Ask most players what shot they practice, and you’ll hear the same answers.
Third-shot drops.
Drives.
Dinks.
Serves.
Maybe the occasional speed-up.
But there’s one shot that quietly decides a huge number of rallies, and most recreational players barely practice it at all.
The fifth shot.
That’s a problem because even players who can hit a decent third-shot drop often struggle with what comes next. They hit the drop, get a perfectly playable ball back, and then immediately undo all their good work with a poor fifth shot.
The Fifth Shot Funnel Drill was designed to fix that.
Instead of treating the third-shot drop as the finish line, this drill teaches players to think of it as the beginning of a sequence.
Why This Drill Matters
The third-shot drop gets all the attention.
The fifth shot is often what actually gets you to the kitchen.
Think about a typical rally.
You serve.
Your opponent returns deep.
You hit a third-shot drop.
Your opponents block it back into the kitchen.
Now what?
Many players haven’t thought that far ahead.
Some rush forward and volley the next ball from an awkward position.
Some attack a ball that isn’t attackable.
Some leave the fifth shot too high.
Others simply push it into the net.
The reality is that the fifth shot is often easier than the third shot because you’re usually closer to the kitchen and dealing with less pace.
The problem is that most players rarely practice it intentionally.
Setting Up the Drill
One player serves.
The partner returns.
The server hits a third-shot drop.
The returner blocks or dinks the ball back into the kitchen.
Now the fifth shot must be hit into a designated target area, or “funnel.”
The funnel can be created using cones, towels, chalk, or even visual landmarks on the court.
A good funnel is roughly three to four feet wide and begins near the kitchen line before narrowing slightly as it extends deeper into the kitchen.
The goal is not perfection.
The goal is repeatable placement.
After the fifth shot lands, stop the rally and repeat.
Focus on quality repetitions rather than playing out points.
Why It’s Called a Funnel
Many players aim at a tiny target.
That’s usually a mistake.
The best fifth shots don’t need to be perfect.
They need to be good enough.
The funnel gives players a realistic landing zone that rewards quality while still allowing margin for error.
Think of it as learning to land an airplane on a runway instead of trying to hit a dinner plate.
The wider target encourages confidence and proper technique instead of steering the ball.
What to Focus On
The biggest lesson of this drill is patience.
Your fifth shot does not need to win the point.
It simply needs to improve your position.
Many players treat every fifth shot like an opportunity to attack.
That’s often why they miss.
Instead, focus on hitting a soft, controlled ball that allows you to continue advancing.
Pay attention to your feet.
A surprising number of errors happen because players are still moving when they hit the ball.
Try to establish balance before contact whenever possible.
Also pay attention to trajectory.
A fifth shot that barely clears the net may look impressive when it works, but it leaves very little margin for error.
Most players will improve faster by prioritizing consistency before precision.
The Hidden Lesson
This drill teaches players to think in sequences instead of individual shots.
Too many players mentally stop after the third-shot drop.
They view the drop as the objective.
In reality, the drop is often just the setup.
The fifth shot is frequently the shot that allows you to move from surviving the rally to controlling it.
As you repeat this drill, you’ll begin to see how the quality of your third shot influences the difficulty of your fifth.
A great third shot usually produces an easier fifth.
A poor third shot often creates a much harder one.
Understanding that relationship helps players stop judging shots in isolation.
Common Mistakes
The most common mistake is rushing forward after the third shot.
Players become so eager to reach the kitchen that they hit the fifth shot while off balance.
The second mistake is attacking too soon.
Not every fifth shot is an attack ball.
In fact, many successful fifth shots are simply controlled dinks or soft drops.
The third mistake is aiming for perfection.
Trying to land every ball inches from the net usually creates more errors than advantages.
Use the funnel.
Trust the target area.
The fourth mistake is forgetting the purpose of the shot.
The objective is not to win the rally.
The objective is to improve your position and continue building the point.
Beginner Variation
Start with cooperative feeds.
The returner gives a predictable return and a gentle block after the third-shot drop.
The server focuses entirely on landing the fifth shot inside the funnel.
No scoring is necessary.
The goal is consistency.
Intermediate Variation
The returner can place the block anywhere in the kitchen.
The server must move to the ball and still land the fifth shot inside the funnel.
This introduces movement and decision-making while maintaining a controlled environment.
Advanced Variation
Play the point live after the fifth shot.
The fifth shot must first land inside the funnel.
If it does, the rally continues.
If it misses the funnel, the point immediately ends.
This creates pressure while preserving the purpose of the drill.
Players quickly learn that a quality fifth shot creates much easier opportunities later in the rally.
Drill Session
Spend five minutes warming up with cooperative third-shot drops.
Then perform twenty repetitions of the complete sequence: serve, return, third-shot drop, block, fifth shot into the funnel.
Next, move to the intermediate version and complete fifteen successful fifth shots while moving.
Finish with ten minutes of the advanced variation where points only continue if the fifth shot lands in the target area.
Final Thought
Most players practice the third shot because they know it’s important.
Far fewer practice the shot that comes immediately afterward.
That’s a mistake.
The third shot may start your journey to the kitchen, but the fifth shot often finishes it.
The Fifth Shot Funnel Drill teaches players to stop thinking about individual shots and start thinking about building a rally one quality ball at a time.
When your fifth shot improves, your transition improves.
When your transition improves, you reach the kitchen more often.
And when you reach the kitchen more often, you win more points.
