How to execute a drop shot in tennis.
The drop shot is what I call a specialty shot.
It requires a lot of practice and a lot of feel for the ball.
The way you execute a drop shot on either the forehand or backhand is you want to create
a tremendous amount of backspin so when the ball bounces on the other side of the net
it stops and actually bounces back towards you or dies and takes a nice soft bounce.
You execute it by chopping under the ball and what I call feathering it.
So you, on the backhand side if I were to demonstrate, you come under the ball, you
create a tremendous amount of backspin on the ball, very soft, the ball is moving very
slow and it just drops over the other side of the net and stops.
Most people don't understand also that with a drop shot, you shouldn't execute it by hitting
is low over the net.
The trajectory of a drop shot should be fairly high over the net.
Let's say three or four feet over the net because then your trajectory can be directly
down on the other side on your opponents side of the net.
If you try to go low over the net you’re going to hit the net and the ball is going
to travel too much toward your opponent.
When do you hit a drop shot?
You hit a drop shot when your opponent’s way back in the court.
There are a lot of people that play tennis that do not like to come forward so a drop
shot forces them to run forward to get it.
So, that's a good time to hit a drop shot.
However, don't get drop shotitis, which means you drop shot every shot you can.
You don't want to hit a drop shot from behind the base line very often.
Very rarely.
Most of the time the best drop shots are hit when you are inside no man’s land or closer.
What do you think?
I like it.
The best answer to a drop shot is another drop shot.
So, let's say that Joe hits a drop shot.
He's 25 feet from the net, which is not too far back for him to try it.
And he hits a nice drop shot but flee footed Kirk manages to get to the ball.
Now, I'm 10 feet from the net if Joe had stayed back where he was, maybe I could beat him
with an easier drop shot.
So, the best answer to a drop shot is another drop shot.
Good tactic, if Joe hits that drop shot, well is to move up because he's going to take the
drop shot away from me.
Now I have to lift the ball to him, step in and volley the ball right past him.
That's right.
See, good players know what response you should have to certain shots and I know that the
best response to a drop shot is another drop shot.
So if I hit a drop shot, and Kirk comes running up, I have to run up and take away his best
option, which is another drop shot.
So that's the drop shot.