the fourth shot. And watch your game transform.

Trust me on this one.