The steps are simple enough, if you have the courage to do it.

LEARN THE DROP SHOT FROM CHRIS EVERT

Category: Instruction

No one has perfected the drop shot like Chris Evert. First, it takes the right kind of ball, one that is not too low. It also takes a smooth stroke—“You don’t want to just poke at the ball,” she says. Finally it takes disguise: Take your racquet back as you normally would so your opponent doesn’t know the drop shot is coming.

From there the steps are simple: Open the face of your racquet slightly, carve through the ball in a U-shape motion and follow through toward your target. Evert emphasizes the most important thing about the drop shot: It takes a lot of practice. “Believe me, it can be learned,” she says. “I used to hit drop shots off second serves for hours … Just as you have to groove your ground strokes, you want to groove your drop shot so that when you call upon it, it’s there.”

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