Is this legal? It might be a little more difficult to pull off. Do you hit with the backhand side of the racquet on your forehand? It'll be easier if you toss slightly to your left, that way you can easily do a backhand drop shot.
drop shot serve
- Thread starter westpac690
- Start date
westpac690
Rookie
I can't believe this thread is still going!
No kidding? I'm gonna have to look that up. For a reference, the ball DOES NOT bounce as high as the ball does in the youtube video of Karlovic doing it. Karlovic's ball on the serve goes up, and down, with what looks like a couple feet of clearance over the net. The fella I played, cleared the net by inches and does not bounce the height of the net. I gather he realizes if it bounced any higher the returner could clearly smack it for a winner.
TheOneHander
Professional
I can't believe this thread is still going!
No kidding? I'm gonna have to look that up. For a reference, the ball DOES NOT bounce as high as the ball does in the youtube video of Karlovic doing it. Karlovic's ball on the serve goes up, and down, with what looks like a couple feet of clearance over the net. The fella I played, cleared the net by inches and does not bounce the height of the net. I gather he realizes if it bounced any higher the returner could clearly smack it for a winner.
He was being sarcastic, I think that would be pretty hard to measure on close calls
westpac690
Rookie
He was being sarcastic, I think that would be pretty hard to measure on close calls
Nah, you get an umpire like in baseball to establish a "serve height" instead of a "strike zone" and call faults.
Joking of course.My current doubles partner is obsessed with the dropshot. It's so ****ing annoying, because he has a really solid baseline game and would win most rallies - but he'll be hitting comfortably crosscourt with someone and then try and make an outrageous dropshot from the baseline or behind.
Sometimes it works but against anyone decent they see it coming a mile off and crush it (often straight at me sitting at the net). Yet he keeps doing it.
In summary - work on your game and fitness, and then you'll love players like this. Most courts do not play dead enough for an amateur player to drop-shot with any degree of consistency against a decent opponent.
I am a fit guy with solid volleys, so I love it when players try and dropshot me - it's a free advance to the net. 3 out of 4 times I get there easily and then the point is invariably mine.
Sometimes it works but against anyone decent they see it coming a mile off and crush it (often straight at me sitting at the net). Yet he keeps doing it.
In summary - work on your game and fitness, and then you'll love players like this. Most courts do not play dead enough for an amateur player to drop-shot with any degree of consistency against a decent opponent.
I am a fit guy with solid volleys, so I love it when players try and dropshot me - it's a free advance to the net. 3 out of 4 times I get there easily and then the point is invariably mine.
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slice bh compliment
G.O.A.T.
Yeah, backhand side of the stringbed.
I don't know if it is legal. Technically, if you swing and miss, it's a fault if there was intent to hit it.
The only thing that is bush league is complaining about a perfectly legal shot and the only unwritten rule is that there are no such thing as unwritten rules. And if you are willing to let non-existent unwritten rules remove a weapon in your arsenal that may help you win a match, then you are no competitor. As Billy Hoyle said in White Men Can't Jump, you'd rather look good and lose than look bad and win.
I've used them before. I have a decent first serve and when someone starts sitting 7-8 feet back of the baseline, I have no problem dinking one over to let them know that it could come at anytime. Just the fact that the possibility is there makes the 1st serve more effective. I've gotten plenty of giggles and raised eyebrows with it.
And if I'm playing someone who isn't mobile or is gassed, I have no shame in drop shotting them to death. What are you supposed to do, sit there and hit it back and forth until someone misses? If you perceive a weakness, attack it. If someone has a strong net game, loves to approach, and is in shape, then you find another chink on the armor.
I do understand, especially in this day of nothing but pure power, gorilla tennis, that some people see strategy and specialty shots as so-called bush league, but to me, this is the greatest thing about tennis, the chess match, the tactical element of the game. Just one hackers opinion.
I've used them before. I have a decent first serve and when someone starts sitting 7-8 feet back of the baseline, I have no problem dinking one over to let them know that it could come at anytime. Just the fact that the possibility is there makes the 1st serve more effective. I've gotten plenty of giggles and raised eyebrows with it.
And if I'm playing someone who isn't mobile or is gassed, I have no shame in drop shotting them to death. What are you supposed to do, sit there and hit it back and forth until someone misses? If you perceive a weakness, attack it. If someone has a strong net game, loves to approach, and is in shape, then you find another chink on the armor.
I do understand, especially in this day of nothing but pure power, gorilla tennis, that some people see strategy and specialty shots as so-called bush league, but to me, this is the greatest thing about tennis, the chess match, the tactical element of the game. Just one hackers opinion.
tennis tom
Legend
Hear-hear! Well said Taylormcc!
SeriousSummer
New User
I agree with this statement in principle, but the issue with a drop shot serve is most of the times I've seen it used, it is about more than winning the point.
It's about humiliating your opponent.
The drop shot serve is a low percentage play against anybody but the very weakest players. Most of the time when someone hits it, it isn't hit because it's the best (highest percentage) way of winning the point. The person hittng it is telling their opponent that they are so much better than them that they can screw around and still beat them.
If you intentionally humiliate your opponent, then you should expect them to be unhappy with you. I used to do crap like that playing basketball when I was young--beat a guy with a cross over take the ball all the way to the basket for an easy layup and then dribble out to the three point line for the shot. Or only shoot left handed jump shots. Or shoot the ball behind my back or between my legs. Or wait on a wide open fast break for my opponent to catch up to me so I could beat them one on one for a basket. I intended to humiliate them. I was a jerk.
There may be times when a drop serve is ok--where it's really the best way to win the point, but they are few and far between. When you are hurt or exhausted, when you opponent stands ridiculously far back, when you can't hit your real serve in the box to save your life.
Otherwise a drop serve is a bush league play. I might try it against a friend I know well enough to prank on, but that's it.
^^^^^^ Agree completely. I would never do it to embarrass someone. I've seen it in high school events (I'm a high school coach) where some kid is being an *** but they usually get undressed by there coach...except one that I know of that shall remain nameless.
I don't use it to screw around, if someone stands 8 feet back of the service line to try and negate one of the strengths of my game (a good, hard first serve that moves) I'll try to hit short, shallow slice serves that barely clear the net and hug the ground. I'm not good enough to place my first server at will, so I try to use different shots to keep my opponent unbalanced.
But no, I would NEVER use it to humiliate someone. That's low class.
I don't use it to screw around, if someone stands 8 feet back of the service line to try and negate one of the strengths of my game (a good, hard first serve that moves) I'll try to hit short, shallow slice serves that barely clear the net and hug the ground. I'm not good enough to place my first server at will, so I try to use different shots to keep my opponent unbalanced.
But no, I would NEVER use it to humiliate someone. That's low class.
myusername
New User
I do that serve, but also with some side slice, it takes them off the court and makes them hit up, often lunging then I just back hand it to the open court. Some times I will serve and volley on it. I love it when it goes for a ace. You have to have your hard serve working that day though. If you are athletic and quick enough You will stay back and play the traditional serve and come up to punish any off pace stuff. You don't see it in the pros because those guys, and gals are super athletes with great burst. I do remember Martina H playing a under hand serve on Steffi G at the French open, was it '99. The crowd did voice there displeasure. Mine is a overhead slice drop serve though. If you get this in a match and you get there in time try down the line if their back hand is weak. Or a extreme angle forehand to the elbow or shallower on the other side. Like a doubles shot. You can also just lob them, especially to their backhand shoulder and especially if they are serving and volleying. You have options. Just don't center the ball though. It's a great shot though and those who whine about it are, you know whiners who only want to play tennis if their opponents put the ball right in their strike zone. These are also the kind of player that disrespect other peoples game after they themselves get beat by it.
