Hey, it’s your coach Jordan Briones.
If you feel like you’re constantly losing games and you can’t quite figure out why, I want you to take a look at one specific part of the court that most players completely overlook.
The transition zone.
Not the kitchen. Not the baseline. That middle area — the no man’s land everyone talks about but nobody really teaches you how to actually handle.
The problem isn’t just that players struggle there. It’s that they don’t even know what decisions they should be making. So they guess. They rush. And they give up point after point without understanding why.
Let’s fix that.
How to Master the Transition Zone and Take Control of Your Game
Read the Return Before You Decide Your Shot
Here’s something that most players skip right over — and it costs them big.
Before you decide whether you’re hitting a drive or a drop on your third shot, you have to read the return that’s coming at you. Specifically, where it’s landing and how deep it is.
If the return is landing deep — bouncing close to the baseline — and you’re already camped out near that line, you’re stuck. You’ve got no room to load up and no good contact point. In that situation, you have to create space. Step back, give yourself room, and then make your shot decision from a position that actually works.
Flip that around. If the return is landing short and you’re standing too far back, you’re too late. The ball is dying before you get to it. You need to close that space — move in quickly and take the ball on your terms instead of scrambling for it.
This one adjustment — recognizing whether to create space or close space before anything else — changes everything that comes after it.
Use Return Depth to Pick the Right Third Shot
Once you’re in good position, now you can make a smart shot choice. And honestly, it comes down to two things: the depth of the return and your strengths as a player.
For me personally, I like to be aggressive on my serves and I’m often close to the baseline when the return comes back. If that return is deep and fast, dropping from there is really tough. So I’ll drive it — a strong, consistent drive — and then stop my feet and look for an easier drop on my fifth. That sequence works really well for players with a reliable drive.
But if that same deep return comes back slower and floatier — no real pace on it — then I might choose to drop right there from the baseline because I have time to get set. The ball isn’t rushing me.
Now let’s talk about the short returns, because that’s where things get interesting.
If the return lands short and the ball bounces up high at the apex, that is your moment to be aggressive. Close the space fast and take that ball early — near the top of the bounce — so you’re taking time away from your opponent as they’re trying to get to the kitchen. Drive it hard and put them under pressure.
But if that short return is bouncing low — maybe it has some slice on it — driving it becomes risky. The net is right there and you don’t have a high enough contact point to attack with confidence. In that case, come under it and drop. Get yourself into the non-volley zone and take control from there.
What to Do After You Hit Your Third — This Is Where Most People Lose the Point
Here’s where I see players fall apart even when their third shot is actually pretty good.
After you hit your third, you can’t just move blindly toward the kitchen. You have to watch what’s happening on the other side of the net. Specifically, you’re watching for the contact height — where your opponent is going to have to hit the ball.
If your third shot is forcing a low contact below the net on their side, that’s a sign to move. Progress forward. Get closer to the kitchen line and start putting pressure on the point.
But if your shot is sitting up higher and your opponent is setting up to swing down on it? Hold your ground. Don’t move forward into a ball that’s about to be attacked. Defend it out, reset, and look for a better opportunity on the next shot.
The players who make this read correctly are the ones who seem like they’re always in the right place at the right time. It’s not luck — it’s just watching the right thing after they hit.
Your Fifth Shot Is Just as Important as Your Third — Don’t Forget About It
Let’s say you did everything right. Good third shot. Made progress toward the net. Now you’re halfway up the court and the ball is coming back.
This is where a lot of players make a huge mistake. They get so focused on the third that they show up to their fifth completely off-balance or out of position. And then they panic and spray the ball.
Here’s the fix. As your opponent is about to make contact, get into a wide, low split step. Get balanced. Get stable. Because what you do next depends entirely on what they give you.
If the ball comes back at knee level or below — reset it. Soft hands, drop it into the kitchen, and keep moving in.
If it comes back up at your chest or midsection — attack it. You’re in a great spot, you’ve got a good look, be aggressive.
The decision is based on the height of what you’re receiving, not what you were planning to do before the ball left their paddle.
A Drill That Will Actually Show You Where Your Game Needs Work
This one is simple and really eye-opening.
Grab a partner and have them stand up at the non-volley zone. Their job is to vary the feed — sometimes deep, sometimes short — without telling you what’s coming. Your job is to read it, adjust your position, make a smart shot choice on the third, and then set yourself up for the fifth.
Work through all of it in one continuous flow. Create space or close space. Drive or drop. Move in or hold. Reset or attack.
Once you’ve got the pattern down, keep score. Go for five or ten attempts and count how many times you successfully make it to the net. If you’re only getting there two or three times out of ten, you’ve got your answer. Something in that process — your decision making, your third, your fifth — needs work.
That number doesn’t lie. And once you start tracking it, you’ll be surprised how fast it improves.
Final Thoughts – Turn the Transition Zone Into Your Advantage
The transition zone doesn’t have to be a place you dread. Once you understand the decisions you’re supposed to be making — and when to make them — it starts to feel a lot less like no man’s land and a lot more like an opportunity.
Go work on it. Track your numbers. And watch what happens to your game.
See you on the courts,
Coach Jordan Briones
