Learn the Drop Shot in Pickleball with This Cool Drill
Do you struggle with hitting a good drop shot in pickleball? A drop shot is a shot that barely clears the net and lands softly in the opponent's non-volley zone, also known as the kitchen. It's a great way to slow down the game and prevent your opponents from attacking you with a smash. But it's not easy to do it right.
You need to have the right touch and control to hit the ball with just enough power and spin. If you hit it too hard, your opponents will have an easy time returning it. If you hit it too soft, you won't even make it over the net. How can you improve your drop shot and make it more consistent?
The answer is simple: practice. And this drill will help you do just that. All you need is a pickleball court, some equipment, and a partner. This drill will help you improve your drop shot by starting from a short distance and gradually increasing it until you can hit it from anywhere on the court. Here's how it works:
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| Learn the Drop Shot in Pickleball with This Cool Drill |
Step 1: Start with the dink
The dink is a shot that is similar to the drop shot, but it's usually hit from closer to the net. The goal of the dink is to hit the ball softly over the net and into the kitchen, making it hard for your opponents to reach it. The dink is a very important skill to have in pickleball, as it allows you to control the pace and the angle of the game.To practice the dink, stand at the non-volley zone line with your partner and hit the ball back and forth over the net, aiming for the kitchen. Try to keep the ball as low as possible, without hitting the net. Do this until you feel comfortable with your dink.
To make your dink even better, you can also work on your footwork and your form. When you hit the dink, you want to step towards the ball and set your feet before you swing. This will give you more balance and accuracy. You also want to follow through on your swing, to make sure you hit the ball with the right spin and direction.
Step 2: Move back a little
Once you master the dink, you can start to move back a little and try to hit the drop shot. The drop shot is basically a longer dink, so you want to use the same technique, but with a little more power and a little more arc. Start by taking one step back from the non-volley zone line and have your partner stand at the net, hitting the ball to you. Your goal is to hit the ball back over the net and into the kitchen, just like the dink. But this time, you have to hit it a little harder and a little higher, to make sure it clears the net and drops into the kitchen.Practice hitting the drop shot from this distance and have your partner return the ball to you. Do this until you feel comfortable with the drop shot from this distance. Then, you can move on to the next step.
Step 3: Repeat
Now just do the same thing. Every time you get comfortable at a new level, take a step back until you eventually reach the base line. Once you get comfortable with the shot from the base line, you've practically mastered the shot and you're ready to use it in your games.For more practice, you can try to modify this drill a bit and work on accuracy. You can work on hitting the drop shot from the right side of the court into the left side of the opponent's court or vice-versa. You can even try working on half the court to try and increase your accuracy. There are many ways to adjust this easy drill to help you improve your skills. And the best part is, even if you're advanced, you can keep using this drill to improve further or tweak it to suit your needs.
When to use the drop shot
Now that you've improved your drop shot, it's time to apply it in a real game, but when should you use it? The drop shot is most effective on the third shot, after your opponent returns your serve deep into your side of the court. At this point, the drop shot is a good way to give you time to move up to the net and get in a better position.Once you hit the first drop shot, you may find that your opponent returned the ball before you could make it all the way to the net. Don't panic though, because this is where you can keep using drop shots until you make it back to the net. If they return the ball and you're not at the kitchen line yet, just use another drop shot and take a few steps closer. Keep doing this until you're back in the game.
The main time that you'll use a drop shot in game is when you're pushed back and need to get time to get back up to the kitchen line. Having a consistent and accurate drop shot can help you get to the net faster and prevent the opponent from sending you shots that are hard to return.
