I understand the concept of the third shot drop and why its important but I cant seem to execute it consistently. About half my attempts go straight into the net. Ive watched tutorials, practiced against the wall, but in games i just cant get it right. Any tips from people who struggled with this and figured it out?
8 Comments
Most common mistake I see is people hitting down on the ball instead of lifting through it. The third shot drop is more of a gentle lift than a hit. Try thinking about pushing the ball UP and letting gravity bring it down, rather than aiming at a spot on the opponents court.
hmm i think i am hitting down on it. like trying to chip it over
thats the issue. next time try finishing with your paddle face open and your follow through going toward the sky, not toward the net. the ball should arc up before coming down into the kitchen.
Something that helped me: dont aim for just over the net. Aim for about 2 feet over the net. Gives you margin for error and the ball will still land soft in the kitchen if you hit it right. When I stopped trying to be too precise and gave myself more clearance, my consistency went way up.
thats interesting. ive been trying to keep it as low as possible
Also check your grip pressure. Tight grip = harder shot. For a soft drop shot you want a loose, relaxed grip. I tell my clinic students to imagine holding a tube of toothpaste without squeezing any out.
The wall is ok for practice but its not the same as a real game. Try this drill: stand at the baseline and have a partner stand at the kitchen line. Hit drops back and forth. Start slow and focus on getting a good arc. Speed up once youre consistent. You need that real feedback of someone actually there.
One thing nobody mentioned yet is follow through direction. Where your paddle finishes matters way more than people realize. If your follow through goes toward the net your drop is gonna stay low and hit the net. You want your follow through going UP and slightly out toward your target like youre lifting the ball on a shelf. i used to finish my swing pointing at the net and everything died in the net. Once my coach told me to finish with my paddle at shoulder height pointing at the sky it was a total lightbulb moment. Try it next time you practice, just focus on where the paddle ends up after contact.