Why Does Novak Djokovic’s Smash Keep Failing Him

Novak Djokovic does not have any glaring weaknesses in his game. The Serb is certainly one of the toughest players to play against, as he just does not make too many mistakes. However, it’s surprising that Djokovic has a poor execution of one of the most basic shots in the sport. 

One of the biggest drawbacks of Djokovic’s career is hitting an overhead smash. He certainly has one of the worst overhead smashes on the tour. The 17-time Grand Slam winner is also very well aware of it, and hence, avoids coming to the net too often. 

“Every player has one weakness. I can tell you that Djokovic’s weakness is his overhead,” Djokovic’s ex-coach Boris Becker said while commentating on the BBC coverage during a match. “If you take the top 100 in the world, his overhead is the worst – and that’s coming from me.”

Novak tends to mistime the overhead smash quite often in his matches. It is very difficult to understand how a player like Djokovic, who is known for his immaculate shotmaking, could have such a technical void in his game.

Why Novak Djokovic mistimes overhead smashes?

One of the biggest reasons for Djokovic’s failure to execute a smash is his footing. He often gets too under the ball. Moreover, he also lets the ball fall too low, forcing him to bend his arm a bit too much. All in all, he not only gets caught flat-footed but is also forced to hit the smash at an awkward angle.

Ideally, Djokovic should make contact with the ball at the highest point that he can get to. His contact point with the ball should be in front of his body at 12 o’clock.

Read More: “They are in a Different Category” – Stan Wawrinka Praises Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

Unfortunately, Djokovic also lacks confidence in approaching the overhead smashes. He tries to avoid hitting it and ends up hitting it into the net. He has missed quite a few high volleys in his career, which have cost him dearly. We hope that Novak Djokovic corrects his technique and is able to hit this shot fluently.