Roscoe Bellamy has been on a tear recently, and when a player with that kind of momentum shares advice, it’s worth paying attention.

Having witnessed firsthand how rapidly the game is evolving at the highest level, Bellamy breaks down six essential shots he believes every player should master.

Incorporating these into your game can help you stay competitive on any court.

1.     Two-handed backhand

“The old days of hitting floating slices and getting picked on your one-handed backhand are over. With a two-handed backhand, you can create so much more off the bounce, use a lot more deception, and become way more threatening at the kitchen line,” said Bellamy. “It opens up your options, stabilizes your defense, and it takes away one of the biggest targets players use to attack.”

All the top pros have incorporated it into their games, too.  

2.     The drip

You’ve heard of the drop and the drive, but now there’s a hybrid shot changing the game: the drip.

“The drip is a hybrid between a drop and a drive. It’s more aggressive than a drop, but less aggressive than a drive. It's almost like a 50% drive where your goal is to land the ball low at your opponent’s feet,” explained Bellamy. “This shot lets you take control of the point right away, while it’s still keeping the ball unattackable.”

3.     Counter-volley

“With players getting better at attacking and paddles giving everyone more power and spin, it’s more important than ever to be able to counter effectively, and not just the easy ones in front of you,” insisted Bellamy. “You need to be able to handle all kinds of attacks from different angles and different contact points.”

A controlled and reliable counter-volley helps you control the pace of the game, stay stable, and turn a defensive moment into an offensive shot. 

4.     Defensive dead dink

This one might sound a bit unconventional, but according to this top-ranked pro, it’s a shot that’s only going to become more important.

“As players get more aggressive at the kitchen line, this is a shot almost everyone gets wrong. When you get pushed wide or stretched on a dink, most players feel like they need to do a lot with that ball. But one of the most effective plays you can make is actually a defensive dead dink,” advised Bellamy.

“A dead dink is a soft, shallow dink that’s played right in front of you, towards the middle of the court. This completely neutralizes their aggressive patterns and resets the point instantly. Instead of forcing things from a bad position, you’re restarting the rally in a way that takes the advantage away from them.”

5.     Push volley

Bellamy labeled this shot underrated for its simplicity, but that’s exactly what makes it so effective. It allows you to take the ball out of the air and still reset the point with a controlled dink back to your opponent.

“This shot actually shrinks the kitchen for your opponents. When you’re leaning forward and looking to attack, but your opponent gives you a dink that’s not high enough to speed up, volleying the dink out of the air keeps the pressure on,” he mentioned. “More and more high-level players are using this to their advantage because it lets you control the tempo and stay in an offensive position even in neutral points.”

6.     Off-the-bounce combo 

Bellamy made the bold prediction that this year will be the year of combos. At this stage of the game, points aren’t won with a single great shot, they’re built through a sequence of high-quality shots, like an off-the-bounce combo that sets up the eventual winner.

“The days of speeding up for one-shot winners are over. Players have faster hands, better counters, and more stability than ever before,” he emphasized. “But off-the-bounce speedups give you something even more dangerous. It lets you start the combo instead of immediately trying to win the point.”

By initiating the attack off the bounce, you position yourself for a put-away on the next shot. It’s all about creating opportunities now that lead to success later in the point.

“You’re not trying to blast the first shot, you’re using it to create the second one,” he said.

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