Specialty Shots (Drop Shot)

You just hit a GREAT SHOT that made your opponent run off the court, tap the ball and run into the fence. BUT he managed to BARELY get the ball back over the net. He is very resilient as he has bounced off the fence and is heading back onto the court. You don’t want to give him a chance and the power shot is too risky. Better hit something softer. So you run to the ball and lightly tap it over. The opponent runs but to no avail.



A drop shot is most commonly used when the opponent is far away from the net and not expecting it. It is a touch shot so calm yourself before you hit it.

1. watch the ball to the strings
2. the ball should be heading towards the ground BEFORE it passes the net
3. Lean into the dropper

Novak Djokovic of Serbia is well known for his
Crosscourt backhand/dropshot combination

Professionals hit the dropshot with a slice motion. For beginners I suggest that you lightly tap the ball forward. When you practice, aim for the ball to bounce 3 times before it gets to the service line. It doesn’t matter what angle you hit it at.

Since it is a touch shot, it is very unlikely you will hit a good one all the time. It would be best to hit this when your confidence is high like the first points of a game or if you feel great. I try to never hit a dropper on the important points as people are more determined to run them down.