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The Lost Art of the Drop Shot
by
Nick Bollettieri, 17 October 2007
Let's face it, today's game is all about power and hitting the tar out of the ball. For the most part, the game of tennis is now predominantly played behind the baseline. This evolution has brought many advances to the game, including the need for increased physical training, as well as requiring players to hone their mental games. However, one skill lost in this transition has been the fine art of the drop shot.
If used properly, I believe that the drop shot can be more effective than ever before for a couple of reasons. (1) Because of the power in today's game, players have become more comfortable playing further behind the baseline. This gives them more time to run down big shots and take huge, menacing cuts at the ball. Making the drop shot a threat would force players to move closer to the baseline to guard against it, taking them out of their comfort zone, (2) We are seeing fewer and fewer players that are comfortable around the net. The drop shot is a great way to bring them in and force them to beat you from a position on the court where they are less competent, therefore less confident.
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