If you’ve been playing rec pickleball long enough, you’ve probably heard someone say:
“Nice drop!”
“Nice roll!”
“Ooooh… nasty drip!”
And yes — the backhand drip is exactly what it sounds like: a hybrid drop/roll that drips down at your opponent’s feet with topspin, forcing them into panic mode. It’s not a full drive. It’s not a soft traditional drop. It’s that sweet middle lane of “aggressive control.”
The pros use it constantly now, and players like Susannah Barr and Rob Nunnery explain exactly why:
- It’s low.
- It dives.
- It accelerates.
- And it makes your opponents freeze because they don’t know whether to volley it or let it bounce.
Let’s break it down and make it yours.
What IS a Backhand Drip? (In Plain English)
A “drip” is a hybrid third shot that mixes the height of a drop with the topspin of a roll.
From the backhand side, this means:
- you get under the ball,
- lift up through it,
- and brush with intention, so the ball dips fast and lands right at your opponent’s shoes.
Rob Nunnery describes it like this:
“Drop the paddle tip straight down and lift up with your shoulder… no wrist, no elbow. Let the topspin do the work.”
Susannah Barr adds:
“Paddle out in front, stay down, accelerate through contact, and let the ball come to you.”
Combine the two and you get the perfect hybrid:
