First of all, use a Continental grip—the same one you’d use for your serve and volleys. (It’s like the grip you would use if you were grabbing a hammer and planning to pound a nail into the floor.) Bring your racquet up using a slightly bigger backswing than you would for a volley. As you prepare to strike the ball, shift your weight to your front foot and then slowly move your racquet from high to low, brushing down the back of the ball and then scooping under it as if you wanted to lift it straight up into the air. Keep in mind that there are many different degrees of spin. Practice making your scoop bigger or smaller to develop the appropriate feel for the shot.

When you take to the practice court to work on your drop shot, use the five bounce rule: If you've hit the ball with sufficient backspin, it should bounce five times before reaching your opponent's service line. Also remember that a well hit drop shot will actually be on its way down as it crosses the net. —By Greg Moran

Greg Moran, the director of tennis at The Four Seasons Racquet Club in Wilton, Conn., is the author of Tennis Beyond Big Shots (Mansion Grove House).

Credit: Article by Greg Moran reproduced with permission of Tennis.com