Quick Tip: The drop shot can make a big forehand even more formidable 

Carlos Alcaraz has one of the most lethal forehands in men’s tennis. He bullies opponents around the court with a mixture of pace and heavy spin before suddenly uncorking a missile that hits triple digits. Yet, what makes the stroke so devilish is his ability to offset all that firepower with delicate touch. Just when it appears he’s going to let loose on another rocket, Alcaraz will gently cut under the ball and feather a drop shot over the net. The misdirection catches his opponents flat-footed behind the baseline and puts them in deep trouble.

Perhaps the biggest key to executing a successful forehand drop shot is a smooth grip change. Most players today use a semi-western to full western grip on their forehands. It’s a great choice for driving the ball, but puts the wrist in a very awkward position when hitting a drop shot. So you need to slide your hand to a continental grip as though you’re hitting a volley. This is not only much more natural, but facilitates putting underspin on the ball which is what you need for a good drop shot.

Now on the backhand this is a much cleaner process. Primarily because whether you’re hitting it one-handed or two-handed, your off hand is on the racquet throughout the backswing. This allows you to change your grip on your dominant hand as the other keeps the racquet steady. Plus, the change from a backhand grip to a continental grip is a shorter transition and frequently done for hitting a slice. Both aspects help maintain the disguise of the drop shot.

However, even though the off-arm helps set the racquet during the trunk turn on a forehand, it leaves the racquet and stays in front of the body. This means you have to implement a more elaborate grip change without any assistance, which can be tricky. And if you don’t do it correctly, there’s a good chance you’ll brick the drop shot. It is possible to change grips early in the backswing with the help of the off-hand, as you would when approaching the net to volley. But this technique is suboptimal for a couple of reasons.

First, the drop shot is a highly spontaneous tactic. It’s not often you know for certain that it’s the next shot in your point construction. You need to quickly take stock of such things as court positioning—yours and your opponent—and the quality of the incoming shot. Doing these assessments typically takes until the last split-second to decide whether you’re going to try the drop shot.

Second, if you take the racquet back with a continental grip, an astute opponent will immediately recognize you’re not going to hit your typical forehand drive. The face will be much more open. Instead of holding ground, or even ceding court—which often happens when an opponent is readying to unload on a big forehand—they will move forward. Now you’ve given up the element of surprise which is so key for delivering a winning drop shot.

Watch Alcaraz set up as though he will pummel one of his patented heavy forehands, and as he brings the racquet forward, he makes a subtle grip change to the continental grip. He delays as long as possible not to tip his hand. His opponents get such a late jump on the ball that it doesn’t even have to be a perfect shot to get the job done.

This is something you can actually work on with shadow swings off the court. Take the racquet back as though you’re going to hit your regular forehand. As you start the racquet forward, practice making a gradual shift in your grip. By the time the racquet is just in front of your dominant hip, it should be in the proper drop shot grip. Keep repeating until the feeling becomes second nature. That way, you won’t have any hesitation to try the shot in the heat of competition.

And just like Alcaraz, you’ll be able to beat your opponents with both speed and subtlety.