Drop Shots and Lobs

AJ Chabria

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It would be great to blow a player off the court with blistering side to side drives, but if you watch the greats, they are able to move their opponents all over the court using contrasting spins, speeds and depths.

Using court variations and shot sequences, this month's drill focuses on contrast and variety and how to defend against it.

We start by dividing the court in half, lengthwise. This limits both players' options, forcing them to practice up and back movement and requiring a bit more control than normal.

Player A (attacking from the mid-court at this point) feeds a deep ball to Player B (at the baseline). Pushed 3 to 6 feet behind the baseline, B counters with a shot to A's feet.

Since B is still behind the baseline, A hits a drop shot (as a volley or a half-volley), making B hustle toward the net. If B can get to the drop shot, he can either go for a lob over A's backhand shoulder or attempt a passing shot. If A replies with an offensive volley and B gets to it, a volley rally ensues. 

The player with the best placement or the most controlled pace will win the point. If A decides to play a lob-volley over B, B must recover quickly for either a high backhand volley, an overhead smash or must run back quickly and retrieve the lob. The point is played out. Both players get to work on touch, placement, footwork and the all-important ability to read an opponent's shots as well as his moves.

Scoring: I think a short, game-like format is best (15, 30, 40, game), but some play it to 7 or 11 then switch roles. 

Often, even accomplished players struggle in the above situations, especially when both players wind up at the net. Though these situations do not occur a majority of the time, it is a great skill to make them happen against your opponent's will. Turning awkward situations into comfortable ones is what drilling is all about, and consistently winning points like these will do wonders for your confidence in a match.

Variations

After a couple of rounds, play the drill crosscourt: deuce court to deuce court, then ad court to ad court. Note: use an imaginary line, chalk or masking tape to connect the center service line to the center mark. This will introduce more spin and more extreme angles to your shots. Add the alleys to simulate doubles.

Finally, play this drill in the full court to make the drill as realistic as possible. Many coaches spend hours encouraging their students to "use the whole court", and at this point it will seem absolutely huge! The possibilities will seem endless, and since there is more court to work with, there will probably be fewer unforced errors, more forced errors and more winners.

I would recommend doing all three variations, then switching roles and doing all three again. This will allow both players a sense of continuity with each position. Have fun and be ready to run!

Benefits to Player A

Player A gets to practice handling a shot at his feet and jerking his opponent from deep to extremely short. Since it is difficult to hit an angled winner with pace off of a low ball, and B is still behind the baseline; this is one of the best times to hit a dropper (particularly on a clay or grass court where the ball dies more easily). Then, A gets to practice reading B's shot and deciding whether or not to use pace or go for a lob.

Benefits to Player B

Player B gets to practice dipping the ball into an attacker's feet, then recovering quickly so he can counter-attack. He then gets to practice the explosive up and back movement involved in chasing drop shots and lobs. In order to gain the position and balance to do something offensive with the ball (pure defense doesn't cut it these days) he must develop footwork precise enough to get him beside the ball rather than running 'at' the ball. He then must keep the ball away from A's strengths.

Your comments are welcome. Let us know what you thank about this drill by emailing us here at TennisONE. 

Last Updated 1/15/02. To contact us, please email to: webmaster@tennisone.com

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