Serve Plus Drop
Why this drill
In a match, your third-shot drop never happens fresh — it comes seconds after your serve, off a return that pushes you back. Chaining the two shots trains the drop in its real habitat: on the move, after a real serve.
Setup
Server behind the baseline with a supply of balls; partner across the net near the baseline on the diagonal, playing the returner.
The drill
The server serves a real serve. The partner returns deep — a cooperative, medium-paced return to a varied spot — and the server hits the third-shot drop off it, then stops. Grade the pair of shots: serve landing in the deep half, and a drop the returner would have to hit up on. Both good is one point; sets of ten sequences. Seven of ten is strong. Swap roles every set — the returner is getting deep-return practice for free.
One thought to take on court
Serve, then breathe and get your feet set — the rushed drop is the missed drop.