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

After saving two break points at the start of the deciding set, Raducanu was broken again as she gingerly failed to chase down a drop shot, before calling out the trainer.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

Her confidence was on full display when she chased down a drop shot before nailing a smashed winner to seal the set in style with a hold to love.

From BBC • Sep. 20, 2025

The Madrid crowd were firmly behind Musetti and chanted his name in the fifth game after a perfectly placed drop shot left Draper scrambling.

From BBC • May 2, 2025

Djokovic’s drop shot looked in good order and he clinched the first set in 33 minutes when Safiullin, on his second serve at 0-40, hit a return into the net.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 9, 2024

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