Playing a perfect drop shot requires perfect feel. ;)
Ok, are 5 tips on how to play a drop shot:
1. Use a continental grip and play the ball in the same way as if you would play a volley.
2. You need to impart more slice than you do with a volley.
3. Don't let the racket swing across the body. Instead make a short follow-through on the same side of the body. (Example: a right hander would finish the follow-through with a forehand drop shot on the right side)
4. Practice hitting a short ball again and again and again ...
5. The best situation to play the drop shot is when you are inside the court and your opponent is behind the baseline.
Apr 13, 2008 Rating
Drop shot tips by: Anonymous
Two ways to learn/improve your drop shot:
1. To learn the feel and the touch required for the drop shot toss a tennis ball up and catch it in your strings with as minimal a bounce as possible. You can achieve this by letting your racket hand give* (*loosen up your grip or drop your racket down slightly).
2. Practice against a wall. Sketch a line which is a bit over the regular net height (about 1.2m, or 4ft). Keep hitting light shots with some backspin at the line. I use a continental grip on both sides for convenience, but it's really up to you. Don't expect immediate results, this is repetitious but it eventually helps you gain the muscle memory for this shot.
Three tips on how to use the drop shot effectively:
1. My favorite time for using it is after my opponent is backed up well behind the baseline and/or is wide on either side. So they have less time to get it and so they are wrong footed when I pull it off.
2. I generally use it at the service line* (*the second horizontal line by the net). Since I'm closer to the net and my opponent has less time to react. Plus it's generally much easier to hit an already low percentage shot closer to the net.
3. Disguise your shot. The best drop shot is the one your opponent doesn't know your hitting until it's too late. Keep your back swing as close to your regular ground strokes as possible. One mistake I have made in the past is using it too often or predictively. Try to mix up when and how often you use it.
