There are few PPA pros playing with more confidence right now than Eric Oncins. Coming off a stellar 2025 season, it’s no wonder he’s a nominee for The 120/Life Dink AwardsBreakout Player of the Year.
So when he hits a court with APP standout Tanner Tomassi to talk speeding up off the bounce, you best listen.
The first mistake people make when attacking from the middle is letting the ball get too close to their body. If you’re jammed, you lose all your leverage. Instead, take a step back with your paddle-side foot before contact. This extra space makes all the difference.
Always drop your paddle tip low. This allows you to get under the ball to generate maximum topspin. But it’s also about deception; now your opponent can’t tell if you’re going to dink it softly or rip it at their hip. Nice.
Finally, load up on that paddle-side knee. As you make contact, you aren't just swinging your arm; you’re explosively transferring that weight forward.
Now here’s the 1-2 punch to pull this all together.
Oncins uses a simple but deadly pattern to consistently open up space through the middle. He’ll hit two sharp, inside-out dinks in a row, pulling his cross-court opponent out nice and wide. That third shot? You guessed it — a nasty speed-up right down Main Street.
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
