Hi Deep, Ok so I think you hit the nail on the head with the touches, very often players are so focused on keeping the ball short and low that they miss the shot in the net or it goes over but with very little quality and can be punished easily. A short touch is definitely 2 bounces, if you are going for more i.e 3 or 4 bounces it is then very easy for your opponent to see it is short and will be ready to step in. If you can manage 2 bounces it usually means you have cut under the ball a little quicker to get more backspin and it also give the opponent a decision to make as to if it is drifting long or not.
So yes the timing is vital to this shot, it needs to be very early timing, almost like a half volley feeling and the contact should be quick and cutting under the ball with a short sharp action. So keep the focus on touching low and short but don’t worry about super short with 3 or 4 bounces, it will be a better quality touch with more spin if you contact the ball quickly and cut down the back and under the ball with a “stun” type feeling. Anything else on this just let me know.
Cheers, Tom
