What Is a Drive in Pickleball?

Quick Answer: A drive is a hard, low, flat shot hit with pace, usually from the baseline or mid-court. It is meant to rush opponents, force a weak reply, or attack a ball that has floated high. It is the aggressive alternative to the soft third shot drop.

Drives are the shot most new players hit by instinct and the shot most intermediate players learn to hit less often. Understanding what a drive is actually for is what separates the two.

What makes a shot a drive?

Pace and trajectory, not the swing itself.

A drive travels fast, flat, and low over the net. It is struck with a full swing and topspin in most cases, and it is aimed to arrive at the opponent’s feet or body rather than to land deep and float.

That distinguishes it from the sport’s other main shots. A drop travels high and soft to land in the kitchen. A lob travels high and deep over the opponents. A dink is soft and short. A drive is the one that arrives before anyone is ready, which is precisely its purpose.

What is a drive actually for?

Three jobs, and they are more specific than “hit it hard.”

• Forcing a weak reply. A hard low ball at an opponent’s feet is difficult to handle cleanly. A popped-up answer gives your team the attack.
• Buying time to advance. A drive that is not put away lets the driving team move forward behind it, which is the whole point of a third shot drive.
• Punishing a high ball. Any ball that floats above net height is drivable, and taking that opportunity is basic percentage play.

The third shot drive deserves its own note, because it is the alternative to the drop that gets discussed as though it were a lesser option. It is not. Driving the third shot, then coming in behind the opponents’ block, is a standard and effective pattern, particularly for players with reliable topspin. Our guide to the third shot drop covers the soft option it competes with.

When should you drive and when should you drop?

Drive when the ball sits up and your opponents are not yet set. Drop when the ball is low and they are already at the kitchen line.

The reliable read is contact height. A ball you can strike at waist height or above supports a drive, because you can hit down through it and keep it low. A ball at ankle height does not: driving it requires lifting, and lifted drives float into easy putaways.

Opponent position is the second input. Two opponents already established at the net will block a drive down at your feet, which hands them the advantage. Opponents still moving forward have less time and less balance, which is when a drive pays.

The error to watch for is driving low balls from deep because hitting hard feels productive. It is a common way to give back points already won, and the fix is a single rule about contact height rather than any change in technique.

How do you hit a good drive?

Low to high with the legs, brushing up the back of the ball, finishing in front of the body.

Topspin is what makes a drive safe. A flat hard ball has almost no margin over the net, while a topspin drive can clear by more and still dip inside the baseline. Contact out in front matters for the same reason: it lets the paddle travel upward through the ball rather than swatting at it beside you.

Target selection does more work than pace does. Drives aimed at the opponent’s dominant-side hip are hardest to answer, because neither a forehand nor a backhand block is comfortable there. Drives aimed at the middle of a doubles team create hesitation. Drives aimed at nothing in particular get blocked back into the kitchen.

And a drive is only half a plan. The shot that follows, usually a soft reset off the block, is what converts pressure into position, and our guide to the reset in pickleball covers it.

FAQ

What is a drive in pickleball? A hard, low, flat shot hit with pace, usually from the baseline or mid-court, meant to rush opponents or force a weak reply.

What is a third shot drive? A drive hit as the serving team’s third shot, as an aggressive alternative to the third shot drop, with the team advancing behind it.

Is a drive better than a drop? Neither is better. Drives suit high contact points and unsettled opponents; drops suit low contact points and opponents already at the net.

When should I not drive? When the ball is at your ankles or both opponents are established at the kitchen line. Lifted drives from low contact are easy putaways.

Do I need topspin to drive? It helps considerably. Topspin gives the shot net clearance while still dipping inside the baseline, which flat drives cannot do.

Where should I aim a drive? At the opponent’s dominant-side hip, at their feet, or at the middle of a doubles team. Aiming at open court gives them time.

Can you drive a serve return? Yes, and a driven return is a common way to pressure the serving team into a weak third shot.

Why do I lose points driving? Usually because of contact height. Driving balls below net level requires lifting, and lifted balls get attacked.

Want the shot taught rather than guessed at? The coaches in our directory drill drive and drop selection directly, and the camps and clinics listings cover the third shot in depth.

Written by the Pickler Junction Team.