The saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” goes so well with Pickleball since at first glance it may look like a sport that is destined to cater to the elderly with nothing really going on in depth.
But once you dive into the universe of pickleball, you will be astounded to know there is more than meets the eye, in fact, there are some special techniques like a drop shot which you barely have heard in its neighboring sports.
Speaking of which, if you are interested in learning more about this intuitive yet unique methodology that barely requires any finesse, I would encourage you to keep on reading what is a drop shot in Pickleball and how you could replicate it in the court leading to a couple of quick wins.
Drop Shot Explanation
A drop shot is a unique strategy that ensures the ball is hit in such a way that it lands as close to the non-volley zone as possible and to amplify its effects the ball is purposely kept low, this ensures the ball is harder to hit by an opponent and if it is actually hit, it will usually put the opponent at a disadvantage.
In order to hit a drop shot, here is what you need to do,
1. Dink It
That’s right, it may sound weird but in order to execute a drop shot, you have to keep a neutral grip, preferably forehand while holding the paddle in your dominant grip because you would need accuracy to ensure the ball lands exactly where it is supposed to.
A Dink is a slight tap of the ball with your paddle that ensures that it barely absorbs the momentum so that the ball doesn’t bounce as high when it lands in the 7-foot non-volley zone.
2. Neutral stance
To compliment your shot, you need to stay as flexible as possible while bending your knees, to hit the ball by pushing your wrist rather than your whole body. Always remember that the shot has to look like you are hitting with full force but using deceit, use only your wrist, this will make sure the ball always makes its way across the net.
3. Staying Close To The Net
Hitting the ball deep from your court, especially where the baseline is won’t do you much of a favor, in fact, to make the ball make its way across the 34 inches higher net, staying right beside the net is crucial because it minimizes the need to plan out accuracy and ball trajectory since your position has Already covered plenty of area to eliminate the extra travel time it might be needing.
Always remember, positioning yourself is crucial and it minimizes the chances of error, especially the one that correlates to “net faults” where the ball is low enough to touch the upper portion of the net.
4. Fake It Till You Make It
Drop shot is all about confusing your opponent, in fact, you would be using over-the-top tactics to put them guessing where your ball will land. Using a semi-swing or aggressive footwork only to hit the ball with a softer Dink would do the trick, otherwise, you will have a hard time executing a drop shot.
Moreover, the whole point of the drop shot is that the ball lands in the non-volley zone, since that unique zone is around 7 feet in length, once you have positioned yourself, you would have plenty of space to land the ball in that zone.
If you are already struggling and cannot make the ball stick its landing, make sure you practice in drills, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the middle region of the court, as long as it makes its way across the net and lands in non-volley zone, it would count as a legal drop shot.
Advantages Of Drop Shot In Pickleball
A delicate yet potent technique, a drop shot opens the route to opportunities with a slight tap of your paddle, here are a couple of Advantages of a drop shot.
1. Ideal For Stacking
If you and your teammate are stacking in one region, you perform a drop shot by staying as close to the net and hitting the ball while making sure it lands near the non-volley zone.
To make things more interesting, you can also complement this technique with poaching by stealing the swing that was meant for your teammate which will undoubtedly baffle your opponent.
A well-timed poaching used in conjunction with a slight tap from your paddle would easily turn the tables around in a match.
2. Breaks Momentum
If you ever see an opponent going hard on you, almost dominating the courtside, and even exploiting your weakness with robust drives and smashes, using a drop shot might be an amazing strategy to teach them a lesson and even put them in a rough spot.
Make sure you only use this technique sparingly and in scenarios where you want to slow the pace down of the game.
3. Position Reinforcement
This might be another reason why drop shots are considered a godsend weapon in the court and some pickleball gurus have even ranked this technique as top tier due to its low-risk high-reward nature.
Not only does it break the momentum and let your opponent scramble their strategy but it also reinforces your positioning in the court. The additional time you receive after utilizing this strategy allows the original player to reorient themselves easily without worrying too much.
Moreover, it also sets a player for a perfect counter shot against a lob, so in other words, it’s a win-win situation if timed correctly.
Additional Tips To Keep In Mind
The execution strategy is simple, yet you need to be mindful of a couple of things such as,
- A drop shot is as effective as its disguise, so try to conceal your moves and use variation whenever it’s possible.
- Too overuse this technique because it might backfire pretty quickly, especially in higher competitive leagues.
- Keep in mind that the center region is easier because that’s where the net is two inches lower, however, the side posts Being higher increases the chances of creating unpredictability.
What Is a Drop Shot in Pickleball? – Final word
Smashes, robust drives, and rallies might sound thrilling but drop shot being the silent assassin can save the day by turning the tables around, it’s the exact strategy you may be desperately looking out for whenever your offense is barely working out.
The best part is that it’s simple and straightforward to execute, barely requiring any proficiency, so even a rookie could execute it and look fancy on the court.
If you enjoyed reading this article and love the idea behind drop shot is in Pickleball, I would suggest that you share it with your peers, happy Pickleballing!
