Playing a stunning Stun shot
The Stun shot is a variation of the Kill shot, typically played at a slower pace than a standard Kill.
A well-timed Stun shot can be used to great effect from both the front of the court and the back of the court and as a straight and Cross-Court shot.
It’s particularly effective from the back of the court if the opponent is not holding the T-Position well or anticipating a Drive, as they will be surprised and caught out by the shorter bounce. From the front, it can again be disguised as a Drive or long shot but its perhaps most deadly when the opponent is expecting a Drop and rushes forwards.
It’s a very useful shot that should be used during a match to add variation to your play and as part of a balanced length game that incorporates Drives, Lobs and Kills as well. It should be used to keep an element of unpredictability to your game, whilst also offering an option for changing the pace. Both changing the pace and throwing in a few unexpected shots will help you to hit more winning shots and force more mistakes from your opponent.
Play a good stun shot in three steps:
- Get your racket high, above the ball, so that you can come down on the ball and bring it from high to low. Try to hold the racket high for as long as you can and delay your shot a little, to disguise it as a Drive or Drop.
- Keep an open racket face all the way through the shot. If your grip is correct, this shouldn’t be a problem. Try opening it further by rotating your forearm to add even extra cut to your Stun shot.
- Typically, you should aim for a shorter backswing on the Stun shot to help keep it short. This also make it an even more interesting weapon as it is a shot that can be executed very quickly.
→ Check out our other related Short Shots:
Straight Kill | Cross-Court Kill | Straight Drop | Cross-Court Drop | Boast | Trickle Boast | Reverse Boast
→ Recommended posts for those looking at Stuns:
Hitting the Nine Corners, Following up short shots from the back