A drop volley is a soft shot off of a drive from your opponents that lands into your opponents’ side of the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen and is designed to (1) take advantage of an open short court (in other words, the court closest to you and your partner is open); and (2) invite your opponents into the net. This shot is effective if your opponents like to play near the baseline and do not like to play at the net (i.e. do not like to dink).

The technique to hit a drop volley is very similar to the technique to reset a point after a fastball. To hit a drop volley:

1.
Paddle Out Front and Slightly Open – Position your paddle out in front of your chest with your elbow bent. Hold your paddle with a little bit looser grip, and open your paddle face toward the sky just a little bit.

2. Soft Contact – Treat the pickleball like an egg. Strike the pickleball with the middle of your paddle, being very soft, and hold on contact. Try not to crack the egg and let the pickleball deflect off of your paddle face. Again, your paddle face should be slightly open, so you should be hitting up on the pickleball just a little bit. Also, try to have a slightly looser grip on your paddle. If you loosen your grip, you will have a softer touch with your paddle, and vice versa.

Remember to be revert to Pickleball Ready after your drop volley just in case your opponents are able to track down your soft shot. In most cases, your opponents will rush to reach your shot and unintentionally pop up the pickleball. This will make for an easy put away shot for you and your partner, so be ready!

Key Takeaways:

1. A drop volley is a soft shot off of a drive from your opponents that lands into your opponents’ side of the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen.

2. To hit a drop volley:

a. Position your paddle out in front of your chest with your paddle face slightly open;

b. Hold your paddle on contact and try to absorb the power of the pickleball;

c. Try to have a looser grip, which will help you have a softer touch; and

d. Revert to Pickleball Ready.