How To Lose In Pickleball – Master Your 3rd Shot Drive – Our New Paddle Sponsor

August 21, 2025

Universal Rackets Weekly Update!

Let’s Talk About Your Pickleball Game…

How To Lose In Pickleball…

When you step onto the court, there are really only three outcomes to every pickleball match:

1️⃣ You Win (the most desired).

2️⃣ Your Opponent Beats You (they earn it).

3️⃣ You Beat Yourself (the least desired).

The goal is simple: from this point forward, you will only accept #1 or #2.

What It Means To Beat Yourself

You beat yourself when you:

Go for shots you’ve never worked on.
Play outside of your strengths.
Get in your own head and lose focus.
Let your opponent’s antics or pressure affect you.
Try to do too much instead of playing steady.

Those are the moments where you’re handing points away — not making your opponent earn them. That’s outcome #3, and it’s the one you must eliminate.

The New Standard

Instead, from now on, if you ever lose, it’s going to be because your opponent beats you.

That means:

You’re going to hit the shots you’ve practiced and trained.
You’re going to play to your strengths — the ones you can rely on under pressure.
You’re going to give your absolute best effort in that given time period.

If you do those things and your opponent still wins? Then good. They earned it. That just means you go back to the practice court, put in the work, and come back stronger next time.

But you will not beat yourself.

Bring your best game every time you step on court. Play to your strengths, control what you can control, and let the result take care of itself. If you lose, tip your hat, practice harder, and know that next time you’ll be even better.

The Takeaway

In pickleball, there are only two real outcomes:

✅ You Win.

✅ Your Opponent Beats You.

Mastering the Third Shot Drive in Pickleball

One of the biggest game-changers in pickleball is learning how to control your third shot drive. Too many players step up and swing at 100% power — only to send the ball long, pop it up, or lose control of the rally.

The secret? Swing at 60–70% power instead.

Why Less Power = More Wins

🎯 Consistency Over Chaos – With less power, your margin for error shrinks. You’ll find your rhythm, hit more balls in, and stay in rallies longer.
🌀 Added Spin – A controlled swing naturally generates more spin, which helps keep the ball dipping down toward your opponent’s feet.
👣 Force Errors – By keeping the ball low, you make your opponent contact it at or below the net. That often produces a weaker, shorter return — giving you the chance to advance to the kitchen.

The Real Goal of the Drive

Remember: the third shot drive isn’t about blasting winners. It’s about setting up the point. In other words it’s not to win the point: it’s to create an opportunity. When you keep the ball low and controlled, you create the right conditions to move forward and get into position at the kitchen line — where points are truly won.

Take This To The Court

✅ Next time you practice, focus on hitting your third shot drives at 60–70% speed.

✅ Aim for your opponent’s feet, not the baseline.

✅ Work on consistency first — power comes later.

Bottom Line: Don’t think of the third shot drive as the knockout punch. Think of it as your invitation to the kitchen — where you can take control of the rally.

Click here for a full lesson on How to Hit a Forehand & Backhand 3rd Shot Drive

🎉 Big News: Universal Rackets is Now Sponsored by CRBN!

We’re excited to announce that Universal Rackets is officially sponsored by CRBN Pickleball — one of the fastest-growing and most trusted paddle companies in the game today.

Why CRBN? Because their paddles are built for power, spin, and control — everything a player needs to raise their game. We’ve tested them ourselves, and we couldn’t be more impressed.

Why We Love CRBN Paddles

Top Performance: CRBN paddles are designed with cutting-edge materials and engineering to deliver the perfect blend of pop and touch.
Player Approved: Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced competitor, there’s a CRBN paddle for your game.
Risk-Free Return Policy: The best part? Try any CRBN paddle — if you don’t love it, send it back hassle-free.

Special Discount for Our Players

As part of this partnership, all Universal Rackets players get 10% off their CRBN orders.

👉 Use code UNIVERSAL at checkout and save today!

Shop CRBN Paddles Here

Bottom Line: CRBN makes some of the best paddles on the market, and we’re thrilled to bring this partnership to our players. Don’t miss your chance to try them out — risk-free, with 10% off.

🍂 Fall Programs Are Here!

Universal Rackets is kicking off another exciting season — now offering programs at 38+ locations across PA, NJ, TX, FL, and IL!

Whether you’re looking for:

✅ Adult or Youth Clinics

✅ Rating Clinics

✅ Ready Set Rackets (Toddler Pickleball & Tennis Programs)

✅ Social Tournaments

✅ Round Robins

✅ Picklepaloozas

✅ Fundraising Events

✅ …or just a great way to play —

We’ve got something for every pickleballer and tennis player, at every age and skill level.

Why Universal Rackets?

As your all-in-one, inclusive community provider, Universal Rackets makes it easy to get involved. We offer:

Flexible scheduling — weekdays, weekends, mornings, and evenings.
Expert instruction for all levels.
Programs designed to build skills and community.

📍 Register Now by Region

Philadelphia Programs → www.phillypickleballclinics.com
Main Line Programs → www.mainlinepickleballclinics.com
Montgomery County Programs → www.montgomerypapickleball.com
Bucks County Programs → www.jerseyshorepickleballclinics.com

Don’t wait — spots fill fast every fall!

Grab your paddle, invite your friends, and join us on court this season.

Click here to view all of our PA programs!

How to Block Hard Shots in Pickleball

Big drives. Heavy smashes. Blazing returns. Every player faces them — and the difference between panicking or resetting often comes down to one skill: the block.

Blocking isn’t about swinging harder or fighting fire with fire. It’s about staying calm, softening your grip, and using your paddle face to redirect the ball low and controlled back over the net. Minimize movement, keep you paddle swing compact and concise.

Think “Block” not “Hit:

🎯 Takes the pace off: You don’t need to match your opponent’s power. You just absorb it.
🌀 Neutralizes the rally: A soft block buys you time and gets the ball back in play.
👣 Puts pressure on them: When you keep the ball low, your opponent is forced to hit up — giving you the advantage.

The Key: Repetition

Here’s the truth — the more you practice blocking, the easier it becomes.

Think about a pitcher facing a fastball. The first few times, it’s overwhelming. But over time, after seeing that fastball again and again, it becomes routine. Blocking in pickleball works the same way.

👉 The more often you drill against smashes, drives, and hard returns, the more natural blocking becomes.

Drill It Out

Partner Drill: Have your partner rip drives or smashes while you stand in mid-court or at the kitchen. Focus only on absorbing and redirecting softly.
Target: Keep the ball low and crosscourt to give yourself recovery time.
Goal: Don’t swing. Just let the ball meet your paddle.

Bottom Line

Hard shots don’t have to feel overwhelming. With soft hands, the right paddle angle, and — most importantly — consistent drilling, you’ll turn those fastballs into routine blocks. And once you do, you’ll own the rally.

Click here for a full video on How To Block Back Hard Shots

Lesson of the Week: How To Stop Lobbers

Click here to view this week’s lesson

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHTS FROM THIS WEEK!

Media Mom’s PicklePalooza X Dinks To Drinks!

Instagram post by @devon_rowland_realtor

3rd Annual Stone Harbor Pickleball Tournament

Instagram post by @universal.rackets

Junior Pickleball Summer Camps: Photos include Prosper Texas (Windsong), Lower Merion PA & Limerick PA!