Hey friend!

Happy to be back in your inbox and this time I want to talk about an important pattern.

Everyone obsesses over the third shot drop. And yes, it's a HUGELY important shot. But in order to level UP, I want you to stop thinking of it as a standalone shot. Every shot we hit is a building block to what comes to us next, but I will often see players nail a beautiful 3rd shot and then completely miss out on an effective 5th.

The 3rd shot is a vehicle, not a destination, and the point is to either get up to the kitchen line or at least closer to it. The 5th shot is frequently the shot that seals the deal and gets us the rest of the way and is vitally important for upping our kitchen arrival percentage. Remember that we win points at the kitchen line, so the more we are able to get there, the higher likelihood of winning more points.

THIS WEEK’S CONCEPT

Think of your 3rd and 5th shots as a two-move sequence, not separate shots. Your 3rd buys you time to transition; your 5th closes the deal. If you’re only practicing them in isolation, you’re only half-training.

3 PATTERNS WORTH KNOWING

1. 3rd Drop → 5th drop The classic patient pattern. Use when the returner puts pressure on you. Two resets, then look to attack.

2. 3rd Drop → 5th attack When your 3rd lands aggressively and they’re picking your drop off the ground or their shoelaces, you’ve earned the right to be aggressive on the 5th

3. 3rd Drive → 5th drop One of my favorites for intermediate players. Hit that 3rd drive to get a mid-court ball, then drop the 5th right at their feet and close.

Want to learn more? Watch here:

​

🌴COMING SOON!
​Athena Pickleball Retreats

I'm building something special: Small-group women's pickleball retreats...boutique, all-inclusive, 8–12 players, focused on real skill progression with a lot of fun mixed in. Think amazing locations, intentional drilling, great people.

If this sounds like your kind of thing, get on the interest list and you'll hear about it first.
​
​Click below or just reply to this email! 👇🏼

Current Weekly Clinic Schedule

All sessions are held at California Smash in El Segundo, CA. Come see me!

Get the Cali Smash app to register for clinics:
​Android ​
​Apple​

Interested in working together privately? Just reply to this email for more info.

See you on the courts!

Coach Jess
Athena Pickleball 🏓✨