Overview
This video provides an in-depth breakdown of the fourth shot in pickleball, explaining its significance and strategies for executing it effectively to maintain or increase court advantage.
Defining the Fourth Shot and Advantage
- The fourth shot occurs after the serve, return, and third shot, making it pivotal in determining court control.
- Achieving the “kitchen advantage” (being at the kitchen line) is crucial for increasing point-winning chances.
- “Plus one” and “plus two” advantages describe scenarios where a team has more players at the kitchen line than the opponents.
- The goal is to move from a “plus one” to a “plus two” advantage or maintain it as long as possible.
Reading and Responding to Third Shots
- The opponent’s third shot will generally be a drive or a drop, and the correct fourth shot depends on recognizing which was used.
- For a third shot drive:
- First approach: Block the ball back to the driver to maintain advantage.
- Second approach: Send the ball behind the poaching opponent anticipating their movement.
- Use a short, compact swing to reduce errors when returning driven balls.
- For a third shot drop:
- If the drop is high, smash aggressively to retain control.
- If the drop is mid-height, target the weaker opponent to maintain pressure.
- For well-executed drops, carefully judge whether to attack out of the air or let it bounce.
- If the contact point off the bounce is higher than in the air, let it bounce and apply pressure with the shot.
- Avoid overreaching or attacking low balls, which can lead to loss of advantage or easy opponent attacks.
- Mature play involves recognizing when to concede the kitchen line after a quality drop rather than forcing risky shots.
Common Mistakes and Key Principles
- Avoid taking every ball out of the air, as this can result in errors or ceding the kitchen.
- Judging the trajectory and deciding whether to attack or concede is critical.
- Attacking from a low contact point is discouraged; instead, use a crosscourt dink after stepping back if conceding.
Recommendations / Advice
- Prioritize kitchen line positioning to maximize winning probability.
- Use compact swings and avoid excessive force when returning hard shots.
- Assess each shot carefully; do not default to aggressive play if the situation does not warrant it.
- Target the weaker player following a third shot drop.
- Make mature choices to concede the kitchen when faced with excellent drops rather than risk mistakes.