i can't drop from the rear very well these days, since i feel there's too much repulsion in my raquet when i hit, which results me hitting a not-so-good-aimed sort of drop shot (btw i'm using the at 500 4ug4 with bg65 at around 22-23 lbs). b4, when my string tension was loose and i had the yonex super grap on my raquet, my drops from the rear were very controllable and it was almost ... perfect... However, after my strings broke and my overgrap got too old, i changed some of the things on my raquet. i got new strings and i used some other (thinner than yonex grap) overgrap on my raquet, and now i can't seem to control my drops? what should i do?
I'd bet that it's not the directly the racket that's causing your recent overhead drop difficulties. What exactly happens when you do overhead drops? Do they go into the net? too far past the net? too high? chances are it either has to do with your contact point, or the angle of your racket. whenever you hit any shot you should make sure your racket is there, first of all and also that it is at the right angle to go over the net. after getting those two down (and i'm still working on that too sometimes) you can decide where you want to place it. basic stuff, but if you think about it every time you hit, it will work wonders! has for me...
due to too much repulsion, i always tend to hit too far past the net...i don't have that *feel* anymore... when i used the yonex grap, when i hit, i could feel the softness, but w.e. thx
I had exactly the same problem, usually when I haven't played for a long time, I lose the feel for the shuttle. This is how I overcame the problem, I don't have a problem dropping the shuttle underarm... so why do I have a problem dropping the shuttle overarm? The reason is the follow-through. When I play a drop underarm, my racquet is in contact with the shuttle a little bit longer than usual as I follow-through and hence I can "feel" the shuttle... however, when I play my back-court overhead drops I tend to snap at it, almost like a lazy shot and so I don't get the "feel". I then tried to slow down my stroke so that I am actually making contact with the shuttle for a split second longer but at the same time, not "dragging" the shuttle. My drops has improved a lot, although not 100% perfect, with a bit more practice I'm sure it will be there.
You could speed up the equipment transition period by doing more drills during warmups. It usually takes a long time to adapt to the racquet if you're just playing games. Just have your partner set up for you to do overhead drops before playing any game.
I concur with Cappy. You'll see as you warm up how you ought to adjust your racquet angle and contact point. contact point should be slightly in front of you, just about as high as you can contact it. and the angle is something you need to adjust yourself. bon chance! g
Revise the basic forehand throwing action. It's easy to become lazy and start using a tap hitting action for slow drops! Make sure you use a push hitting action.
do you slice the bird when you drop? There are two ways that I've learned to do the overhead drop from the backcoart. 1) The shot that's sort of like an extremely slow smash, that just makes it over the net and lands in front of the serving line (rending it a drop). 2) A faster , flatter shot up high in the air. that simply dies and falls straight down (preferably over the net). You can try the slice maybe, if you don't already do that. With the AT 500 I find it's easier to drop that way. The other drop always ends up hitting the net because I don't want to make the drop too high, or it just goes too far to be a decent drop. I know what you mean by the lack of feel though...the slice gave me more of a feel...which was better in terms of playing feedback.
It sounds strange, but sliced drops are almost always a better option if you can do them well - even for *straight* shots. A sliced drop will reach the net more quickly than a "flat hit" drop.
The quick fix is to string at a lower tension like you had before. IMO, the Yonex grap doesn't make much of a difference.
Here what I tell people I've helped. Practise Practise Practise Repitition Repitition Repitition /max
Isn't Repetition spelt with an 'e' Max? If you want to improve your drop, make sure you're behind the shuttle when you hit it and that you start with your arm and racquet up high. You may also be losing the angle of your drop if you are dropping your elbow or arm when dropping.
