Third shot
Third-shot drive
A controlled drive that applies pressure from the baseline and sets up a more favourable fifth shot.
Technique
Load through your legs and rotation without an excessive backswing.
Contact in front and below the centre of the ball.
Use topspin and a follow-through that keeps the ball in court.
Common errors
Hitting every third shot at maximum power.
Attacking with your weight held back.
Aiming at small lines without a tactical reason.
Tactics
The body and middle reduce the blocking angle.
Combine the drive with a soft fifth shot.
Avoid moving into a strong, low return.
Progression
Drive at a large target.
Drive followed by a fifth shot.
Choose between drive and drop according to the return.
Drills
Take it onto court
Drive at the body
Create a predictable response
Play at the volleyer’s dominant shoulder and prepare the next ball without rushing towards it.
Third and fifth
Build your transition
Alternate a third-shot drive with a fifth-shot drop or reset according to the height of the block.
Educational reference · Rubric v1
What each score means
This rubric explains what to look for in a shot; reading it is not an individual assessment. Its descriptors do not certify your level and are not PPP Performance Assessment results, which retain each assessment’s source and results separately.
Technique
Cannot yet accelerate compactly with stable footwork, contact in front and topspin; outcomes are unpredictable.
Can accelerate compactly with stable footwork, contact in front and topspin occasionally, but cannot sustain it through a series.
Can accelerate compactly with stable footwork, contact in front and topspin at moderate pace with predictable difficulty.
Can sustain the ability to accelerate compactly with stable footwork, contact in front and topspin under pressure, with variation and small adjustments.
Can consistently accelerate compactly with stable footwork, contact in front and topspin in real, competitive play.
Consistency
Cannot yet repeat deep drives that travel low without increasing errors; outcomes are unpredictable.
Can repeat deep drives that travel low without increasing errors occasionally, but cannot sustain it through a series.
Can repeat deep drives that travel low without increasing errors at moderate pace with predictable difficulty.
Can sustain the ability to repeat deep drives that travel low without increasing errors under pressure, with variation and small adjustments.
Can consistently repeat deep drives that travel low without increasing errors in real, competitive play.
Control
Cannot yet adjust speed and trajectory without losing balance; outcomes are unpredictable.
Can adjust speed and trajectory without losing balance occasionally, but cannot sustain it through a series.
Can adjust speed and trajectory without losing balance at moderate pace with predictable difficulty.
Can sustain the ability to adjust speed and trajectory without losing balance under pressure, with variation and small adjustments.
Can consistently adjust speed and trajectory without losing balance in real, competitive play.
Placement
Cannot yet pressure the body, middle or chosen gap; outcomes are unpredictable.
Can pressure the body, middle or chosen gap occasionally, but cannot sustain it through a series.
Can pressure the body, middle or chosen gap at moderate pace with predictable difficulty.
Can sustain the ability to pressure the body, middle or chosen gap under pressure, with variation and small adjustments.
Can consistently pressure the body, middle or chosen gap in real, competitive play.
Decision-making
Cannot yet recognise when the return allows a drive and decide how to play the fifth shot; outcomes are unpredictable.
Can recognise when the return allows a drive and decide how to play the fifth shot occasionally, but cannot sustain it through a series.
Can recognise when the return allows a drive and decide how to play the fifth shot at moderate pace with predictable difficulty.
Can sustain the ability to recognise when the return allows a drive and decide how to play the fifth shot under pressure, with variation and small adjustments.
Can consistently recognise when the return allows a drive and decide how to play the fifth shot in real, competitive play.
Player Development
Connect this shot to your development
Connect what you learn to your match play: choose a situation, try the practice suggestions and review what you notice afterwards.