400 Series: Skills & Drills Lab
Drop Shots & Transition Attack
Takeaways & Training Tasks
Keep the momentum rolling with these quick steps:
- Refresh your memory with the 2 skills, 2 drills, and training video.
- Knock out the drills 2–3x before we meet again.
- Each time you play, pick one skill and make it your mission to use it often and on purpose.
Top Spin Drop Shot
- Grip: Eastern Forehand or Backhand
- Stance: Open or Semi Open based on set up to the ball
- Paddle Prep: 1/2 back swing with a low to high swing plane to create top spin. Use more brush up (C Shape Swing) than push forward to create more spin and shallow depth needed for drop rather than drive
- Contact Point: Out in front of body and off to the side with weight transferring forward through the shot. Lead with top edge of the paddle
- Follow Through: Out in front of opposite shoulder with non dominant hand as counter balance
3rd Shot Ladder Depth
- Set up 1 player at NVZ and 1 at baseline
- Baseline player will alternate depths with drop shots: shallow (landing in NVZ) and deep (landing at partner’s feet)
- 1- Partner Feed - do not rally, just feed and catch
- 2- Partner Rally - NVZ player practicing response to shallow and deep drops, baseline player practicing shallow and deep
- Perform straight on and cross court both directions
Transition Zone Swing Volley
- Weight Transfer: Load and rotate to allow weight to flow forward into your shot. Plant and then push through contact.
- Body Positioning: Step into the shot using weight transfer for power. Multiple small prep steps are better than fewer large steps.
- Hands: Eastern grip with laid back wrist.
- Swing: Swing through the ball like drawing a Nike swoosh to the side of you. Low to high swing plane. No backswing behind the body.
Drop, Attack, Volley
- Set up 3 cones on the sideline as guides: 1 at baseline, 1 at midcourt, 1 at NVZ.
- 1 player at the baseline and 1 player at NVZ straight on.
- NVZ player feeds a ball to each cone depth.
- Baseline player hits a drop from the baseline walks forward to transition, hits a swing volley attack at midcourt, then a volley from NVZ.
- Focus is on footwork and not overrunning the attackable ball.
- Accelerate forward to attack the ball and use your weight transfer to create power.
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