Transcription
What's going on everybody? Welcome back to the channel.
About a month ago, I posted this viral video that you see on the screen right now. Three aggressive forehand drops every 5 uses and then ended up getting over 325,000 views. But a lot of the comments were saying the same thing and cooking my video. Basically, they all look the same. I don't see the difference between those shots. Or aren't they just all top spin drops? And honestly, I get why people would actually even think that. At full speed, they do all look very similar. And yes, they are all considered top spin drops, but in reality, these are three completely different shots used in three different situations on the court. And each one requires actually different techniques. So, in this video, I'm going to break down these three top spin drops, when to use each one, and how you can start adding them to your game to be more aggressive on your third shot drop.
All right, so let's start with the first one. The brush up top spin drop. This is probably that top spin drop most players try to hit, but very few actually execute it correctly. So, here are the key things I focus on with this shot. First, the paddle starts slow. You want the paddle below the ball so he has space to lift and brush up. Second, this is really important. I'm not using my wrist here at all. My wrist stays locked and stable and the motion comes from my elbow acting like a hinge. If you start flicking your wrist, the contact point becomes inconsistent and the drop becomes much harder to control. Another key piece here is using your legs. Instead of trying to create lift with a big swing, I'm actually using my legs to help lift the ball. As I bend and extend slightly with my legs, it helps bring the ball up while allowing my paddle motion to stay compact and controlled. That's what allows you to brush up on the ball without taking a big swing. Third, I'm brushing up the ball, not really pushing it. Think about lifting that ball with top spin rather than just hitting it forward. Fourth, my contact point is always in front of my body. If the ball gets too close to you, you lose control of the shot and you're forced to use your wrist then. And finally, the finish stays on the same side, usually somewhere near my forehead. That finish shows that I actually brushed up on the ball instead of just pushing it through it.
Now, here's a big misconception I see a lot when I coach this shot. Many players think they need to swing big and bring the paddle way over their head to make the ball land faster, but that's not the secret at all. The key is just simply accelerating through the ball. If you brush up and accelerate through contact, the top spin will naturally make the ball dip and land faster at your opponent's feet. When players exaggerate the finish, they usually lose their contact point and the drop starts floating. So instead of thinking big swing, think brush up. Accelerate through. Let the top spin do the work.
Now let's talk about when I actually use the shot and they match. I use this drop a lot when I'm on the right side of the court dropping crosscourt. The safest target is usually the middle because that's the lowest part of the net. But if I want to be a little bit more aggressive, I'm not going to lie. I'll go wider across court towards the sideline, especially if my opponent is still moving forward towards the kitchen. That top spin makes the ball dip and forces them to hit a much tougher fourth shot. Another important piece of the shot is the movement. So, as I hit this drop, I'm transferring my weight from my back foot to my front foot, which basically allows my momentum to carry forward and bring me to the kitchen behind the shot. Right? So, here. And I'm coming in forward right away. That way, I'm not just hitting the drop and staying stuck in the transition. I'm actually moving forward and taking control of the net.
So now we got the second drop which is called, which I like to call the roller drop. So this drop is just a little bit more aggressive than the brush up, but the mechanics are actually a little bit more compact. So instead of lifting the ball up as much, this is more of a roll over the ball with top spin. The motion almost feels like a windshield wiper movement. So here are the key things I focus on. First, again, just like any top spin drop, the paddle starts below the ball, right? You need that low starting position to create that top spin. Second, the swing is very compact. There's almost no backspin here. I'm simply rolling up and slightly across the ball. So, third, the motion comes from my forearm and elbow. And again, not my wrist. My wrist stays locked. I'm not flicking it. I'm not rolling with the wrist. It stays stable and the paddle rolls over the ball in a windshield wiper motion. Fourth, the finish stays right in front of me. Unlike the brush up drop where the paddle finishes higher, this one finishes more forward and compact.
So, now let's talk about when I actually use the shot. I use the roll drop a lot when I want to drop the ball into the middle of the court. This middle is usually the safest target, right? Because it's the lowest part of the net and it creates confusion sometimes between the opponents. So, this shot allows me again to go middle while still putting pressure on the ball because the top spin just keeps it dipping at their feet. I also use this drop a lot in mixed doubles, especially when I come in and take my mixed partner's ball. In those situations, I'm often moving forward quickly. So, the compact motion of the roll drop makes it much easier to execute while still staying balanced. So, for me, this is the drop I rely on when I want a safe middle target that still puts the pressure on my opponents and helps me to move forward towards the kitchen.
Lately, I've been really rocking the Les Cannon. And one thing I really like about this paddle is how gritty the surface is, which makes it really easy to generate a lot of top spin. If you guys want a paddle that will help you generate a lot of top spin with a very gray surface, use my code, it's easy 15 to get 15% off a L Cannon paddle.
Let's talk about the third one, which is the inside out drop. This shot is actually very similar to what a lot of players would call a drip, which is basically half drive and half drop. The idea here is that I'm showing a drive first, but then turning into a drop with top spin. So, the mechanics look a little different from the first two drops. First, I actually take a back swing that makes the shot look like a drive. So, here, back swing, dropping inside out. This helps to disguise the shot and makes the opponent kind of feel that the ball is coming much faster than it actually is. But the key is that my contact point is still out in front of my body. From there, I'm brushing up and rolling the ball, creating top spin, so the ball still drops into the kitchen. Because of that brushing motion, the swing is bigger than the other drops. And I usually finish all the way over my shoulder. But even though the swing is bigger, the motion is still upward and not just forward. So we're going upward and not just forward like a drive. So another important detail here is how relaxed my arm is on this shot. It's loose. It's very loose. My arm stays very soft and I'm holding the paddle very, very lightly. If you grip the paddle too tight, it becomes really hard to control this type of swing.
So, now let's actually talk about when I use the shot. Again, I often use this drop when I want to run around my backhand and drop the ball crosscourt. It's also a great option if I just missed a few drops and want something that feels more natural because the swing looks more like a drive. And sometimes I'll use it when I want to apply pressure on my opponent, especially to their backhand side if I see that it's a little bit weaker than their forehand. This shot is also very useful for keeping the left side player honest, especially if he keeps cheating towards the middle. This inside out drop lets you send the ball wider, cross square, and force them to respect that space. So, this shot really combines power, disguise, and top spin, which makes it a great aggressive drop option.
So, those are the three aggressive forehand drops every high player has. The brush up top spin drop, the roll drop, and the inside out drop. Each one serves a different purpose depending on the ball you receive and the situation on the court. The biggest mistake players make is trying to use just one type of drop for everything instead of having more weapons in their arsenal.
So now I'm curious and I got a question for y'all. Which one of these drops do you use the most in your game? If not, which one would you like to add the most in your game? Let me know in the comments down below. And if you want more breakdowns like this one to help improve your game, make sure you subscribe to the channel. And I'll see you in the next one again very soon.