The Overlooked Game-Changer: Mastering the 4th Shot in Pickleball

When it comes to pickleball strategy, we spend a lot of time talking about the third shot—the infamous drop, the aggressive drive, the tricky drip. But there’s one shot that tends to fly under the radar, even though it plays a pivotal role in how the point unfolds:

The Fourth Shot.

The Forgotten Shot

The fourth shot—hit by the returning team after a third shot from the serving team—is arguably the least thought-out shot in pickleball. Why? Because of a persistent myth that’s been passed around courts for years:

“Just keep your opponents back.”

Sounds logical, right? In theory, if your opponents are stuck at the baseline, they can’t hurt you. But in practice, this mindset leads to one of the most common and costly mistakes at every level of play…

The Deadly Volley in Midcourt

When we focus only on keeping opponents “back,” we tend to send them fast, high-bouncing balls—exactly the kind of balls they love to attack.

What we end up giving them is a swing volley in the transition zone—a perfect setup for an aggressive shot at our feet, or worse, past us.

It’s the shot that ends the rally… against us.

And here’s the kicker: most players don’t even realize they’re doing it.

The Better Approach: Make the Ball Bounce

Instead of feeding your opponents juicy volley opportunities, flip the script:

🎯 Make the ball bounce.
🎯 Force them to hit upward.
🎯 Target their feet.
🎯 Make them move.

Whether it’s a heavy topspin roll, a short slice, or a deep dipping return, your goal on the fourth shot should be to disrupt rhythm, deny easy contact, and keep your opponents in chaos.

Because here’s the truth: chaos wins.

Defense as Offense

As the returning team, your job is not just to survive—it’s to disrupt. Your opponents are trying to get to the net. Your fourth shot should make that journey miserable.

You don’t need a fancy 4.5 rating to apply this. At every level, from rec to competitive, this one shift in thinking—making the fourth shot bounce—will change how you control points.