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Drop Shot
By: Andrew S. Rosz
South Florida Professional
Tennis Instruction
Hollywood, Florida , USA
(954) 922-8040
COMMON DROP SHOT ABUSES
- Attempting a drop shot in defensive situations.
- Hitting a drop shot with excessive spin.
- Attempting a drop shot on high bouncing balls.
- Approaching the net on a drop shot.
- Consistently hitting the drop shot into the net or too deep.
- Hitting a drop shot with too much net clearance.
- Hitting a drop shot with a full stroke.
- Hitting a drop shot from an unbalanced position.
DROP SHOT TECHNIQUES (Listed in their order of importance)
- Decide if a drop shot is appropriate. Recall, that a drop shot is most appropriate when
two criteria are met... 1) Your opponent has just hit a neutral or defensive groundstroke
which was weaker than both of you anticipated. 2) Your opponent is considerably out of
position near the right or left extremes of the playing surface.
- Watch the ball all the way to the strings.
- Use a high to low stroke.
- Emphasize the flight requirement of the drop shot.
- Hit the ball with an awareness of racket pitch at impact.
- Follow-through back to the ready position and no further.
- Rotate TM2 to the proper o'clock position.
- Hit all drop shots from a balanced position.
- Early preparation; get your racket back and wait.
- Maintain a firm wrist at impact.
- Recover quickly back to the ready position.
SPECIAL EMPHASIS TECHNIQUES
1. Offensive Drop Shots... 2,3,4
- 2. Watch the ball all the way to the strings.
- 3. Use a high to low stroke.
- 4. Emphasize the flight requirement of the drop shot.
2. Defensive Drop Shots... (Not Recommended)
DROP SHOT DEVELOPMENT EXERCISES
- The "Drop Shot, Put-Away" drill. While two players are both hitting neutral
groundstrokes, one player attempts a perfect drop shot. In response, the other player
attempts the sideline put-a-way shot for an outright winner. Both forehand and backhand
sides should be practiced with this drill.
Note: This drill works best with a bucket of balls to minimize ball chasing.
- Drop shot development using the practice wall. This is an excellent way to develop and
perfect good drop shot technique. Special emphasis should be on making sure the ball is
falling before it hits the wall, above the imaginary net of course.
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