Third Shot Drops

I was watching some of the pro women playing and I was keeping track of how many third shot drops actually bounced in the kitchen.  I was surprised to note that about 60% of the drops actually bounced.  The others were volleyed.

When the drop shot is volleyed then the point becomes one of "keeping people at their own baseline" as much as possible.  

The point I would like to make for us folk trying to get better, is that most drop shots are not going to be perfect.  Maybe what we should be expecting from our drops shots is that they are good enough.  I would say that if you get a chance to hit a fifth shot then your third shot drop was a success.  Add bonus points if you managed to advance into the court by a step or two.  You need to be brave with third shots and not worry about hitting a too high/deep one.  I've found that the follow through has to be quite high, if not I'll drop them into the net almost every time.  I played a game with Angel and when he hit a shot that might come back hard from a less than perfect drop, he would say "Look Out."  And indeed, he said it a number of times.  This is nothing unusual regardless of your level.  Get rid of the angst and try to drop.

I was playing a point today and my partner scampered up to the net and put away the fifth shot.  All good, of course.  He remarked that he felt empowered to do so as he expected a good third shot drop from me.  Well, he got one that time and was able to end the point.  It might have been different if I didn't deliver.

A number of players have the view that advancing to the kitchen is always a good thing if their partner is going to hit the third shot.  I am of mixed mind on this one; no, I take it back, I don't think this is a good thing.  It's a great idea if the third shot is going to be good.  But it's a bit tough to see into the future as Yogi Berra mentioned one time.  And if the pros miss 40% of the drop shots, what is the percentage at the Downs?  So we have amateurs who are venturing where pros fear to tread...

As a general philosophy I would argue to 1) be ready to advance if your partner hits a good third, 2) be ready to retreat if the third is bad, 3) or step into the court a bit if the third looks reasonable but expect to defend a volley.  Bottom line, wait close to or behind the baseline until you can evaluate the third shot.

I would "play" this point differently depending on a couple of things.  Let's say the serve was really good and the return was not, then the third shot will be easier and access to the kitchen should be available.  With a weak/short second shot, you ought to be able to aggressively move from the baseline to the kitchen most of the time.  I would suggest that your goal ought to be to move to the kitchen and not try to win the point outright.  

Frequently the person who hits weak second shot will stay back, a bad error in my estimation, and they usually can be punished for this by returning a deep shot to their side of the court.  If you can keep them off the kitchen and your side can get there, you've done well.  Again, don't try to win the point, just get up and keep them back if possible.

When the chance to advance comes, both of you must advance and do it quickly.  If you are not hitting the ball, then you can move up ahead of partner and get ready (balance, paddle position, court position, middle coverage, etc.) for the fourth shot to come back assuming partner is on the same page in re shot selection.  The shot selection should be to make things awkward for opponents, hit something that can't be attacked, but rarely trying to win the point.  Think placement over power.

If you adopt this framework it will make the fifth shots easier to handle and you and partner will be moving to the kitchen more easily.

One last point is what that third shot should be.  Is it drive or drop?  It shouldn't matter much.  Because partner should be waiting to see what you will do and how successful it is before moving.  I think if you drop always, it's easier for partner to get ready and you'll usually be able to advance to the kitchen more quickly.  You don't want a hitting battle when you are at the baseline and the opponents are at the kitchen.