la palla smorzata

Parola del giorno | Word of the day

Today's Parola del Giorno is the noun phrase la palla smorzata (or la smorzata), which means drop shot.

In tennis, a drop shot is when the ball just sails over the net, forcing one's opponent (who is presumably at the baseline) to make a mad dash to hit the ball back over.  

Drop shots are best when they bounce low and just sail over the net, creating the greatest possible distance between player and ball while making them run like the dickens to return it!

See the noun used below:

Se in difficoltà, un/una tennista può usare una palla smorzata soprattutto quando l'altra persona è oltre dietro la linea di fondo.

If in trouble, a tennis player can use a drop shot, especially when the other person is behind the baseline.