Ask three people for advice on the best third shot option in pickleball and you’re bound to get three different answers.
Here’s a truth-bomb from Mari Humberg to try on for size: The best third shot is the one you can consistently get over the net.
And she should know; she’s got arguably the best slice in the pro game—forehand or backhand, men’s players or women’s.
Here’s how to mimic Mari’s third-shot slice drop and turn it into one of your most reliable weapons.
✅ Grip Check — Hold your paddle in a continental grip, like you’re shaking hands with the grip while the face is perpendicular to the ground. This one grip lets you slice using the forehand or backhand.
✅ Lock Your Wrist — Think of this as a chop motion with your arm rather than a cupping motion with your hand. Keep your paddle tip pointed up and at a diagonal, lock your wrist, and cut fluidly down through the ball.
✅ Move Through the Ball — Use your legs to move toward the ball. At the point of contact, get low and load your weight through your front foot. This helps leverage your momentum to carry you through the shot and toward your final destination: the Kitchen line.
✅ Finish in a Split — After contact, let your momentum take you one or two more steps, then stop with a split step. This centers you toward the next shot, puts you up on your toes, and gets the paddle in front of your body in a ready position.
✅ Now Rinse and Repeat — By her own admission, Mari is so good at this shot because she uses it time and time again. You may hit the same slice drop several times before establishing position at the kitchen line. And guess what? That’s totally fine.
Login with Facebook
