Third Shot Drop as a Team

Aim Drops to the Outside Corners of the Kitchen to Limit Opponents' Options. Use the Wedge Formation to Cover the Court, Moving Forward Step by Step. Practice Moving Forward as a Team to Control the Kitchen Game.

Key Points

There are a few options with the third shot: drop, drive, or even a lob
The main focus on the third shot should be on drops and drives
When dinking or hitting a third shot drop, aiming for the outside corner of the kitchen sets up the point well
Aiming for the corners is beneficial because it gives the receiving team only one spot that they can put the ball
A drive can be hit towards the middle of the court or right at the opponent if they’re off balance
Dropping to the middle is generally not a good idea, because it creates 3 open spots that the opponents can hit to (dropping to the corner only leaves one open spot to hit to - cross-court)
The goal is to be on offense and move up to engage in the kitchen game
When hitting the third shot drop towards the outside kitchen corner, the player on the side the ball was hit slides over to cover the line, and their partner slides over to guard the middle. This “wedge” formation cuts down on the space the opponent has to play with
When hitting the third shot, you should consider where you are going to move and how you can make your court smaller so the opponents have less space to play
In the video, the serving team is aiming their drops to the outside corners of the kitchen and moving into the wedge formation
Rather than advancing to the kitchen right away, it’s often preferable to stop in the midcourt zone in order to hit a fifth shot drop or drive
The better your third shot drop, the further forward you can move. When your opponent makes contact, you should stop moving forward and begin anticipating the next shot
Advancing forward is a step by step process - almost like “leap frog.” The key is for the serving team to aim their drops and position themselves on the court in order to make their side smaller and isolate where their opponent can hit their shot
Drilling with two players up and two players back is great for working on moving forward as a team
In the wedge formation, one player’s role is to protect the line and the other player’s role is to protect the middle