drop shot
1
3.8
- noun
- /drɑp ʃɑt/
- Specialized
:
golpe de caída
- He executed a stunning drop shot that landed just over the net, making it impossible for his rival to reach.
- hit a drop shot
- forehands and drop shots
- drop shots and lobs
Examples
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What a smart reaction to the drop shot from Williams.
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I also developed some effective drop shots and lobs, thereby making up in variety what I lacked in native physical strength.
Academic text (1991) -
To hit a drop shot in badminton and squash, the player quickly decelerates the racquet and arm swing before impact.
Academic text (2005) -
He is also probably the quickest man on the circuit with Miguel Angel Rodriguez; he's got the cheekiest backhand drop shot on earth that he is capable of executing anytime, anywhere.
Blog text (1) -
During the match, she surprised her opponent with a perfectly placed drop shot that barely cleared the net.
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A well-timed drop shot can catch your opponent off guard, especially if they are positioned far back on the court.
Synonyms
289
1.6
An attempt to score in a sport, for example throwing a heavy ball in shot put
1
8.9
A soft gentle hit that makes the ball drop short after crossing the net
Antonyms
How Soft
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'drop shot' is transparently built from 'drop' (to let fall) + 'shot' (an attempt in sport), so its meaning — a shot intended to make the ball drop just over the net — is directly inferable from the constituents. This noun-noun composition follows a common, cross-linguistic pattern in sports terminology and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words.
Etymology
Drop shot comes from the clear picture of a soft shot that just clears the net and then drops quickly near the front of the court. Because the ball 'falls' fast and stays low, it is hard for the opponent to reach, so the phrase means a softly hit shot meant to win the point.