Everybody loves ripping a powerful serve at their opponents. It's your chance to start the point and dictate the pace.
For the majority of serves, I agree that it is smart to send them deep into the court, pushing your opponent as far off the baseline as possible. But let's not neglect the rest of the service box.
Add another arrow to your quiver by practicing a short serve that bounces in the front third of the service box and stays low.
My favorite version of this is a serve targeting the sideline-corner of the service box. I like to use this on the ad (left) side of the court, which results in a low backhand return from my opponent.
The benefits of a tactical, short serve:
A well-placed short serve can catch your opponent off-guard, especially if they are standing a couple of feet behind the baseline.
It can also pull your opponent off to the side of the court, creating space down the middle for your 3rd shot.
This serve can even neutralize a banger that returns the ball with powerful groundstrokes.
It is more difficult to rip a big, topspin forehand on a serve that stays low vs a deep serve with a high bounce.
See if you can set this one up for yourself. After a few deep serves with pace, mix in this touch shot. It just might earn you a freebie.
Use this code for a 10% discount on a custom paddle
First Time Buyers Only
Why we are different
There are well over 100 paddle manufacturers serving the pickleball industry. We are the ONLY custom paddle manufacturer in the world. In order to understand what it is we do and why it’s unique, it’s necessary to understand how a paddle is made.
Every paddle with few exceptions has a honeycomb core. The different companies in the industry use one of three different materials for the core- aluminum, polymer and Nomex. We use all three. The core provides 75% of the way a paddle performs.
Then the honeycomb core is sandwiched between two thin layers of surface materials. Again, the different companies in the industry use three different materials- graphite, fiberglass composite and carbon fiber. We use all three. The surface material is about 25% of the way a paddle performs. Think of it as fine tuning the paddle’s performance characteristics.
The three different core materials combined with the three different surface materials make 9 different combinations of materials. Each plays differently. We make two (soon to be three) different shapes for our paddles. The Chaos has a large square sweet spot- at 8 1/2”, it is the widest paddle on the market. The Kratos has an equally large rectangular shaped sweet spot. Each combination of cores and surfaces is available in both the Chaos and Kratos shape.
Then we give each player the opportunity to select their paddle’s weight (ranging from 7.4-10.5 ounces).
Now comes the grip. Players can choose one of three different handle shapes, their grip size from 3 7/8” to 6”, one of three different grip materials and more than 10 colors for each grip style.
Now that the player has chosen the best paddle shape, core, surface and grip for their individual game comes the fun part. We can put any custom graphic the player chooses on their paddle face- either one of our many choices or one of their own- a picture, logo or graphic of their choosing.
Now every player can play with a totally bespoke paddle and watch their game immediately improve because they are playing with the right paddle for them in every way.
Every other sport has specialized equipment for every player except pickleball. Not anymore- now pickleball is catching up to other sports. Pickleball players spend a lot of time playing the game they love. Now they can play with the gear that suits them and not be forced to use a one size fits all paddle.
Want to Join Team TSD?
We are actively seeking avid pickleballers with sales experience to educate, demonstrate and promote Third
Shot Drop pickleball paddles.
Please send your prior sales experience, where you play, how often you play, what level player you are, if you
play Tournaments, how many players you can reach and your contact information to:
Ashley@ThirdShotDrop.com
Login with Facebook
