Drops to Targets
Why this drill
High-volume third-shot drop practice with nobody feeding. Self-feeding removes the excuse: a bucket of balls, a target in the kitchen, and every rep is the shot that gets you to the line.
Setup
A court and a bucket of balls. Lay a towel in the middle of the far kitchen, a foot inside the non-volley-zone line. Start at your own baseline.
The drill
Self-feed with a gentle bounce and hit a drop aimed at the towel. Judge each rep honestly: landing in the kitchen scores one, on the towel scores two, and anything that would arrive above net height on the far side scores zero even if it lands in. Sets of ten, alternating forehand and backhand feeds. After each set of ten from the baseline, hit five from mid-court — the transition-zone drop is shorter and softer, and you will need both. Fourteen points a set is strong.
One thought to take on court
Swing low to high at the pace of an underhand toss — the kitchen is reached with arc, not with touch you have to invent at contact.