The Drop Shot – One of the Strategies

Not that I want you working on more than any one thing at a time, but you can be very creative with the types of stroke elements and strategies you can practice.

We call it “25″.  I’m sure it’s got lots of other names, and this drill isn’t unique, but it’s simple and a GREAT workout.

• One player on each side of the net standing a foot or so behind the center mark of their baseline
• Player #1 drops a ball to start a groundstroke rally and hits their groundstroke (this is a great opportunity to drop and hit a backhand groundstroke) directly to their partner, Player #2.
• Player #2 plays their groundstroke directly back (after one bounce) to Player #1.
• If Player #1 can’t get to that shot, then stop, and re-start the rally.  Any player can start the rally.
• Assuming that Player #1 can handle that shot from Player #2, then the point goes live!
• So, the 3rd hit of the rally is when it starts to count.
• The first player to win 25 points by a margin of 2 wins that game.
• Mai and I always play 3 games.
• And at least for me, after 3 games I’m drenched.  You don’t take much time between points, so you’re always playing and getting a ton of exercise.
• Since there is no serving in “25″, we also like to take a few minutes after our 3 games to hit a few serves just to keep the shoulder good and loosened up…

There are a million and one things you can work on, and I’d love to see you always include a stretch of points where you only think of “spacing”. 

Just prior to your partner making contact with their shot, you conciously think of making sure that your first duty to react to their shot is to make sure your feet quickly get you properly aligned to the path of that incoming shot.

If you don’t consistentyly have good spacing to the path of the incomoing ball, it doesn’t really matter how much of a perceived opportunity you may have had. 

You don’t want to have to constantly “ad lib” your stroke mechanics because you don’t have good spacing.

Anyway, here’s what I spent a lot of time on yesterday when Mai and I played “25″…

She’s really, really fast on the court.  Plain and simple.  Her natural pure speed combined with her anticipation and knowledge of my game makes it nearly impossible for me to hit a drop shot winner.

If I can ever hit a drop shot that she can’t get to, then I know I’ve hit a good one!

But to be able to pull off a dropper she can’t get to, I must have first established in her mind that there’s a very good chance I just might be playing an approach shot.

The only way for me to do that is to show her a few approach shots early in the game. 

I’m working less on my actual approach shot and working more on making sure she thinks I’ll be approaching in the future on anything she hits relatively short to me during a point.

Once I’ve done that, played a few approach shots, then the drill for me is make my next eventual drop shot appear to be yet another approach shot.

And there’s the big key to playing good drop shots.  Disguise, false advertising…

The drop shot has to look as if you’re going to approach, plain and simple.

Coming out soon will be a new full blown lesson from me on all of the drops shots in the game including the drop shot I’ve just described, the 1/2 volley drop shot, the return of serve drop shot, and of course the one we all love, the drop volley…

Hope this tip helps.

Brent

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“Hi Brent,

Steve K, Denver, CO
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