Slice vs dropshot technique?

[Rolv]

What is the difference in execution and ball contact on a slice and a dropshot?
The strokes shpuld have two different balltrajection, right? A slice should be low over the net and have a very flat balltrajection where the bounce flattens out. But a drop shot should have a significantly high to low trajectory.
What makes the difference in the strokes that makes the trajectory so different. Both shots are hit with underspin, right?
I have a pretty good slice stroke, but sometimes I have problems with the slice being high and sailing far. But don't really know why. While the attempts to do a dropshot dont get any real backspin. It rather become a short slice with a slightly high ball trajectory.
I have a hard time sorting out how each stroke should be struck and the differnce between them when it comes to ball contact for each stroke.

 

[johnmccabe]

Floating slice usually is caused by racquet face too open. Depending on how you hit your slice, it could be because you are making contact too early. Sounds like your drop shot is a blocking motion. Hard to say for sure without seeing a video.

For a low knifing slice, you want the racquet and body to have good amount of forward momentum, unless you are really chopping down like Federer when countering those heavy topspin. Dropshot is largely for absorbing the pace, so not much forward momentum of the racquet.

 

[socallefty]

I suspect that you should have a coach look at your slice technique. I don’t think you have to hit a dropshot with a high trajectory as all you need is to make it die/drop quickly - you can do it with more vicious underspin, softening the pace with some underspin etc. Dropshots with a high trajectory give opponents more time to get to them than those hit at a lower trajectory.

The biggest difference between my deep slice and dropshot slice is that I abbreviate the followthrough much more on the dropper so that the vertical up/down momentum is much more than the driving forward momentum. This imparts much more backspin to the ball and reduces its depth to make it a short, low ball.

 

[Dragy]

Dropshot is a very feel-based shot, there are actually different ones in different circumstances. Slice can be good both low and short, higher but deep. Deep and low skidding, for sure.

Now for dropshot, it’s so different if you have higher or lower ball, are close or far from the net… Playing against a penetrating shot, or facing a backspin sitter.

Against decently hit drive, going for dropshot from the baseline, it’s mostly about shorty, blocky slice, but with more angled contact, so that there’s more spin, less punch - ball should reach the opposite side of the net, but die soon.

Weaker ball - you want to massage it with backspin and “carry” it more, likely while moving forward. Applying sidespin is also helpful to suck away some power and give it ugly bounce.

So after all, keep in mind your options and try what works in which scenarios. Develop your feel, discover which kind of scenario is best for you to execute good dropper. Create patterns to get into such scenarios. Like Carlitos with his FH dropper - he mostly uses this one, not any and every variation. Why? Because he owns it, likes it, and usually plays in a pattern which makes it efficient.

 

[Injured Again]

What is the difference in execution and ball contact on a slice and a dropshot?
The strokes shpuld have two different balltrajection, right? A slice should be low over the net and have a very flat balltrajection where the bounce flattens out. But a drop shot should have a significantly high to low trajectory.
What makes the difference in the strokes that makes the trajectory so different. Both shots are hit with underspin, right?
I have a pretty good slice stroke, but sometimes I have problems with the slice being high and sailing far. But don't really know why. While the attempts to do a dropshot dont get any real backspin. It rather become a short slice with a slightly high ball trajectory.
I have a hard time sorting out how each stroke should be struck and the differnce between them when it comes to ball contact for each stroke.

I try to use the same take back motion for both a slice and a drop shot. The main difference is that for a drop shot, my first motion from the take back location is to move the racquet forward a few inches so the swing can have a more vertically downward path. For a regular slice, I swing in pretty much a straight path from the take back location to the contact point.

I also slightly slow down my swing speed for the drop shot. Because the ball is rotating very quickly after it makes contact with the ground, slightly slowing down my swing speed results in a higher trajectory without deliberately changing my racquet face angle more than it already is changed by the more vertically downward trajectory.

Here’s a video I shot when I was coming back after a long injury layoff. The first minute or so is hitting my preferred crosscourt slice. The next 40 or so seconds is hitting an inside out slice. I try a couple of drop shots starting at about 1:40.

 

[nyta2]

i have 2 mental models for droppers.. both involve scrubbing pace off the incoming ball

1. high trajectory where apex of ball is on my side of the court, stroke has a more open face, usually more sidespin, and a abbreviated backswing/follow... some of the pace is redirected into height, but emphasizes placement vs ball dying often best hit when you have the option (and opponent is anticipating) a deep/hard offensive shot
2. let the ball win the collision, similar to 1, but emphasis is on soft hands to scrub pace, eg. drop volley (but imo harder to control if incoming ball has alot of spin/pace)

i probably do a combination of 1&2 at various times... and also do them poorly, as my droppers are not very good/consistent

i like to study hugo gaston & ons jabeur... they hit alot of deep slice, short slice, and obviously droppers... so you can see the diff in how they execute each, and they usually hit alot in a single match, so don't need to hunt for too long... ;P

funny one by gaston's opponent...

 

[Chas Tennis]

What is the difference in execution and ball contact on a slice and a dropshot?
The strokes shpuld have two different balltrajection, right? A slice should be low over the net and have a very flat balltrajection where the bounce flattens out. But a drop shot should have a significantly high to low trajectory.
What makes the difference in the strokes that makes the trajectory so different. Both shots are hit with underspin, right?
I have a pretty good slice stroke, but sometimes I have problems with the slice being high and sailing far. But don't really know why. While the attempts to do a dropshot dont get any real backspin. It rather become a short slice with a slightly high ball trajectory.
I have a hard time sorting out how each stroke should be struck and the differnce between them when it comes to ball contact for each stroke.

There are defined words and there is word usage.

For all tennis usage assume that the terms are not defined until you know differently. On the forum, that is a must.

If you Google a term that you hear used on this forum, you will rarely find a scientific definition was being applied.

You are in The Tennis Term Nuthouse.

Terms are usually named when a thing is first recognized as important, but before the thing was understood. For example, the tennis term, 'weight transfer'. Can anyone explain how slow 'weight transfer' adds to extremely fast racket head speed? Or the tennis usage of the the word pronation when discussing the tennis serve. Whoops! For decades, Internal Shoulder Rotation during the serve has been called Pronation because nobody looked carefully at high speed videos!

The words are so poor at explanations that the only hope is to check all word descriptions against clear high speed videos of the tennis strokes. You can also study the biomechanics of tennis strokes as that is a science.

Google: drop shot Youtube slow motion

Google: slice backhand slow motion Youtube

Google: Volley Secrets Bret Hobden Youtube
(see especially what he describes as 'losing the volley' - how to hit a drop volley)