When to use an overhead smash
An overhead smash finishes a point when your opponent leaves a ball short and high — most often a lobbed shot that doesn't clear you deep enough. It's an attacking shot, similar in spirit to the aggressive side of shot selection: take it when the opportunity is clearly there, not by forcing a low ball into a smash attempt.
Getting into position
The biggest technical error on overheads is being late to the ball. As soon as you see a lob coming, turn your shoulders and get your feet moving to a position where the ball will be above and slightly in front of you at contact — not behind or directly overhead, which limits both power and control.
The swing and contact point
Contact the ball with an extended arm above head height, using a full overhead motion similar to a serve but with more pace. Snap through the shot rather than pushing at it, and aim your swing path down and into the court, since you're hitting from a height advantage.
Placement over pure power
A smash aimed with control at open court, or at a body shot your opponents can't easily handle, is more reliable than an all-out swing aimed vaguely at the court. Read the court the same way you would for reading and anticipating opponents — look for where they're not covering before you commit to the swing.
