"Touch" the Next Level

Greg Moran

For years, the serve was considered the signature shot of the power player. However, in today’s game, with improvements in technique and technology, power groundstrokes and the swinging volleys have become equally devastating weapons.

Pros such as Fernando Gonzalez, Gael Monfils, and Juan Martin Del Potro consistently hit forehands at over 100 mph, while the Williams sisters, Maria Sharapova, and many others regularly produce groundstrokes and volleys that look (and sound) as if they could shatter concrete.

Power is in and, as always, what the pros do, we want to do. Recreational players around the world spend hundreds of hours hitting thousands of balls in an attempt to emulate their big hitting heroes.

Has the power revolution been good for the game: of course. If you’re able to hit big shots and still maintain high levels of control and consistency, more power to you (no pun intended).

However, big shots alone are not enough to win matches against high level players. The ability to take pace off the ball (I call it “touch”) is frequently overlooked by today’s power hungry players. Do the pros hit the ball hard? Sure they do, but the best players in the world have also learned to recognize when “less is more.”

In the past, I’ve written about what I consider to be two of the games most important “touch” shots: the lob and slice backhand. Now, I’m going to give you some tips for executing two more shots that will help you to “touch” the next level.

The Drop Shot

For years the drop shot was ridiculed, looked down upon and players that used it got little respect. However, the tide has turned and players such as Roger Federer and Andy Murray have shown the world that a well executed drop shot can be one of the games most devastating weapons.

In today’s game of long baseline battles, the drop shot has several tactical uses. Among them:

1. Many baseline bashers are uncomfortable at the net. A strong drop shot enables you to draw them in, take them out of their comfort zone, and exploit their weak net skills.

2. Big hitters frequently love to camp out way behind the baseline to launch their rockets. The fear of a drop shot will force them to move forward into a more unfamiliar area.

3. A drop shot allows you to take advantage of opponents who don’t move well or are unfit. If you make a less agile opponent, who may be carrying a few extra pounds around the middle, chase down a few well hit drop shots, his tongue will soon be hanging.

Drop shots are best hit when you’re around or inside the service line, well-balanced and on the offensive. Yes, you’ll sometimes see high level players hit a drop shot in the middle of an intense backcourt rally but it’s a tough shot to execute.

If you’re just beginning to experiment with the dropper, I suggest waiting until you’re near the service line and moving forward to your opponent’s ball. As you improve and develop a feel for the shot, you should be able to drop shot effectively from as far back as 3/4 court.

From a technical standpoint, the best grip for executing drop shots, on both the forehand and backhand sides, is the continental. The drop shot is basically an exaggerated slice and this grip, along with a high to low motion, will help you to put backspin on the ball. This spin will slow the ball down and keep it low after it bounces.

As you prepare, initially, keep your backswing short and compact. I like to compare the drop shot motion with a volley with a slightly longer follow-through. Keep your racquet head above your hand and your elbow slightly bent.

As you begin your forward, downward swing, I tell my students that, at contact, pretend they’re scooping ice cream out of a box. This “scooping” motion will help you begin to get the feel of the spin. After contact, finish the shot with a short follow-through moving out towards the target.

Don’t be surprised if your initial drop shots shoot straight up in the air. This is actually a good sign as it means you’re getting the appropriate spin (slice). Remember, as with any shot hit with spin, there are different degrees. Trial and error will help you develop the proper feel so that you can put as much (or as little) spin on the ball as the situation dictates. If your drop shots are going too high, close your racquet face a bit; too low, open it.

A key element of the drop shot is surprise – you want to make your opponent think you’re going to “drive” the ball as opposed to “drop” it. So, as you improve, begin to lengthen your backswing so that ultimately you can execute your drop shot using your normal groundstroke backswing.

You may be in for quite a few laughs when your first attempts at hitting drop shots land on your opponent’s baseline or actually go backwards and hit you in the chest. Don’t worry about it. It’s part of the process of learning. As you practice, you’ll develop the necessary feel to make your drop shot a true weapon.

Drop Volley

Low volleys are always tricky. Because the ball is below the net, you have to make it rise to get it over the net, but you can’t hit it with any pace or else it will go out. The drop volley is just the shot the tennis doctor ordered. (Note: You can also hit drop volleys on higher shots, though I wouldn’t recommend it on balls that are above chest height.)

Unlike the drop shot, which is used to set up your opponents, the drop volley is meant to end the point and demoralize your opponent’s in the process. Use the same grip (ideally continental) and backswing (short and about 10-12 inches above the ball) that you normally use for your volleys.

Move forward to the ball and be sure to bend from your knees as opposed to your waist. I like to tell my students to bend so low that their back knee will actually touch the court. Try to meet the ball in front of you, approximately even with your forward knee.

As you prepare to make contact, loosen your grip slightly and, as with the drop shot, imitate the “scooping ice cream” motion at contact. The entire forward motion will be 1-2 feet. Again, don’t be surprised if your ball pops straight up in the air or comes back and pops you in the nose. It’s part of the process.

As your touch improves, you’ll learn to hit drop (some people call them “stop”) volleys off harder balls. When faced with a fast paced ball, keep your wrist a bit firmer and, as the ball drives into your strings, let the ball’s pace push your racquet back 10-12 inches.

Practice Drills

Here are two drills that will help you begin to develop “soft hands.”

1. Everyone knows mini-tennis: tennis within the service lines. Some love it, others hate it. The fact is it’s a fabulous training tool on many levels. I feel that its greatest benefit is that it helps you to develop the necessary feel in your hands to execute touch shots. Here’s a variation that I like to do with my students.
   
   As you and your partner rally back and forth between the service lines instead of directly hitting each other’s shots back try this: as the ball approaches you, try to “scoop” it up in the air so that it bounces a few inches in front of you. Then, hit it back over the net. Have your practice partner do the same. Rally back and forth in this manner and you’ll soon find that you’ll begin to “feel the ball” at a whole new level.

2. Grab your favorite practice partner, a basket of balls, and head to the court. Have him or her stand on the service line and feed you a series of forehand volleys. Instead of volleying them back, you must “scoop” the oncoming ball up in the air and catch it in your non-racquet hand….without moving your feet. As you begin to get the feel for this, have your partner work his way back to the baseline and eventually add more pace to his shots. Then do the same for your backhand volley.

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