Most amateur players defend in one of two ways. They lob, or they hit hard and hope. There is a third option, and it is the one the best players use most: the chiquita. It is a soft, low ball played from the back of the court that dips at the feet of the opponents at the net. Played well, it forces them to volley upwards, giving you the chance to move forward and take the net.

Why the chiquita works

Players at the net want to volley downwards. A ball that arrives low and slow, below the height of the net tape, denies them that. They must either lift the ball, which gives you an attacking chance, or try a difficult drop volley, which often goes into the net.

The chiquita also changes the rhythm of the rally. After a series of hard volleys and lobs, a slow ball at the feet catches opponents leaning forward or back, and they lose their balance.

When to use it

The chiquita works best in a few situations:

When your opponents are close to the net. The closer they are, the harder it is for them to deal with a ball at their feet.
When you are balanced at the back. It is a touch shot that needs a stable base and good timing.
When you want to take the net. A good chiquita is the signal for you and your partner to move forward together.
As a variation from the lob. Opponents who expect a lob step back slightly. That is the moment for a chiquita.

Avoid it when the opponents are deep in the service box or when the ball is high and fast. A chiquita from an awkward position usually floats and gets punished.

The technique

Grip and preparation. Use a continental grip or a slightly eastern grip. Take a short, compact backswing. This is a touch shot, not a drive.

Contact. Make contact with the ball low and slightly in front of your body, ideally after it has risen off the glass and is starting to drop. Keep your knees bent and your head still.

The swing. Swing gently from low to high with a slightly open racket face, adding a little slice to keep the ball low after it crosses the net. Think "push and lift" rather than "hit".

Target. Aim for the ball to cross the net just above the tape and land around the service line on the opponents' side, ideally at the feet of the player nearest to it or into the middle between the two of them.

Follow up. As soon as you hit the chiquita, move forward with your partner. If the opponents lift the ball, you want to be in position to volley down.

Common mistakes

Too much pace. A chiquita hit too hard becomes a mid-height ball that is easy to volley. Slow is good.

Too high. If the ball crosses the net more than a racket length above the tape, the opponents can attack it.

Not moving forward. The chiquita is the first half of a two-part play. If you stay at the back, you lose the advantage it creates.

Overuse. Good opponents learn to read the chiquita. Mix it with lobs and drives.

A practice sequence

Play a cooperative drill with one pair at the net and one at the back. The back pair must play every second ball as a chiquita. The net pair must volley it back to the back pair's feet. After ten balls, swap ends. Then play competitive points where the back pair scores double for any point won after a successful chiquita and a move to the net.

The chiquita rarely appears in highlight reels. It wins a remarkable number of points in real matches, and learning it marks the moment a player starts to think tactically rather than reacting.

The chiquita: the soft shot that wins the net back