Jill Braverman Pickleball Strategy Shift: Top pickleball professional Jill Braverman recently explained why the old strategy of using a pickleball third shot drop is no longer the best move in the game. In a new video, filmed on a pickleball court, she shared simple techniques with fellow player Matt to improve drives and introduce a new method called the “drive-drip combo.”
Braverman believes that using powerful and smart third shot drives, followed by an effective fifth shot drip, is the future of winning points in pickleball. She highlighted three main mistakes most players make and gave tips to fix them quickly.
Driving the Ball Too Hard
The first mistake Jill Braverman discussed was swinging the paddle too fast. She pointed out that many players try to hit drives like tennis players, using too much power.
“So, you can see. Wow, that hit the back of the fence, guys, just to be clear.”
She called it “tennis-itis” and suggested slowing down the swing.
“So, Matt suffers from a case of tennis ititis, but don’t worry, the pickleball clinic has the cure.”
She emphasized that the goal of the third shot drive is not to win right away but to set up the fifth shot or give your partner a chance to crash the net.
“So with that said, do we want to hit our drive at 200% speed at 200 mph?”
Instead, Braverman told Matt to feel the ball on his paddle longer and aim for control.
“Can you almost feel the ball on your paddle longer and slower? Can you slow down the drive?”
After trying the slower drive, Matt noticed a big difference.
“Yeah, way easier. I’m making them all.”
Braverman explained that other pros like Connor Garnett and Jia Martinez-Vic gave her similar advice.
“If you can just aim for the top of the tape and slow your drive down, good things will happen.”
Matt followed her tips and got the hang of it quickly.
“The other thing I’m doing here is I’m trying to keep the ball on the paddle for as long as possible. So, increase my exposure.”
Braverman added that players should try to follow their drive to the net.
“So after you hit one, can you try and self close?”
She pointed out that players often speed up again too soon.
“Did you guys notice how all of a sudden it got faster?”
Ignoring the Fifth Shot
The second mistake Braverman highlighted was ignoring the importance of the fifth shot after a drive. Many players wait too long or don’t move forward quickly enough.
“The mistake everyone makes is they don’t get to it quick enough. They watch it and they let it come to them.”
She taught Matt to move fast after hitting the drive and get on top of the fifth ball.
“So, again, you want to reward yourself by hitting a great third shot drive to get on top of the fifth as soon as you can.”
Braverman introduced a new shot called the “drip,” a slower and controlled fifth shot drive.
“I want you to put some speed on that ball.”
Matt learned the speed difference needed between the third and fifth shots.
“Yeah. 40. 4050. Yeah. Nice. Come on. Love that. Nice.”
They practiced getting on top of short fifth shots quickly and split stepping at the right time.
“Notice that the movement pattern is go stop and then assess. It might be go stop go stop or go stop retreat go stop.”
She used this drill to help Matt improve his footwork and timing.
“That’s how you make pickle ball easy.”
Not Turning Enough on Drives
The third mistake Braverman mentioned was not turning the body properly during drives. She worked with a player named Luchia who had a strong backhand turn but stayed too open on her forehand.
“Look at that turn. Notice on the forehand, if she just hits it naturally, she’s super open.”
Braverman advised Luchia to make a bigger turn to gain power and accuracy.
“I have never had a student who I’ve said, you know what, you’re just turning a little too much.”
Luchia noticed the change right away.
“I feel like I can get more of my hip into it because I’m prepared more. There’s more torque.”
Even though Luchia’s drives didn’t have much top spin, they stayed low and strong.
“Like your drives are consistently very low. Big shoulder turn.”
Braverman told her that these well-placed drives could help her or her partner poach the next shot.
“That’s going to enable her partner to poach or it’s going to enable you to poach.”
She encouraged Luchia to follow in after hitting a drive.
“You want to take the fifth in the air?”
Watching the Ball Too Long
The fourth mistake Braverman covered was standing still after hitting the drive. Many players just watch the ball instead of preparing for the next shot.
“You hit your drive, you sit there and you have a cigarette in the lobby.”
She worked again with Luchia to fix this problem. Luchia said she often dropped instead of driving because she was slow getting to the kitchen.
“I’ve been trying to drop a little bit more so I can have more time to get in.”
But Braverman explained that a slower drive actually gives more time to move in.
“The drive buys you time, actually.”
She told Luchia to stop judging the fifth and just go for it.
“Get on top of the ball and then stop.”
When Luchia followed these tips, her footwork and timing improved quickly.
“There we go. Good.”
Braverman made it clear that every point should follow this pattern.
“That’s what every single point should look like until someone proves that that doesn’t work.”
Why This Matters
Jill Braverman’s lesson shows that the third shot drop is no longer the only way to succeed. Instead, she teaches that a smart, slower drive followed by a quick fifth shot drip is more effective. By correcting mistakes like overswinging, standing still, and turning too little, players can control the game better and win more rallies.
This teaching may change how many people train and play at all levels. As more players learn to drive and drip correctly, the pace and strategy of pickleball could evolve even further.
News in Brief: Jill Braverman Pickleball Strategy Shift
Top pro Jill Braverman says the third shot drop is outdated. In a lesson with Matt and Luchia, she showed how a slower third shot drive and quicker fifth shot drip can win points. Her tips fix common mistakes like overswinging, standing still, and not turning enough during the drive.