Have you ever had that sinking feeling when perfectly stroking the incoming ball, and in beautiful form, when lo, with a dull thud, the ball mysteriously drops dead on arrival ?!! Perhaps you loosened your grip on the paddle or slightly pulled back on impact--both used for the deadly Drop Shot---but perhaps the ball hit far from the “Sweet Spot” !

I had thought that this spot was for sure the center of the racket, but through experience I’ve come to the conclusion that this is not so, for I get the feeling of a more “solid” shot when I hit the ball at lower than the center line of the paddle!!! (I aim for 1/3 up from the face.) This works for the Dink as well and should also with any type of return. In addition, and maybe equally important---as you aim for this spot it forces you to concentrate more on the ball, watching it closely as it approaches the paddle. Concentrating on that ball will definitely improve your chances on getting it back over the net !

Try this out and see if your shots feel more solid and are more successful.