As you become a more advanced pickleball player, details start to matter. Minor tweaks in your game can translate to noticeable performance upgrades. It’s time to sweat the small stuff.
Take, for example, how tightly you grip the paddle depending on the type of shot. Pro James Ignatowich walks us through how he approaches grip pressure for a variety of shots—turns out, if you’re holding on for dear life, you’re probably doing it wrong.
Loose Grip
For these shots, you want to let the ball do most of the work. The angle of your paddle face and swing motion of your arm will dictate where the ball goes. Keep a light grip and a loose wrist for best results.
Resets: 2/10
Forehand dinks: 2/10
Backhand dinks (one-handed slice): 3/10
Backhand dinks (two-handed roll): 4/10
Dropshots: 4/10
Lob: 4/10
Medium Grip
These shots require power, but that comes from a loose, whip-like swing motion that starts in your legs, moves through your torso, and explodes through your arm to the paddle face. A death grip on the paddle will only choke out the potential for full power.
Serve: 5/10
Overhead smash: 6/10
Forehand drive: 6/10
Tight Grip
When the ball is coming at you fast, a locked wrist and controlled paddle face will help you counter speed with speed. You’ll need a tighter grip to be effective here, but make note: you’re still not squeezing as tight as you can.
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
