3 Pickleball Skills That Separate Average From Advanced Players

Moving up in pickleball isn’t just about playing more games or buying better equipment. Most intermediate players already understand the fundamentals: position yourself at the net, control the kitchen area, and maintain composure when the pressure rises. But there’s a significant difference between understanding these concepts intellectually and executing them consistently when you’re in the middle of a competitive rally with an opponent who’s attacking aggressively.

The gap between average and advanced players comes down to specific technical skills that require dedicated practice and attention. These aren’t flashy moves or trick shots. They’re foundational abilities that advanced players execute with such consistency that they seem automatic. According to training insights from experienced coaches, three particular skills stand out as the differentiators: maintaining high-percentage third shot drop consistency, resetting effectively under defensive pressure, and controlling exchanges at the net through blocking and countering.

Understanding the Skill Gap: What This Means for Your Game

Before diving into each skill, it’s worth taking a step back to understand why these three abilities matter so much for players trying to break through to the next level. Pickleball is fundamentally a game of patience and positioning. Unlike sports where pure power dominates, pickleball rewards players who can neutralize their opponent’s attacks, control the pace of play, and create opportunities through strategic shot placement rather than brute force.

The third shot drop, the reset, and net play skills all serve this strategic framework. Each one addresses a specific moment in the flow of a point where average players tend to break down. The third shot drop gets you into a neutral position after the serve. The reset keeps you alive when you’re defending. Net play skills allow you to finish points or extend rallies when you’re at the kitchen line. Together, these three skills form a complete game that can handle whatever your opponents throw at you.

For someone new to competitive pickleball or still learning the terminology, think of it this way: imagine a chess match where you need specific moves to transition from the opening to the middle game, then from the middle game to the endgame. In pickleball, the third shot drop is your opening transition, the reset is your defensive middle game, and net play is your endgame. Without mastery of all three phases, you’ll struggle against opponents who can execute them consistently.

The Third Shot Drop: Moving From Inconsistent to Reliable

The third shot drop might be the most discussed shot in pickleball instruction, yet it remains one of the least consistently executed shots among intermediate players. Statistics from coaching observations suggest that many players execute successful third shot drops only about half the time. That 50% success rate creates a serious problem because every failed drop becomes a free opportunity for your opponent to attack.

The goal isn’t perfection—that’s unrealistic even for professional players—but raising your consistency to around 80% transforms your game entirely. At that level, you’re dictating the terms of engagement rather than hoping your shot works out. The key to reaching this consistency lies in understanding that there are actually two distinct approaches to hitting the third shot drop, and choosing the right one depends entirely on how your opponent is positioning themselves and applying pressure.

The first approach uses what coaches call a tennis-style drop. This shot relies heavily on spin while keeping the ball trajectory low and tight to the net. The ball travels in a flatter arc and stays close to the top of the net before dropping into the kitchen. This shot works beautifully when your opponent stays back or doesn’t aggressively pressure the kitchen line. The low trajectory gives them less time to react and makes it harder for them to attack with their hands above the net.

The second approach is the table tennis-style drop, which incorporates both loft and spin in combination. This shot sends the ball higher over the net but still lands softly in the kitchen due to the spin applied. While it might seem counterintuitive to hit the ball higher—giving your opponent more time to react—this approach actually provides more margin for error when you’re hitting from farther back on the court or when your opponent is pressuring aggressively at the kitchen line.

Here’s why this matters in practical terms: when your opponent steps into the kitchen to cut off angles and apply pressure, a low tennis-style drop becomes significantly harder to control. You’re hitting from the baseline, and you need to clear the net while keeping the ball low enough that it doesn’t float. That’s a very small margin for error. But when you use a high, spinny table tennis-style drop, you create more room to work with. The ball travels higher so you’re less likely to hit the net, and the spin you apply keeps it from sailing long even with the higher arc.

The Pressure Drill That Builds Consistency

Understanding the two styles of drops is only the first step. The real transformation comes through deliberate practice that simulates match conditions. The most effective drill for building third shot drop consistency involves progressive pressure that forces you to adapt and execute under increasingly difficult circumstances.

The drill structure is straightforward but challenging. One player positions themselves at the baseline and focuses exclusively on hitting third shot drops. The other player stands at the net in an offensive position, ready to attack any ball that sits up or floats too high. In the beginning, the net player might stand a comfortable distance back from the kitchen line, giving the baseline player a larger target area and more room for error.

As the rally progresses and the baseline player finds some rhythm, the net player begins stepping closer and closer to the kitchen line. This incremental pressure increase forces the baseline player to adjust their shot selection and execution. What worked when your opponent was three feet behind the line won’t work when they’re right on top of the kitchen, ready to pounce on anything that pops up.

The magic of this drill emerges when you start combining loft and spin effectively. You’re not simply dropping the ball anymore—you’re actively controlling the pace and trajectory so your opponent cannot put the ball away even when they’re in an aggressive position. Even if they manage to attack your drop, the combination of height and spin prevents them from finishing the point. The ball sits too high for a clean put-away, and the spin makes it difficult to control the angle of their attack. This forces them to either wait for a bounce, potentially giving up their advantageous position, or let the ball go entirely if it’s dropping into the kitchen.

The repetition built into this drill cannot be overstated in its importance. When you practice this pattern consistently, you’re building muscle memory that transcends conscious thought. After hundreds of repetitions, your body begins to understand what works in different situations. You don’t need to stand at the baseline thinking about spin rates and trajectories—your hands simply know what to do based on where your opponent is positioned and how much pressure they’re applying.

Most players who commit to this drill regularly report moving from that 50% success rate to 80% or higher within several weeks of consistent practice. The key word is consistent—doing the drill once won’t create lasting change. But incorporating it into your regular practice routine, perhaps two or three times per week, creates the kind of repetition that builds genuine skill development.

Resetting Under Pressure: The Defensive Skill That Changes Everything

If the third shot drop is about establishing position, the reset is about survival and recovery. A reset shot is essentially a soft, controlled shot that you hit from the baseline or mid-court area in response to a hard attack from your opponent. The ball lands in your opponent’s kitchen, effectively neutralizing their aggressive shot and allowing you to recover position and get back into the point.

This sounds simple in theory, but in practice, the reset might be the single most difficult shot in pickleball to execute consistently. The reason comes down to the circumstances under which you’re forced to hit it. You’re often out of position, having been pushed back by your opponent’s previous shot. The ball is coming at you with significant pace. You need to absorb all that energy and redirect it softly into the kitchen. And you need to do this while removing tension from your body—tension that naturally appears when you’re under defensive pressure.

One small mistake in execution and the ball either drops into the net or sails long past the baseline. The margin for error is incredibly small, which is why even advanced players sometimes struggle with reset consistency under heavy pressure.

There are two primary types of resets that you need to master. The volley reset is taken out of the air before the ball bounces. This requires exceptional timing and soft hands because you’re intercepting the ball while it still has significant pace. The bounce reset is taken after allowing the ball to bounce first. This gives you slightly more time to prepare and set your feet, but it also means you’re hitting from a lower position, which can make it harder to clear the net while keeping the ball in the kitchen.

Both types require different footwork patterns and timing, but the underlying principle remains constant: you must absorb the pace from your opponent’s shot and drop the ball softly into their kitchen, ideally low enough that they cannot attack it aggressively on their next shot.

The Progressive Reset Drill That Builds Muscle Memory

Building reset consistency requires a specific type of practice that emphasizes progressive repetition. The drill structure starts simple and gradually increases in complexity and volume, forcing your body to adapt and develop the muscle memory necessary for automatic execution under pressure.

The drill begins with one ball directed to your forehand side, which you’ll handle as a volley reset by taking it out of the air. Then one ball comes to your backhand side, which you’ll handle as a bounce reset after letting it bounce. This simple pattern—one forehand volley, one backhand bounce—establishes the basic rhythm and allows you to focus on technique without being overwhelmed.

As you develop comfort with the pattern, you progress to two balls on each side, alternating between volley and bounce resets. The pace increases slightly, but you’re still working within a manageable framework. From there, you continue adding balls—three on each side, then four, then five or more in a continuous sequence.

The real transformation happens through volume. If you commit to practicing this drill twice daily, you’ll hit hundreds of reset shots in a single week. After a week or two of consistent practice, you’re looking at 600 to 800 resets under your belt. At that point, the shot stops being something you think about and becomes something you simply do. Your body recognizes the situation—opponent attacks, ball coming with pace, need to reset—and responds automatically with the appropriate technique.

One technical detail that often gets overlooked: when the ball comes straight at your body, resist the natural instinct to default to your forehand. Instead, use both hands together to handle the ball. This feels awkward initially, especially for players who strongly prefer their forehand side. But with practice, the two-handed reset becomes natural and actually provides better control in those body-shot situations where you don’t have time to move around the ball.

Net Play: Blocking, Countering, and Decision Making

The third critical skill set actually encompasses three related abilities: blocking, countering, and recognizing when to let the ball go or use a lob. This is where the game becomes truly dynamic because you’re dealing with rapid-fire decision making while positioned at the kitchen line with your opponent just seven feet away doing the same thing.

When your opponent speeds up the ball at the net—hitting it hard at your body or to one side—you face immediate choices. You can block the ball back softly, using your paddle to absorb the pace and drop it into their kitchen. You can counter the speed-up with your own aggressive shot, redirecting the pace back at them. Or you can recognize that the ball is traveling too high and either let it sail out or lob it deep to push your opponents back from the net.

The difference between average and advanced players isn’t that advanced players always make the perfect choice—it’s that they make quick, decisive choices based on ball trajectory, pace, and positioning. Average players often default to the same response regardless of the situation, or they hesitate and end up making a poor choice simply because they ran out of time to think.

The Speed-Up, Block, Counter Drill

Building comfort and confidence at the net requires simulating the chaos of actual match conditions. The most effective drill combines all three skills—blocking, countering, and lob recognition—in a single continuous sequence that forces rapid decision making and quick hands.

The drill begins with your opponent hitting a speed-up directly at you or to one side. You block it back softly, attempting to drop it into their kitchen. They counter your block with another speed-up, and you block again. After a couple of blocks, you transition to your own counter, attacking back aggressively. If your opponent’s shot travels high enough, you let it go or respond with a lob to reset the point.

This pattern repeats continuously, with balls coming to your forehand and backhand in alternating fashion. You’re shuffling side to side along the kitchen line, staying low in an athletic position, and making split-second decisions about how to handle each ball. The first few times you run this drill, it feels chaotic and overwhelming. Balls are flying everywhere, you’re not sure whether to block or counter, and your positioning feels awkward.

But after enough repetitions, something shifts. The chaos begins to feel manageable. You start recognizing patterns in ball trajectory that tell you whether to block or counter. Your hands develop the reflexes necessary to react without conscious thought. Your footwork smooths out as you learn to recover quickly between shots.

The goal of this drill isn’t to execute perfectly every time—that’s unrealistic even for professionals. The goal is to develop reflexes and comfort at the net so that you can handle pace without panicking. When you’re comfortable at the net, you can control the kitchen, extend rallies when necessary, and finish points when opportunities present themselves.

Why These Three Skills Matter Most

With countless skills to work on in pickleball, why prioritize these three above others? The answer lies in understanding where most players actually break down during competitive play. You might have excellent footwork, a powerful serve, and good court awareness. But if you can’t consistently execute a third shot drop, you’ll never establish good positioning at the net. If you can’t reset under pressure, you’ll lose every rally where your opponent gets the first attack. If you can’t handle pace at the net, you’ll get bullied by opponents who speed the ball up effectively.

These three skills also build on each other in a way that creates a complete game. A good third shot drop earns you enough time to transition forward and establish position at the net. Once you’re there, your reset ability keeps you alive when opponents attack aggressively. And your net play skills allow you to both defend against attacks and convert opportunities into winning shots.

Together, they address the three critical phases of most pickleball points: the transition after the serve, the defensive situations where you’re under pressure, and the net exchanges where points are ultimately won or lost. Master these three skills, and you’ll have the complete toolkit necessary to compete at an advanced level.

The path from average to advanced isn’t about discovering secret techniques or buying better equipment. It’s about identifying the specific skills that advanced players execute consistently and then putting in the deliberate practice necessary to develop those same abilities. The third shot drop, the reset, and net play skills represent the core competencies that separate players who plateau at intermediate levels from those who continue progressing toward advanced and competitive play.

Implementing These Skills Into Your Practice Routine

Understanding these skills intellectually is only the beginning. The real work comes in structuring your practice time to develop them systematically. Rather than just playing games and hoping to improve through osmosis, dedicate specific portions of your practice sessions to drilling these three areas.

A balanced practice routine might dedicate 20 minutes to third shot drop work, focusing on both the tennis-style and table tennis-style variations under progressive pressure. Another 20 minutes could go to reset drills, building volume and consistency through repetition. The final 20 minutes might focus on net play, running through the speed-up, block, counter sequences until your hands develop the necessary reflexes.

This doesn’t mean you never play actual games. Games provide the context and competition that makes practice meaningful. But by dedicating focused time to skill development separate from game play, you accelerate your progress significantly. The drills build the technical foundation, and the games give you opportunities to implement those skills under real pressure with points on the line.

The players who progress most rapidly are those who treat practice as skill development time rather than just warm-up before playing. They understand that improvement comes from deliberate, focused work on specific weaknesses rather than just playing more games and reinforcing existing patterns.

Moving from average to advanced in pickleball requires honest assessment of where your game breaks down and deliberate practice focused on addressing those weaknesses. For most players, the three skills outlined here—third shot drop consistency, resetting under pressure, and net play competency—represent the exact areas where that breakdown occurs most frequently. Focus your practice energy on these three areas, commit to the drill work necessary to build genuine compet