| Let's start out by first defining what a volley is: it is | | | | racket head in front of your body. I see countless |
| simply a shot hit out of the air before it bounces on | | | | players hold the racket to one side of the body or the |
| your side of the court. Volleys can be hit from | | | | other; without a doubt, a shot hit hard to the opposite |
| anywhere on the court, but they most often occur | | | | side of their body will cause them all sorts of problems. |
| near the net. Most beginners find the net unfamiliar | | | | By keeping your hands in front of you your reaction |
| territory and often hurry back to the safety of the | | | | time to either a forehand or backhand volley remains |
| baseline. However, volleying need not be scary! The | | | | short and compact. |
| main goal of coming to the net is to take the offensive. | | | | The next step is taking the racket head back. The |
| Volleying allows you to run your opponent around the | | | | volley, unlike ground strokes, does not require a |
| court and dictate play. | | | | backswing or a follow through. As a rule of thumb |
| Like the other strokes in tennis let's begin with the | | | | when you take the racket back it should not drift past |
| proper grip. Similar to the serve and backhand, both | | | | your peripheral vision; if it does, you've taken it back |
| the forehand and backhand volleys are best hit with a | | | | too far. Likewise, if you follow through past the midline |
| continental grip. A continental grip allows you to hit | | | | of your body, you're swinging following through too |
| volleys below your knees and above your head | | | | much. The volley, being the "scalpel" of tennis, requires |
| without sacrificing the time needed to change to a | | | | precision. Long backswings and follow throughs simply |
| different grip in between shots. Since most shots hit | | | | complicate an otherwise uncomplicated stroke. Keep it |
| near the net come with greater velocity you have a | | | | simple! |
| minimal amount of time to react. By using the same | | | | So if you can't take a big backswing or a long follow |
| grip for both the backhand and forehand you | | | | through where does the power come from? It comes |
| drastically cut down the time needed to react to your | | | | from converting your low center of gravity into a |
| opponent's shots. | | | | powerful step. I refer to this as the "opposite foot rule". |
| The next step to hitting a text book volley is proper | | | | For example, if a right handed player hits a forehand |
| positioning. The key to hitting an effective volley is | | | | volley they would step into the ball with their left foot |
| keeping your center of gravity low. Like all other | | | | and for a backhand volley they'd step with their right |
| strokes in tennis you want your legs and core muscles | | | | foot. Stepping into the volley gives you a little extra |
| to provide the energy for the shot, not your arm. In | | | | power. Notice that I never said swing at the ball! |
| addition you should always be on the "balls" of your | | | | Ultimately you have to be willing to get up to the net |
| feet; if your heels are on the ground you will not be | | | | and practice. Developing a solid volley that you can |
| able to react quickly enough to handle balls hit with | | | | "stick" will add an important dimension to your game |
| pace or heavy spin. Last, but not least, is keeping the | | | | that will allow you control the point. |