drop shot

American  

noun

1. (in tennis, badminton, etc.) a ball or shuttlecock so softly hit that it falls to the playing surface just after clearing the net.

2. (in squash, handball, etc.) a ball so softly hit that it falls suddenly to the ground just after striking the front wall.

3. shot made in a shot tower.

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drop shot British  

noun

1. 1. tennis a softly-played return that drops abruptly after clearing the net, intended to give an opponent no chance of reaching the ball and usually achieved by imparting backspin

   2. squash a similar shot that stops abruptly after hitting the front wall of the court

2. a type of shot made by permitting molten metal to percolate through a sieve and then dropping it into a tank of water

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Etymology

Origin of drop shot

First recorded in 1630–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

drop shot

That wrist is how Alcaraz sculpts that spectacular drop shot that makes opponents quiver at the knees and would make Harry Hopman cry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

I was recently playing a game of low-level ladies’ tennis, when my opponent hit an unexpected drop shot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

His clever drop shot is starting to rival Alcaraz’s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Playing with variety and spin, Chwalinska can lob, drop shot and moonball her opponents to distraction, but she can also hit with pace to finish off points quickly.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

On the next point, Reggie was slow to respond to a drop shot that barely crossed the net, giving Glenn another score.

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson