Oftentimes, your opponents will hit a drop volley when you and your partner are back at the baseline preparing to defend against an overhead shot. If your opponents hit a drop volley, you and your partner will be racing up the court to slide your paddle under the pickleball to hit a dink and stay in the point. So, how do you detect the drop volley to give yourself a fraction more time to run and track down the pickleball?

Be on the lookout for a few tells from your opponents which will indicate that they will hit a drop volley, rather than a hard overhead. These tells include (1) a shorter, less aggressive backswing; (2) less rotation of the body in the shot preparation; and (3) dropping the head of their paddle to try to produce some backspin on the pickleball. If you see any of these tells, consider charging in to the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen to prepare for the drop volley, or possibly a softer overhead with more angle.

Key Takeaways:

1. To detect a drop volley, look for tells in your opponents shot preparation, which include:

a. A short backswing;

b. Little rotation of the body; and

c. Dropping the head of their paddle.

2. If you see your opponents telegraph a drop volley, consider charging in to the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen.