Is there a difference between a dink shot and a drop shot?

[Steady Eddy]

Sometimes when I get a short ball, I like to just tap it over the net. Sometimes I call that a drop shot.

But I've seen guys who put a lot of backspin on the ball, and it looks like something they've worked on, not like something they just invented on the spot.

Now my shot, I do hit it very short on purpose, but does that make it a drop shot? Or is it only a drop shot when it goes sorta high, and lands with lots of backspin?

 

[Bender]

If you are attempting to hit a winner or a forced error with a shot that is unusually short, I'd call it a drop shot. A bit different to something like a short slice designed to draw people to the net. I'd say drop shots should land inside the service box; the closer to the net the better.

The best drop shots have backspin to prevent the ball from moving any deeper after the bounce but it's optional IMO.

 

[dominikk1985]

There are 3 different things:

1. A drop shot: a short ball that drops twice before passing the service line

2. A short,low slice to draw a bad volleyer to the net (like Federer used when he was younger and still sliced more)

3. A terrible bad slice that lands short and bounces higher than the net cord but past the service line. The third is just a bad stroke that bad players do. Against an extremely terrible forward mover below 3.5 it still might win a point but somewhat good players crush that thing or approach and then hit a volley.

 

[J011yroger]

Yes, you are hitting a dink. It's a very legitimate and underutilized shot.

A drop shot goes higher and has backspin because that's needed to take the pace off the opponent's ground stroke and retain control.

J

 

[FiReFTW]

I like to hit dropshots in 95% of the situations, so slicing the ball with feel so it has alot of backspin and bounces backwards/possibly sideways aswell or at least not forward.

I usualy only dink when im wide and I place the short ball at an angle and want it to bounce forward/away from the court, specially if opponent is closer at net and im hitting it past him at an angle.

 

[J011yroger]

I like to hit dropshots in 95% of the situations, so slicing the ball with feel so it has alot of backspin and bounces backwards/possibly sideways aswell or at least not forward.

I usualy only dink when im wide and I place the short ball at an angle and want it to bounce forward/away from the court, specially if opponent is closer at net and im hitting it past him at an angle.

There's not usually a choice between the two.

J

 

[Pctopcool]

Depends on who hit it.

 

[coupergear]

I consider a dink a very weakly hit ball usually using no consistent form, often just poking or bunting the ball over. A drop shot is an actual executed stroke, a slice off either side with racket face angled up that absorbs incoming speed and tries to land short. Now by that definition a re-drop is more like a dink, since a player scrambles to get a racket on it and just pokes flicks or shovels the ball over... not that same consistent slice motion of a true drop shot, although with enough time, could be.

 

[Friedman Whip]

Sometimes when I get a short ball, I like to just tap it over the net. Sometimes I call that a drop shot.

Like others I would say that this shot is a 'dink' shot. Best played when opponent is mostly out of position - deep and maybe on one side of the court - so that what you need to do is hit short with no pace to other side of court and you either win point or gain control of point.
With a true drop shot there is an element of surprise. Opponent should be deep but not necessarily way out of position. You prepare like you're going to blast a ground stroke deep, even exaggerating the prep some to make it look like a big groundstroke, but then at last moment hit a ball that barely goes over net and stops as much as possible. This is a tough shot to learn and involves some unique technique but once learned it can be deadly.

 

[Dartagnan64]

A tap is a dink. A drop shot has back spin and requires high to low motion rather than a pushing motion.

 

[r2473]

Sometimes when I get a short ball, I like to just tap it over the net. Sometimes I call that a drop shot.

But I've seen guys who put a lot of backspin on the ball, and it looks like something they've worked on, not like something they just invented on the spot.

Now my shot, I do hit it very short on purpose, but does that make it a drop shot? Or is it only a drop shot when it goes sorta high, and lands with lots of backspin?

Would you ever call the Sureshs drop volley a “dink”?

 

[Steady Eddy]

Would you ever call the Sureshs drop volley a “dink”?

Never seen it. My "drop volleys" are when it goes off the frame, then hits the net cord and drops in for a winner.

 

[ByeByePoly]

Would you ever call the Sureshs drop volley a “dink”?

Drop dink

 

[J011yroger]

Would you ever call the Sureshs drop volley a “dink”?

Poetry.

J