Developing Touch: Drop Shots

[stotty]

What I don't understand is why Roger has a bye. Why isn't another lower ranked player allowed in the draw to make a 1st round opponent for Roger. We have had to wait a year for Roger's return and now we are waiting until Wednesday to get a glimpse. It's like waiting for the return of Jesus Christ.

[stroke]

Another thing about McEnroe, he is unreadable. Because he used the continental grip on everything, no grip changes to read at all. Even though as you say, some are able to do it with minimal grip change and a lot of disguise. Fed, with the best slice backhand out there, can knife it deep or play a great drop shot(usually to the deuce side) with the same preparation and shot execution. Tomic actually has the best forehand grip forehand drop shot I have seen. It is a truly unique shot.

[stotty]

Great article as usual by Dave Hagler...plenty of food for thought as always.

I tend to put players in two categories when it comes to hitting drop shots. There is the learned, manufactured type of drop which the modern player uses and which just generates a very short ball. It's played firmly and in a similar style to a forehand volley. Players are often 'carving' the ball when they do this. What amazes me is players have learnt to this with a forehand grip and can deliver it ''last minute'', catching their opponents off guard. It's a useful tactical ploy. It breaks rhythm and draws the opponent into the forecourt, which these days, is often the last place they want to be.

The other way is the 'spin' way as Dave calls it. But there are so many nuances from here. I look for players who put 'weight' on the ball. Some players have the ability to make the ball so heavy it weighs a ton when it hits the ground...and usually veers off to one side a little. These are the beautiful drop shots and there is an innate quality to them that's much to do with the owner's level of talent and skill. Nothing is more beautiful than seeing Roger, Nastase, and especially McEnroe play exquisitely weighted drop shots. Novak and Rafa just cannot do this in the same way and no matter how hard Novak practices the shot, he will never be able to weight a ball like Roger can. It's a gift, a gift that has been heavily cultivated and practiced, but a gift nonetheless. Not everyone can do it and it cannot always be learnt.

I have never seen anyone with touch like McEnroe. He was remarkably remarkable in this regard.

[johnyandell]

But Kyle who won in mini tennis between you and Martina?

[jeremy93]

Kyle I would love to hear your mini tennis variations that you do if you don’t mind. Thanks!

[jeremy93]

Thanks Roger. I like it

[klacr]

This I feel is just the tip of the iceberg from Coach Hagler. So critical for players to develop touch, not just for the forecourt area, but for when things get tight, your racquet and ball control don't have to. All my players (whether they like it or not) play mini-tennis and multiple variations of it.
It's also how I was discovered by Martina Hingis. She saw me teach and practice mini-tennis and volleys with my players and inquired to one of the lead coaches about me. Next thing I know I was practicing with Hingis the next morning. No other players or coaches liked to practice with Martina because she would start with 30-40 minutes of touch shots and mini-tennis. I didn't mind and was rewarded.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA, PTR
Delray Beach
SETS Consulting

[J011yroger]

J011Roger - just wait and there is a lot to come that will show many of the same games / drills you describe and some others as well. It sounds like almost all of this will be familiar to you but I suspect there will be something you haven't seen or tried that will help your players. Thanks - Dave

Yesterday we played king of the court, with one overhand serve, if the second bounce of your shot was outside of the lines of the singles court it was out.

Made for some fun points. The kids aren't very good at burying the slice so it made for long points.

J

[J011yroger]

Roger what is triples 3-5 passes?

3 players on a side, no power shots, you pass the ball at least 3 but not more than 5 times before you hit it to the other team, like volleyball.

We don't do it often, but it's fun in camps especially when the teens play with the younger kids.

We mostly do double touch with the older ones.

J

[jeremy93]

Roger what is triples 3-5 passes?

[jeremy93]

Nice article. I would also mention that drop shot spin will have more acceleration (especially on the bh side). Also the bh side will much more often use the drop shot spin flavor in comparison to the fh side because there is a lot more range of motion since your using only your front arm and have a lot more room to swing across. A lot more backspin and probably especially sidespin can be produced on the bh drop shot spin versus the fh drop shot spin.

[J011yroger]

J011Roger - just wait and there is a lot to come that will show many of the same games / drills you describe and some others as well. It sounds like almost all of this will be familiar to you but I suspect there will be something you haven't seen or tried that will help your players. Thanks - Dave

Awesome, looking forward to it. I am going to test out your recommendation of shifting grips today and try to make some teenagers cry.

J

[DavidLHagler]

J011Roger - just wait and there is a lot to come that will show many of the same games / drills you describe and some others as well. It sounds like almost all of this will be familiar to you but I suspect there will be something you haven't seen or tried that will help your players. Thanks - Dave

[doctorhl]

Great article. As a club level player on hard courts, I never really got to practice the spin drop shot with its steep angle and very limited forward portion of the follow-through because the opponent’s topspin rates were too low. So, feel drop shots were more in order. However, the feel drop shots tend to “Telegraph” the shot and a club level opponent often has no need to deep behind the baseline. So preparation deception is key. If your opponent is not on their heels in anticipation of one hitting a consistently hard hit ball, it becomes a tough shot to pull off.

Developing juniors(and their coaches) often give up on the dropshot because of blaming most of the player’s shot failure on the technique of the forward swing. 1.Court location of body at contact 2.preparation deception, 3.recognition of speed or spin of incoming ball in the air 4.Location of opponent 5. Shot technique 6. Incoming Bounce speed and height of soft versus hard courts....... These are all variables that must be considered and weighed. Any drills designed for dropshots should try to factor in all of these variables. The player should eventually figure out which variables require more emphasis to better process the source(s) of any missed shot. The “embarrassment” factor also plays a part in attitude toward this shot for some people.

[J011yroger]

Ah, read it this morning.

Would have like a little more on methods for developing it.

We have mini tennis tournaments, play double touch, triples 3-5 passes, the game where you rest the ball on the net cord and whack it, and we will do days where you have to slice every ball.

I would say most of our boys have decent touch, and most of our girls do not.

If you leave the boys alone for 2 minutes they will start playing these stupid games and try to hit crazy shots and that's where they develop touch. In our group trainings I make sure to leave time to be creative, and just fool around. All soccer players can do the crazy ball tricks and those skills were developed fooling around in down time (actually again, more the guys) and the same with tennis players bouncing the ball on the edge of the frame, trying to hit drop shots that spin back over the net, etc.

I never had great touch as a player, but now as a coach I am like a wizard because I practice all day in lessons.

Would love to hear what anyone else does because I am not really happy with how our program is doing in the touch department, they are a little too mechanical and I think the soft hands and feel will carry over to the serve as well.

J