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{{Short description|Shot in racquet sports}}
{{Original research|date=August 2009}}
{{About|the term used in racket sports}}
A '''drop shot''' is a shot in some [[racquet sport]]s in which the ball (or birdie) is hit relatively softly, and lands just over and close to the net.


A '''drop shot''' is a shot in some [[List of racket sports|racket sports]] in which the ball (or birdie) is hit relatively softly, sometimes with [[topspin]] or [[backspin]], so that it lands just over and close to the net. A well-placed and well-timed drop shot will make it difficult for the opposing player to hit an aggressive or offensive shot in return. The most successful drop shots will not allow the opponent to hit the ball back at all.<ref name="Badminton: steps to success">{{cite book | title=Badminton: steps to success | author=Grice, Tony}}</ref><ref name="Britannica">{{Cite web |title=Tennis - Strategy, Technique, Shots {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/sports/tennis/Strategy-and-technique |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Time">{{Cite magazine |date=2015-09-09 |title=Explore the Physics Behind the Tennis Drop Shot |url=https://time.com/4025292/tennis-us-open-drop-shot/ |access-date=2023-10-05 |magazine=Time |language=en}}</ref><ref name=webster>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-09 |title=Definition of DROP SHOT |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drop+shot |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lin |first=Charles |date=2010-05-19 |title=The Resurgence of the Drop Shot - |url=https://www.essentialtennis.com/the-resurgence-of-the-drop-shot/ |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=Essential Tennis |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Badminton==
A good drop shot will go just over the net, landing close to the net. If the shot is played fast enough, it will supposedly not allow the opponent to hit it back. They also should be able to, if the opponent hits it, it will give you the mid and back-court space to exploit.<ref name="Badminton: steps to success">{{cite book | title=Badminton: steps to success | author=Grice, Tony}}</ref>


==Tennis==
==Tennis==
A good drop shot requires great touch. The ball should bounce low and near the net, sometimes with ''underspin'' (or ''[[backspin]]''). Backspin slows the ball and decreases the height of its bounce. In some extreme cases, the ball will bounce back towards the net. Sidespin may also be put on the ball so it kicks sideways when it bounces. A bad drop shot is one that travels too deep into the court, or bounces too high. When this happens, the opponent can get to the ball, and make an easy play. A very soft drop shot, that just barely travels over the net, is sometimes called a dink (a term possibly borrowed from volleyball).
A good drop shot requires great touch.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Art of the Drop Shot |url=https://thetennisbros.com/tennis-tips/tactics/the-art-of-the-drop-shot/ |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=The Tennis Bros |language=en-GB}}</ref> The ball should bounce low and near the net, sometimes with ''underspin'' (or ''[[backspin]]''). Backspin slows the ball and decreases the height of its bounce. In some extreme cases, the ball will bounce back towards the net. Sidespin may also be put on the ball so it kicks sideways when it bounces. A bad drop shot is one that travels too deep into the court, or bounces too high. When this happens, the opponent can get to the ball, and make an easy play. A very soft drop shot, that just barely travels over the net, is sometimes called a dink (a term possibly borrowed from volleyball).<ref>{{Cite web |last=volleyballworld.com |title=Women's smartest volleyball dinks! |url=https://en.volleyballworld.com/news/women-s-smartest-volleyball-dinks |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=volleyballworld.com |language=en}}</ref>


Making the drop shot a surprise also makes it more effective. If opponents are expecting a normal shot, they may not be in position to run forward to make a good play on a drop shot.
Making the drop shot a surprise also makes it more effective. If opponents are expecting a normal shot, they may not be in position to run forward to make a good play on a drop shot.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Streeter |first=Kurt |date=2023-09-06 |title=To Win Big, Top Tennis Pros Turn to Marshmallows |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/06/sports/tennis/us-open-alcaraz-dropshot.html |access-date=2023-10-05 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>


The characteristics of some [[tennis court#Types of tennis courts|court surfaces]] make drop shots particularly effective; grass and clay are good examples. On grass, the ball tends to bounce lower than other courts, which makes it harder to retrieve a drop shot. On clay, the slow surface tends to encourage players to stay far back and engage in rallies from behind the baseline, which in turn increases the distance the player must cover to reach a drop shot near the net. Drop shots on hard courts can be useful, although to a lesser degree. Drop shots are also useful when the wind is blowing in the opposite direction of the shot; this allows spin without hitting the shot too long.
The characteristics of some [[tennis court#Types of tennis courts|court surfaces]] make drop shots particularly effective; grass and clay are good examples.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tennis.com |title=Thanks to "the cool kids," the drop shot is flourishing with style and substance in a power-driven generation |url=https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/thanks-cool-kids-drop-shot-flourishing-style-substance-alcaraz-jabeur-disruption |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=Tennis.com |language=en}}</ref> On grass, the ball tends to bounce lower than other courts, which makes it harder to retrieve a drop shot. On clay, the slow surface tends to encourage players to stay far back and engage in rallies from behind the baseline, which in turn increases the distance the player must cover to reach a drop shot near the net. Drop shots on hard courts can be useful, although to a lesser degree. Drop shots are also useful when the wind is blowing in the opposite direction of the shot; this allows spin without hitting the shot too long.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Is A Drop Shot In Tennis? |url=https://www.rookieroad.com/tennis/what-is-drop-shot/ |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=www.rookieroad.com |language=en}}</ref>


A drop shot hit with a [[Volley (tennis)|volley]] is aptly coined a ''drop volley''. The secret to making a good drop volley is having "soft hands." To achieve this, a player slightly loosens his or her grip on the racquet at the moment of impact with the ball. This allows the racquet to absorb more force and reduces the ball's rebound. This stroke was mastered by one of the greatest serve and volleyers of all time, [[John McEnroe]].
A drop shot hit with a [[Volley (tennis)|volley]] is aptly coined a ''drop volley''. The secret to making a good drop volley is having "soft hands." To achieve this, a player slightly loosens his or her grip on the racquet at the moment of impact with the ball. This allows the racquet to absorb more force and reduces the ball's rebound. This stroke was mastered by one of the greatest serve and volleyers of all time, [[John McEnroe]].


==History==
==Pickleball==
In the sport of [[pickleball]] a ''drop shot'' is a soft shot with a high arc, made from the back of the court after the ball has bounced, that lands the ball in, or near, the opponent's [[non-volley zone]], also called the ''kitchen''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-09-06 |title=Basics - Dinks - USA Pickleball |url=https://usapickleball.org/what-is-pickleball/how-to-play/basics/dinks/ |access-date=2022-03-30 |language=en-US}}</ref> A ''drop volley'' is substantially the same shot, but made before the ball bounces.<ref>Friedenberg, p. 167.</ref> A ''dink shot'' is similar to a drop shot, but a dink is hit even softer and performed when the player is at or near the non-volley line, or, if the ball has bounced, possibly standing in the player's own non-volley zone. A dink shot hit before the ball bounces is called a ''dink volley''.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is A Volley in Pickleball? All You Need to Know |url=https://pickleballmanual.com/what-is-a-volley-in-pickleball/ |website=Pickleball Manual |date=3 February 2022 |access-date=28 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220728002757/https://pickleballmanual.com/what-is-a-volley-in-pickleball/ |archive-date=28 July 2022}}</ref>


Drop shots, drop volleys, dinks, and dink volleys are particularly effective in the sport of pickleball because a player can never volley the ball, hit the ball before the ball bounces, if they are in contact with their side's non-volley zone, an area that extends {{convert|7|ft|m}} feet from the net. If a player does volley the ball while in contact with their non-volley zone, that player incurs a fault, and their opponent wins the [[Glossary of pickleball#P|point]]. Additionally, balls used in the sport are made of a hard plastic that limits the ball's bounce, when compared to balls in other sports such as a [[tennis ball]]. When drop shots and dink shots are done correctly, it is difficult for the opponent to attack the ball, forcing the opponent to hit a soft upward shot in return. Drop shots are commonly used by the serving team on the third shot of the game, called the ''third shot drop'', because it can give the serving team time to approach the net,<ref>{{cite web |title=What Is A Drop Shot In Pickleball |url=https://primetimepickleball.com/what-is-a-drop-shot-in-pickleball/ |website=Primetime Pickleball |access-date=28 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220728005017/https://primetimepickleball.com/what-is-a-drop-shot-in-pickleball/ |archive-date=28 July 2022}}</ref> a strategically important position on the court.<ref>Freidenberg, p. 44.</ref>
For many years the 1940s player [[Bobby Riggs]] was considered to have had the greatest drop shot of all time, off both his forehand and his backhand.


== See also ==
The drop shot became unpopular in the 1990s, but has experienced a recent popularity due to its success rate. The drop shot is most commonly used by [[clay court specialists]], such as [[Guillermo Coria]], [[Fernando Verdasco]], [[Sara Errani]] and [[Carla Suarez Navarro]]. Even players such as [[Andre Agassi]], [[Roger Federer]], and [[Serena Williams]] who never opted to use the drop shot earlier in their careers, later incorporated the shot effectively into their arsenal.
{{Portal|Tennis}}

* [[Glossary of tennis terms]]
It is a generally accepted belief that the term "drop shot" comes from its ability to make the ball "drop" right into the opponent's side of the court. [[Rafael Nadal]], [[Novak Djokovic]] and Federer are all known for their ability to chase down drop shots and returning them with one of their own, requiring great touch.
* [[Tennis shots]]

Some of the notable players with great drop shots are:{{cn|date=January 2016}}

{{div col|colwidth=15em}}

* [[John McEnroe]]
* [[Andre Agassi]]
* [[Guillermo Coria]]
* [[Roger Federer]]
* [[Rafael Nadal]]
* [[Novak Djokovic]]
* [[Andy Murray]]
* [[Dustin Brown (tennis)|Dustin Brown]]
* [[Fabrice Santoro]]
* [[Richard Gasquet]]
* [[Robin Haase]]
* [[Martina Hingis]]
* [[Justine Henin]]
* [[Agnieszka Radwańska]]
* [[Sara Errani]]
* [[Daria Kasatkina]]
* [[Bianca Andreescu]]
* [[Sofia Kenin]]
* [[Ashleigh Barty]]
* [[Hsieh Su-wei]]
* [[Markéta Vondroušová]]
* [[Anastasija Sevastova]]

{{div col end}}


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
*{{cite book |last1=Friedenberg |first1=Mark |title=Winning Pickleball |date=2018 |publisher=PB Master |location=Seattle, WA |isbn=978-0-9668785-0-9}}


{{Tennis box}}
{{Tennis box}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Drop Shot}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drop Shot}}
[[Category:Tennis shots]]
[[Category:Tennis shots]]
[[Category:Pickleball terminology]]

[[simple:Tennis#Shots]]

Latest revision as of 22:28, 14 July 2024

This article is about the term used in racket sports. For other uses, see Drop shot (disambiguation).

A drop shot is a shot in some racket sports in which the ball (or birdie) is hit relatively softly, sometimes with topspin or backspin, so that it lands just over and close to the net. A well-placed and well-timed drop shot will make it difficult for the opposing player to hit an aggressive or offensive shot in return. The most successful drop shots will not allow the opponent to hit the ball back at all.[1][2][3][4][5]

Tennis

[edit]

A good drop shot requires great touch.[6] The ball should bounce low and near the net, sometimes with underspin (or backspin). Backspin slows the ball and decreases the height of its bounce. In some extreme cases, the ball will bounce back towards the net. Sidespin may also be put on the ball so it kicks sideways when it bounces. A bad drop shot is one that travels too deep into the court, or bounces too high. When this happens, the opponent can get to the ball, and make an easy play. A very soft drop shot, that just barely travels over the net, is sometimes called a dink (a term possibly borrowed from volleyball).[7]

Making the drop shot a surprise also makes it more effective. If opponents are expecting a normal shot, they may not be in position to run forward to make a good play on a drop shot.[8]

The characteristics of some court surfaces make drop shots particularly effective; grass and clay are good examples.[9] On grass, the ball tends to bounce lower than other courts, which makes it harder to retrieve a drop shot. On clay, the slow surface tends to encourage players to stay far back and engage in rallies from behind the baseline, which in turn increases the distance the player must cover to reach a drop shot near the net. Drop shots on hard courts can be useful, although to a lesser degree. Drop shots are also useful when the wind is blowing in the opposite direction of the shot; this allows spin without hitting the shot too long.[10]

A drop shot hit with a volley is aptly coined a drop volley. The secret to making a good drop volley is having "soft hands." To achieve this, a player slightly loosens his or her grip on the racquet at the moment of impact with the ball. This allows the racquet to absorb more force and reduces the ball's rebound. This stroke was mastered by one of the greatest serve and volleyers of all time, John McEnroe.

Pickleball

[edit]

In the sport of pickleball a drop shot is a soft shot with a high arc, made from the back of the court after the ball has bounced, that lands the ball in, or near, the opponent's non-volley zone, also called the kitchen.[11] A drop volley is substantially the same shot, but made before the ball bounces.[12] A dink shot is similar to a drop shot, but a dink is hit even softer and performed when the player is at or near the non-volley line, or, if the ball has bounced, possibly standing in the player's own non-volley zone. A dink shot hit before the ball bounces is called a dink volley.[13]

Drop shots, drop volleys, dinks, and dink volleys are particularly effective in the sport of pickleball because a player can never volley the ball, hit the ball before the ball bounces, if they are in contact with their side's non-volley zone, an area that extends 7 feet (2.1 m) feet from the net. If a player does volley the ball while in contact with their non-volley zone, that player incurs a fault, and their opponent wins the point. Additionally, balls used in the sport are made of a hard plastic that limits the ball's bounce, when compared to balls in other sports such as a tennis ball. When drop shots and dink shots are done correctly, it is difficult for the opponent to attack the ball, forcing the opponent to hit a soft upward shot in return. Drop shots are commonly used by the serving team on the third shot of the game, called the third shot drop, because it can give the serving team time to approach the net,[14] a strategically important position on the court.[15]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Grice, Tony. Badminton: steps to success.
  2. ^ "Tennis - Strategy, Technique, Shots | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  3. ^ "Explore the Physics Behind the Tennis Drop Shot". Time. 2015-09-09. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  4. ^ "Definition of DROP SHOT". www.merriam-webster.com. 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  5. ^ Lin, Charles (2010-05-19). "The Resurgence of the Drop Shot -". Essential Tennis. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  6. ^ "The Art of the Drop Shot". The Tennis Bros. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  7. ^ volleyballworld.com. "Women's smartest volleyball dinks!". volleyballworld.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  8. ^ Streeter, Kurt (2023-09-06). "To Win Big, Top Tennis Pros Turn to Marshmallows". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  9. ^ Tennis.com. "Thanks to "the cool kids," the drop shot is flourishing with style and substance in a power-driven generation". Tennis.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  10. ^ "What Is A Drop Shot In Tennis?". www.rookieroad.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  11. ^ "Basics - Dinks - USA Pickleball". 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  12. ^ Friedenberg, p. 167.
  13. ^ "What is A Volley in Pickleball? All You Need to Know". Pickleball Manual. 3 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  14. ^ "What Is A Drop Shot In Pickleball". Primetime Pickleball. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  15. ^ Freidenberg, p. 44.

Sources

[edit]
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