When I look at pro singles videos, the drop shots always appear to come from a reasonably fast racquet movement, yet the shot travels out slower and drops perfectly to the service line, which is my definition of a fast drop shot. Sometimes it's clear it's a sliced shot as the shuttle really loses initial speed and appears to loop more, but most of the time the shuttle has a more stable speed and has a flatter trajectory. In both cases, the racquet movement is a reasonably quick whip of the wrist. My question is: are all of these drops sliced, but to a different degree, or do they play their drops with a flat racquet (shuttle perpendicular to strings on contact) for fast drops, but limit the pronation of the wrist so it doesn't get hit too quickly? I'm asking as currently my drops shots use very little wrist at all unless I slice them, and it is extremely obvious to the opponent. If I pronate as on my clears and smashes, the fast drops tend to be far too fast (not close to the service line) unless I REALLY slow down the pronation (which is also obvious to the opponent). Which leads me to wonder if the pros simply just slice all of their drops to a different degree, which would be the most deceptive?
Yo, I was actually taught this technique by one of my coaches that played at SS level. The trick to playing a good drop isn't to slice the shuttle downwards, it's to slice across the shuttle as much as possible. The movement of your racket as you contact the shuttle should have a lot of 'sideways' movement, rather than just flat or slicing downwards a lot. This allows the shuttle to travel quickly, but without travelling downwards so much so it goes into the net, or so fast it reaches the midcourt. So for me as a lefty, I focus on moving my racket from left to right across the shuttle to apply this slice, rather than hitting it flat. Because you're simply brushing across the shuttle (sort of like the brush kill but a bit tempered I guess), you don't need to slow the racket down as much. This lets you disguise the shot better.
I don't think all drops are sliced, but in singles a high proportion of them are. Because the slice increases deception, it's more useful in singles where the opponent must cover the whole court. The directional component of the deception is less useful in doubles, since a defender typically does not need to cover both straight and cross.
Pretty conclusive that's in singles, they're almost all slice to some degree then! For some reason I had it in my head that only the slow drops tight to the net would be sliced, but logically, if you have the time, it'd make sense to slice the fast ones too. I'm definitely aware of the technique, and I know how to execute it. Maybe not consistently, but it's there
Like Charlie said, I was taught to brush across the shuttle to take the pace off for drops. That way you keep a quick racket movement and the shuttle drops quite quickly to the service line.
Many drop shots professionals play have some or a lot of slice, but not all of them. Of course, someone could argue that even a shot intended to be played without slice could in fact contain some slice, but thats not really the point. Most professionals will use a regular slicing motion for many of their straight drop shots from round the head, but I think the reverse slice straight drop shot from the forehand side is used less frequently (often used as a winner, rather than a regular drop shot). Most players will utilise some sort of slice when playing drop shots cross court, as there are desirable aspects of deception and angle that is otherwise not possible. Charlie has given you a description of how to add lots of slice to the shuttle by hitting from left to right (or right to left depending on regular vs reverse slice or which hand you play with). The more you slice sideways without applying a "downwards" component to the hit, the slower and more viciously sliced it will be. This can have an extreme element of deception, but with a very slow moving shuttle (which may or may not win the point). Or you hit with lots of slice but with the addition of a downwards strike to bring the shuttle down quicker, but the spin will have less effect on the flight of the shuttle (and hence the slice is more for deception purposes rather than shuttle trajectory). When you hit cross court, you can sometimes achieve both extreme slice and fast pace, as there is more room for the shuttle to travel, giving the slice more time to take effect. But there are plenty of shots played without much slice - particularly drop shots played late (especially round the head), stop drops (can be played without any slice, or with a hint of slice in either direction) and as I explained if the professional wants to hit a faster shot, they may not give much slice. You are correct - the racket movement is always relatively fast, but that doesn't mean they always slice it (and you probably don't know where every single shuttle will land - many could land past the service line). Getting properly behind the shuttle and hitting over the top can produce the sharp angles you are talking about without any slice, but very often it will be sliced if taken this early because you get some deception with it too. The type of shot they play will vary depending on the situation and their intent (and their preferences). Some players will slice virtually everything, whereas others, by comparison, are more tame. I think its fair to say most players add some slice to most drop shots - there is little disadvantage to doing so, and there may be some advantages. What is more interesting to me is what you are currently doing on your drop shots. It sounds like you have some conflicting ideas going on, and its these I want to talk about. I would currently describe your drop shot as a "pushed" drop shot - where you prevent the wrist from moving too much as you push the shuttle gently over the net. If done to an extreme with no follow through, this becomes a stop drop. You have said you could achieve a drop shot by "slowing down" the racket. This is a great option - you retain the same technique as for all other overheads, and can choose how fast to hit the shuttle or how steep to hit. However, you expressed a concern that this is "obvious" to the opponent... I have got to question why it is obvious though. You set up as if you could clear, drop or smash, and you choose a fast non sliced drop shot. Until the moment the shuttle leaves your racket, there is no tell to the opponent that this is the shot you played or where you played it to. After all, you could have played a punch clear right?! They have exactly the same amount of time to see it coming as any other drop shot, and depending on how well trained they are and how great your technique is, the slicing motion may or may not be very deceptive. So my opinion is that you should be able to play regular sliced drops, reverse slice drops, non sliced drops, and all variants like stop drops, check drops (like a less precise stop drop) and of course a regular pushed drop shot (very similar to all techniques used when hitting late drop shots), and you should be able to play them straight or cross court at a variety of speeds.
It's a good set of answers, but I'd dispute the advantages/disadvantages part. There's something I forgot to mention, when you slice across the shuttle heavily, you spin the shuttle quickly. The faster that shuttle spins, the harder it is for your opponent to control the return. We're not talking 'impossible to hit' or 'likely to hit out' control, but more like they can't do a ridiculously tight spinning net shot off of it as easily. The return is much more likely to be a simple shot. I agree with Gollum in part, I think that in doubles if you play a drop, you're more likely to take the shuttle higher (such as jumping) and are more likely to put downwards spin on the shuttle than in singles.
I'm sorry I completely misread this "Some players will slice virtually everything, whereas others, by comparison, are more tame. I think its fair to say most players add some slice to most drop shots - there is little disadvantage to doing so, and there may be some advantages." as it being the other way around
Appreciate the answers, guys. I have seen the pushed drop very seldomly - as Matt said, normally as an additional variation. For the other drops, I wasn't sure about the slicing, but a lighter slice seems to be very common in the higher levels of play for fast drops taken with plenty of time. As pointed out by all, the element of deception is too great to pass up when you can make it look exactly like a clear, smash or drop. A side point - which direction is the reverse slice? Is the reverse slice the outwards to inwards motion on the forehand side or vice versa? Is that different in the backhand side, or is an out-to-in motion always called the regular/reverse slice?
A reverse slice is the "outward to inward" motion. For a right handed player, a regular slice has the racket move from left to right. A reverse slice has the racket move from right to left. The direction the racket moves for the backhand slices is the same - a right handed player moves their racket from left to right for a regular slice, and from right to left for a reverse slice.
I take it you for the backhand, the reference of "left" and "right" is taken looking towards the net, rather than looking at the racquet on the perspective of the player. Makes sense if so, as then the regular slice is always moving from backhand side to forehand side, and vice verse for reverse slice. Just a quick check to make sure I've understood correctly, but does it then make sense that it's difficult to do a crosscourt forehand reverse slice, and to do a crosscourt backhand regular slice? And that these shots would seem less deceptive since the racquet head would be moving in the direction of the shuttle?
Good question - the point of reference of "left to right" for a right handed players "regular slice" is always from the player looking up at the shuttle as they play the shot. i.e. with the backhand regular slice, viewing it from behind the player the racket would move from their deep forehand corner to the deep backhand corner (right to left). From the players perspective however, it is left to right. So the regular slice has the racket moving from the middle of the court to the outside of the court (hence inwards to outwards). Hence the reverse slice is the outwards to inwards movement of the racket (starting closer to the tramlines and moving the racket towards the middle line). A cross court forehand reverse slice is a very easy shot - it is played from the players deep backhand corner, towards the net on their forehand side. It is the most natural way of hitting a cross court drop shot. For this shot, the racket would be moving towards the straight front corner (i.e. the players backhand front corner) but the shuttle travels to the players forehand front corner. So for all slices, the racket moves at 90 degrees to where the shuttle travels, so it is usually called deceptive. But then you realise you could play a straight forehand regular slice from the forehand corner, and a straight forehand reverse slice from the backhand rear corner. In both cases, you lose the intended directional deception, but its a very good way of hitting a straight dropshot when the shuttle is very late and gone behind you. A backhand reverse slice can only be played straight. To play it cross court would mean to be playing it cross court from the forehand side and you obviously wouldn't end up playing a backhand overhead from your forehand side! All this forehand and backhand talk is getting me confused... too much badminton.
Haha, indeed, my brain is being pulled all over the place I actually meant to say a forehand crosscourt reverse slice from the rear forehand corner would be pointless, as you'd lose the deception and it's also an awkward shot to play from that corner.
Yes absolutely. In general, a forehand regular slice will land close to the players forehand front corner, whereas a reverse slice will land close to the backhand front corner. Think of them as a means of hitting towards the left (regular slice for right hander) or towards the right (reverse slice for right hander). Then there are the variations when you use slice to hit straight when taking the shuttle very late, but these are less common.
I had a go that some faster sliced drops yesterday. Found that naturally when I slice (all forehand right now), I prefer the cross court angle whether I'm on the forehand rear corner, or the backhand rear corner. That means in the backhand corner I'm doing a reverse slice, but it still seems more natural. I found straight sliced drops quite difficult actually - is that normal? Both the reverse slice in the forehand rear corner and the regular slice in the backhand rear corner feel awkward. Either way, the drops were more effective than the pushed drop - I found my opponents were hesitating, and in one case an opponent took half a step backwards even with plenty of time to react, so the shot must have looked somewhat deceptive. With respect to the deception of a slower pronation movement that could be a drop or a punch clear...i think that obvious because I never do punch clears. I'll probably get a reliable fast sliced drop, slow sliced drop, smash, and clear to look the same off a fast pronation movement, then look at adjusting the racquet whip around speed for additional deceptions. It seems to me that it's desirable to have a faster moment if you can in general.
Good work! Yes, the straight slices are more difficult. For the round the head straight regular slice, you have to turn your body a LOT (i.e. be completely side on) in order to effectively hit the shuttle straight - if you turn to face forwards as you normally would you will most likely hit wide (hence this is a good time to hit without slice). The straight reverse slice requires you to really get over the top of the shuttle (without muich slice) or else really slice from out to in (with almost a windscreen wiper kind of action) to get it going. You can achieve this quite easily by making sure you turn your body to the cross court corner, whilst aiming the shuttle straight. It is very deceptive e.g Watch Gopichand on the near side as he plays the rally starting at 7:40ish. Watch the shot he uses to end the rally - a reverse slice straight drop shot - it landed way beyond the service line, quite close to Gade, but it was so deceptive that Gade didn't get anywhere near it! Gopichands body suggest a cross court shot, but he sends the shuttle straight. Magic. Gopichand was incredible. And finally with regard to your drop shots and the "slow pronation" - just remember that most of the deception is from the way you set up for the shuttle and making all preparation look identical for clears, drops and smashes. If the racket movement is then a bit slower, it really isn't going to make a difference - your starting position provided the deception because you have so many options! But I agree - sliced drop shots are great if you can be consistent with them! Good stuff!
