Personality and Playing Style

The drop shot has made a pro comeback but has always been effective at lower levels.

In today's game of big hitting and infrequent ventures to the net, the drop shot has made a comeback. In the days of wood rackets, the drop shot was used more readily because it wasn't possible to crush the ball time after time from the baseline. So finesse and feel had to play more of a part in a player's overall game.

With the advent of graphite rackets, the drop shot almost disappeared. But in the last few years that has started to change. The top players have discovered that the drop shot can help counter the repetitive, power groundstrokes that epitomize today's game.

Let's see how the top players hit this misunderstood shot, and how they use tactically. Let's also see how to apply it in your game. When properly executed, the drop shot has always been a fantastic strategy in junior and club tennis. It can be an almost magic weapon for winning points in many situations.

The Drop Shot: aggressive in two ways.

The drop shot first and foremost is an aggressive shot. The ball may bounce short in the court when you hit it, but don't let that mislead you. The drop shot is aggressive in two ways.

First it is aggressive strategically, because the purpose is to end the point quickly either on the drop shot itself, or on the next ball. But the drop shot is also an aggressive shot in a second way. This is in terms of the generation of spin.

Many players think the drop shot is a light, feathery shot. It may look that way at times but it's critical to understand just how much spin is required to hit it successfully. Mastering the correct type and amount of spin is the key to developing your own drop shot.

As much spin as many topspin groundstrokes.

Some 25 years ago when I took the USPTA teaching pro certification test, the requirement was that a drop shot had to bounce twice inside the service line. I found that to achieve this I had to spin the ball very aggressively. This was a new insight for me and the start of learning how to use the drop shot myself in my matches.

What I found through my own experience was eventually documented by the research done by John Yandell and the Advanced Research Project. He found that a drop shot in the pro game was rotating at an average spin of over 2000rpm--the equivalent of many pro topspin groundstrokes. (Click Here.)

It takes time to master creating that much spin with a compact motion like the drop shot. Initially when you work on it the ball can go anywhere. But the spin is essential to hit with confidence under pressure.

This spin on a drop shot is primarily underspin, but there is also a sidespin component. Virtually all shots in tennis have some sidespin rotation. But on the drop shot, this sidespin component can be quite high.

The swing path to contact is downward and outside in.

This combination of underspin and sidespin is created by the path of the swing. The swing is from high to low. But at the same time the swing is also from the outside in across the ball.

The underspin component is what causes the ball to appear to stop or even bounce back toward the net. This sidespin component is what causes the ball to curve away from the player in an arc after it is hit, and sometimes after it bounces as well.

The way to develop this combination of spin is to think about the edge of the racket head. To hit the drop shot you have to imagine the edge of the racket hitting the top and the outside of the ball, then cutting downward and across the ball. So the edge of the racket closest to the ground traveling downward toward the court but also inward across the body.

A similar image is to visualize leading with the butt of the racket downward and inward toward the opposite knee. In both cases, the motion will produce underspin mixed with a less amount sidespin.

The speed of the racket path helps dictate the level of spin.

The velocity of the swing is crucial in hitting a great drop shot. It the arm moves too slowly through the ball the ball will not react with enough spin. If the ball doesn't react correctly, no matter where you place it, it will float, and also tend to bounce up and carry through the court, making it much easier for the opponent to run it down. The speed of the swing will determine the speed of the ball rotation.

The faster the swing, the more spin. This is one of the reasons you have to think of the shot as being so aggressive. Racket head speed is just as important in a good drop shot as in a heavy topspin groundstroke.

Whether it is a backhand or a forehand the proper grip is the continental. Usually this is similar to the player's serve grip, although it can be slightly milder. At a minimum part of the heel pad must be on the top bevel of the frame.

If the wrist releases, it's a consequence of the swing after contact.

Some may argue that execution of a drop shot can be done with other grips, but you rarely find this at the top levels. The only notable exception might be Rafael Nadal who hits his forehand drop shot with something close to an eastern forehand grip--still a significant adjustment from his extreme forehand groundstroke grip. But for most players, hitting a drop shot with any grip besides the continental will mean lack of control and inconsistency.

Many elements in the drop shot swing are similar to the volleys--the short swing, the downward trajectory of the swing pattern, and the type of rotation on the ball. The back swing is compact and very rarely travels back past the plane of the body. The racket head is above the wrist and stays above the wrist through the contact. In some instance the wrist will release somewhat after contact, but that is a response of the deceleration of the swing which can be quite abrupt.

The forward swing is with the arm and racket moving as a unit.

The core aspect of the forward movement of the swing is from the shoulder with the arm and racket moving as a unit. Some players try to use too much independent wrist motion to go under the ball. But this usually causes the ball to pop up and travel further than the player intends. Dropping the wrist before contact, can also cause the shot to drop into the net, because there is too little contact between the strings and the ball.

Understanding the downward and outside in swing pattern is the start for developing a great drop shot. But another essential element is precision in the placement.

The exact placement can vary but, in general, the best drop shots land within two feet of the net and within two feet of the side line. For most players developing this ability requires real work.

So that covers the how, but what about the when? Timing and court position are crucial to hitting successful drop shots in matches. A big key to a great drop shot is simply patience. Too often the average player plays a drop shot too early in the rally when their opponent is not truly out of position. Unless you opponent is very slow, you are now inviting him to hit a winner.

The sequence: pull the opponent out of position then hit the drop shot.

A sequence of shots is required to set up the drop shot. This means forcing your opponent deep in the court to open up the front. This can take time to develop, sometimes several balls in a given rally. It may also require a certain pattern of exchange. For example to push the opponent off the court a player may need to hit inside out forehands to the opponent's backhand. But it could be many other exchange diagonals as well.

A great time to play the shot is when you have the opponent scrambling to recover to the middle. Now you have the opportunity to hit the drop shot behind him in the opposite direction of his movement. Often this shot will be a clean winner.

Another basic mistake is to play a drop shot when you are too far back in your own court. In general your goal is to create a situation where your opponent is not only deep in the court, but also hits a short reply. This is what allows you to move forward and attack with the drop shot.

Disguise is the final element that makes the drop shot even more effective.

In terms of disguise the pros will often take the racket back like they are going to blast the ball with topspin and then suddenly open the face, creating an element of surprise. That's great, but in normal club play simply executing the basic shot well is usually enough. At the very least a player should master the basic shot before trying to add disguise.

I like to use the use the word "attack" in describing this play. It may seem strange, but I think this is the mind set a player needs to be successful with the drop shot. It really is no different from the mindset for hitting a clean groundstroke winner down the line. In both cases, the player has to let go and execute the stroke with intensity. If a player is nervous or uncertain when making any aggressive shot, including the drop shot, it usually ends in an error.

In certain matches hitting a drop shot at anytime is the wrong thing to do. A good example is Novak Djokovic's loss to Roger Federer in last year's US Open final. Djokovic likes to play the drop shot and has a very good one, but Federer covers the court incredibly well and anticipated the shot before it was coming. The drop shot hurt Djokovic virtually every time he tried it. Eventually he lost confidence and started missing them entirely.

To his credit, Djokovic learned from that mistake and played a very straight forward aggressive match against Federer in the Australian Open semi-final. This change was part of the reason for the difference in the outcome.

When to play the drop shot will vary with the opponent.

The progression in learning a great drop shot has to start with learning how to control the spin. The second step is to analyze when are the best times to play the shot.

Focus on the opponent's position first and then on where you are positioned. When placing the drop shot make the opponent run the furthest distance. If your opponent is far behind the baseline and off to the right side, target the corner near the net on the left side. This is the key to being successful and why being able to play the shot precisely off both wings is critical.

The final element is knowing the right response after you hit a good drop shot. What are your opponent's possible replies to a drop shot? Do you walk away thinking you have the point won or do you stay ready for a reply?

At no point should you just assume you have hit a winner and stop playing. There is always an opponent who can run a ball down that might seem like a clear winner. So the right response is to stay alert and be ready to move.

Often the aggressive play after a drop shot is to move forward.

To do this you need to know the possible replies. Often this means moving forward yourself. It may seem counter intuitive, but when good players hit the drop shot you see them move forward a high percentage of the time.

Why? Two reasons. The first is that a very common response to the drop shot is another drop shot. For the same reason that you hit drop shot, your opponent may hit a drop shot of his own. The short part of the court is the largest opening.

Also if the player struggles to reach the ball he will typically lift the ball high over the net in an effort to stay in the point. Now you are in position to hit an easy volley into the open court.

Another answer to the drop shot is for the opponent to hit a sharply angled cross court response. In the extreme example this reply can travel on a shot line that is almost parallel to the net. If you move forward you can cut off this angle and you will then have the whole court open down the line.

Players may respond with a sharply angled shot the runs almost parallel to the net.

Another answer to a drop shot is to place it down the line deep in the court and go in. This is the most risky play becausethe opponent is going over the high part of the net for a low contact point and trying to hit into a very small space down the line. Typically players only try this when they get to the ball with slightly more time or when the drop shot bounces somewhat higher.

The problem they face, however, is that it is difficult to generate pace on this approach. Your best response against this type of slower underspin approach is usually the lob. In fact, many players think of this as two shot combination--a drop shot to bring the player in, followed by a lob to win the point. Successfully executing a couple of drop shot/lob combos can have a devastating impact on your opponent's confidence, cause them to make errors on other shots, and reduce their willingness to fight.

The drop shot is also one of the most overlooked tactics against players with a "pushing" style of game. Often they hit the kind of slow looping balls without great depth that are ideal for hitting drop shots. Bringing them in gets them out of their comfort zone and can open the court for passes and well as lobs.

The drop shot and lob combination can be devastating, especially at the club level.

Practicing the drop shot can be done in various ways. Probably the best way is on a ball machine where you can get literally hundreds of repetitions. Obviously you can do something similar with your local pro.

Another great drill to develop your feel for the spin is to simply rally from the service line with a partner hitting only underspin off both wings. You can also do a point play drill in which both players can only win the point by attempting a drop shot. In this drill the start of the point can be done with a drop and hit much like a simple baseline game.

Don't expect immediate, consistent success when you start to incorporate the drop shot in your matches. Like every new shot you have to be patient and keep trying it even when your results are mixed. Initially it's good to try it in games when you are up 40-0 or 40-15. Then the consequences of a miss aren't quite as negative. Remember to be aggressive and think attack!

Good luck and have fun!

Personality and Playing Style

Kerry Mitchell