Basic Pickleball Shots: Dink, Drive, Volley and Third Shot Drop

Pickleball is easy to pick up, but you only start playing well once you know which shot fits each moment. Unlike tennis, the winner isn't the player who hits hardest; it's the one who controls the ball near the net and forces the opponent to pop it up. This guide covers the grip, the ready position and the ten shots you need for your first real games, with a summary table and simple drills.

Continental grip and ready position

The best grip to start with is the continental grip, the same one you'd use to hammer a nail. Hold the paddle as if you were shaking hands with it, with the "V" between your thumb and index finger on the top bevel of the handle. Its big advantage is that it works for forehands, backhands, volleys and serves without switching grips, which matters in a sport where exchanges at the net happen in a blink.

Keep a light grip pressure: on a scale of 1 to 10, around 3 or 4 for soft shots and a bit firmer for drives. A tense hand sends vibration up the forearm and kills your touch. If the handle feels thin or slippery, an overgrip fixes it.

The ready position matters just as much: feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, weight on the balls of your feet and the paddle in front of your chest, with the head tilted slightly up. From there you can reach both forehand and backhand with a short move. The classic mistake is letting the paddle hang at knee height; at the net you simply won't have time to bring it up.

Baseline shots: return of serve and drive

Return of serve

Because of the two-bounce rule, the serve must bounce before you return it, and your return must bounce before the serving team hits it. That's why the ideal return is deep and high, landing near the opponent's baseline. It keeps the server pinned back and buys you time to move up to the kitchen line. A hard but short return hands the net to your opponents. Return, then move forward right away.

Drive

The drive is the powerful baseline groundstroke, flat or with a little topspin, that skims low over the net. Use it to attack a high ball or to pressure an opponent stuck in midcourt. Swing low to high, transfer your weight forward and finish with the paddle pointing at your target. Carbon fiber paddles give more control on this shot; fiberglass faces add a bit more pop.

The third shot: drop or drive

The third shot is hit by the serving team after the return. Since the return also has to bounce, the serving team is usually still at the baseline while the returning team is already at the net. You have two options:

• Third shot drop: a soft, arcing ball that lands in the opponents' kitchen. It forces them to hit up and gives you time to move in. It's the hardest shot to master and the one that most clearly separates beginners from intermediate players.
• Third shot drive: a hard, low ball aimed at your opponents' feet. It works when the return was short or high, and it pairs well with a drop on the fifth shot.

The practical approach is to mix them up: if you always drop, opponents will read it; if you always drive, you'll get volleys back at your feet. Serve and two-bounce rules are covered in our pickleball rules guide.

Net shots: dink, volley and reset

Dink

A dink is a soft shot from the kitchen line that bounces inside your opponent's kitchen. Play it from the shoulder, not the wrist: the paddle barely moves and the ball just clears the net. The goal is to give your opponent nothing to attack. Dink rallies are the signature of pickleball, and whoever pops the ball up first usually loses the point. You're allowed to step into the kitchen to hit a ball that has already bounced; we explain it in the kitchen rule.

Volley and punch volley

A volley is hitting the ball before it bounces, and you can only do it with both feet outside the kitchen and off the line. The punch volley is a short, firm volley, a "punch" in front of your body with no backswing. It's ideal for balls at chest height. If the ball comes in low, don't attack it; block it softly into the kitchen.

Reset

The reset is a defensive shot that turns a fast ball into a slow, low one that drops into the opponents' kitchen. You do it by absorbing pace with an open paddle face and a very loose grip. It's the shot that saves you when you get caught in midcourt.

Lob and overhead

The lob sends the ball high and deep over an opponent at the net. It works as a surprise, especially when the other player is crowding the kitchen; if it lands short, expect it to be smashed. Use it sparingly and on purpose.

The overhead (smash) is the answer to a short lob or any high ball. Turn sideways, point at the ball with your free hand and hit out in front of your body toward your opponent's feet or an open gap.

Shot chart: when to use each shot

Shot	Where from	When to use it	Goal
Return of serve	Baseline	Every time after the serve	Deep, so you can get to the net
Drive	Baseline or midcourt	High ball or opponent deep	Pressure, aim at the feet
Third shot drop	Baseline	Opponents at the net	Land in the kitchen and move in
Third shot drive	Baseline	Short or high return	Force an error or weak volley
Dink	Kitchen line	Net rallies	Deny the attack
Volley / punch volley	Outside the kitchen	High ball out of the air	Finish or apply pressure
Reset	Midcourt	Under attack, far from the net	Neutralize and get back to the line
Lob	Net or baseline	Opponent crowding the net	Surprise and buy time
Overhead	Anywhere	High, short ball	Win the point

Drills for beginners

1. Crosscourt dinks (10 minutes): both players at the kitchen line, diagonally across. Count how many dinks in a row you can hit without the ball floating up.
2. Drops from the baseline: the player at the net feeds balls to the baseline; the other tries to drop them into the kitchen. Switch every 20 balls.
3. Volley to volley: both players outside the kitchen, soft, controlled volleys at chest height without letting the ball bounce.
4. Deep returns: mark a zone about 3 ft from the baseline and aim your returns there.
5. Wall work: if you're practicing alone, a smooth wall is great for volleys and short-range dinks.

To drill with a big basket of balls without bending down every two minutes, a ball retriever saves time and your back.

Common beginner mistakes

• Hitting every ball hard: in pickleball, patience wins more points than power.
• Hanging out in midcourt, the "transition zone", where every ball ends up at your feet.
• Using the wrist on dinks instead of the shoulder.
• Stepping on the kitchen line while volleying.
• Letting the paddle drop between shots.

If you're still choosing gear, beginner paddles have a large sweet spot that forgives off-center hits.

Recommended gear for this guide