SKILL SETS FOR THE ADVANCED PLAYER

 TWO SKILL SETS YOU MUST MASTER TO PLAY AT THE ADVANCED LEVEL

1. Ability to take place off the ball and drop shot it back over the net from most anywhere on the court.

2. Consistently execute Drop shots with precise ball placement, misdirecting your opponent.

The first 1 element requires mastering the biomechanics of the Drop Shot, developing the paddle feel and touch to absorb the power and pace of a hard hit line drive on an incoming ball whether at the NVZ or Transition Zone.
A player must develop their sense of feel and touch of the ball as it impacts their paddle. You need to control and reduce the power of a hard hit incoming ball by absorbing most all of that energy by pulling back on the paddle as the ball contacts the face of the paddle.
This is best accomplished with two hands holding the paddle out in front of your chest, in a split step foot position, crouched at the knees, facing the spot where you want the ball to go. After depacing the ball you use a soft push motion with a slightly open paddle face to send the ball to its target.
In placing the ball, you want to misdirect the opponent's anticipation of where the ball will land. Looking one way and hitting another,
Drop shots are not only for the serving teams third shot to advance to the net. They are a very effective tool for a player to use in a variety of situations and locations on the court to get out of trouble. They can also be an effective defense on disrupting the back court bangers style of play.
I have often used a Drop Shot on the return of serve capturing the point early on in the rally.
The second skill set is the precise ball placement. Aim for spots that are out of reach or difficult for your opponent to return. Hit to their weak hand or down at their feet.
You always want to force your opponent to hit up under the ball, so the ball comes back to your wheel house for an easy put-away shot. . You do not want to give your opponent high overhead shots to slam back at you.
Court awareness plays an important part of a Drop Shot. Knowing where your opponents are their posture is important to where and how you are going to return the ball.
Rembert every shot in pickleball must have a reason, a purpose and a target. Just returning the ball back to keep it in play spells disaster.
As I stated before this is a very difficult shot to learn and perfect. But once you do, it can be a game changer, especially against hard hitting opponents.

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