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

"It was an uncomfortable situation for her, me serving and volleying, hitting a drop shot in one of the match points. It's not the easiest position to put her in, which is the plan."

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 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