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This month’s ‘Tips from the Pros’ emphasizes strategy to counter a good drop shot player. The key is excellent length. So, to work on this counter strategy, try playing a conditioned game that is a variation on the classic rail drill. You lose a point if you violate one of the rules.
Rules:
Play is to 15 using point-a-rally scoring. Each player is required to play shots specifically intended to end up deep in the back of the court or very short in the front of the court. You lose a point if you violate one of the rules.
In this conditioned game, rails should not bounce until after crossing the back of the service box, and drop shots should not be hit unless the ball is struck at (or in front of) the short line.
In other words, emphasis should be on good length but always looking for opportunities to play the ball short. However, only one re-drop is allowed after the initial drop shot (i.e., if player A plays a drop shot from the short line or forward, player B may re-drop or hit the ball to length down the wall. If player B re-drops, player A must hit the ball to length).
Execution:
Avoid over-anticipating your next shot. Just because you are playing only one side of the court does not mean you can “cheat” over from the middle—imagine a bell on the T that you have to hit with your racquet each time you recover from your shot.
Look for opportunities to cut the ball off to hit drops and focus your attention on length when hitting the ball deep. Keep in mind that the purpose of this conditioned game is to work on countering a good drop shot player by keeping him/her in the back corners (see, Tips from the Pros, opposite page). Keep in mind that hitting good length off a drop shot may require hitting the ball high down the wall rather than driving it with pace—this will also give you more time to regain good position at the T.
Notes:
To make this conditioned game easier, rails must cross the short line before bouncing rather than having to make it past the back of the service box.
To make it harder, limit one player to hitting nothing but length while the other player is allowed to hit rails or drop shots.
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Feb 2008
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