Tennis Overhead Smash And Volley

and overhead smash.Attack with your volleys. Never defend the ball when
The net attack is the heavy artillery of tennis. It isat the net. The defense is only one volley at your feet
supposed to crush all defense. As such, it must beas you come in. It is a mid-court shot. Bursts should win
regarded as a point-winning shot at any time,with placement more than speed, even if the speed
regardless of whether the picture is stolen or smash.May be used on a wide volley.
Once on the net affected by the position at the firstClosely linked to the fly, but not a coup volleyball, is the
opportunity to get the racquet squarely on the ball. Allgeneral smash. It is the Big Bertha of tennis. It is
laws feet explained the drive are theoretically thelong-term terror that should always score. The rules of
same in volleying. In practice, you rarely have time tofootwork, position and direction that govern the volley
change your feet to a set position, so you can avoidjust for overheads. The swing alone is different. The
trouble by throwing the weight on the foot closest toswing should be closely linked to the tranche of
the ball and pushing it in the coup.service, the racquet and arm swung from the shoulder,
Bursts fall into two categories: (1), low volley, fromwrist flexible and snowshoeing inculcate a slight twist
below the waist, and (2), the high volley, from the sizeof the ball to hold it in court. The overhead is mainly a
of the head. Unlike the strike classification plan are thepoint winner through speed, since its bounce is so high
two styles known as (1), the depth and volleyball (2)that the slow placement often allows time for a
the stop volley.recovery.
All low volleys are blocked. Top salvos May beDo not jump into the air unnecessarily to hit overhead
blocked or hit. Bursts should never be traced. Thereballs. Keep at least a foot and if possible two feet on
was no response to a low volley and very little on high.the ground breaking, as AIDS in regulating weight, and
You hear much talk of "chop" volleys. A chop stroke isoffers a better balance. Hit flat and decisively to the
one where the racquet travels above the line of flightpoint, if desired.
of the ball, and through him, and the corner behind theMost plans are missed due to the eye leaving the ball,
racket is over 45 degrees, and many approach 90but a second category of errors are due to a lack of
degrees. This means that I do bursts must beconfidence, which gives a narrow, half-swing. Follow
chopped, the tendency is to pop the ball in the air whileoverhead through your ball on the edge of your swing.
chopping. Slice volleys if you want, or hit flat, for theseThe overhead is essentially a double blow in simple
two plans are made to a very small angle of the linebecause the chances of passing the net man are
of flight of the ball, the racket face to travel alonggreater than lobbing over his head, while double, two
almost its aircraft.men cover the net so easily that the best way to
In all volleys, high or low, the wrist should be locked andopen court lob is a man of return.
absolutely rigid. It should always be below the racquetBy breaking the longest distance is the safest shot
head, thus bracing the racquet against the impact ofsince it allows greater margin for error. Therefore,
the ball. Enable the force of the new ball, plus yourcross-court smash when pressed, but pull your short
own weight, to return the ball and not try to "wrist" inlobs either side as determined by the man you play.
reverse. The tilted racquet face will, if necessary, atNever file a lob you can hit overhead, because it
the corner of return by glancing the ball off the strings,forces you to return and give the position to attack
so no wrist turn is needed.your opponent. Never crush with a reverse twist,
Low volleys can never be hardest hit, and because ofalways hit with a racket and directly opposite the
the height of the net should usually be strongly inclinedopening.
to allow distance for the climb. Any ball met at a levelClosely linked to overloading, since it is customary for
higher than the top of the net May be hardest hit. Thethe defense to break hard, is the lob.
coup must be crisp, snappy, and decisive, but it mustA lob is a toss of the ball landing between the service
end because it meets the ball. Monitoring should beline and the baseline. An excellent lob should be within
very low. Lowest rounds should be short and sweet.6 feet of the baseline.
Most high volleys require speed and length.Lobs are essentially defensive. The ideas of lobbing
The "stop" volley is nothing more than a blocked shotare: (1) to give you time to recover position when out
short. There was no force used. The racquet simplyof court by your opponent shot; (2) to reduce the net
meets the ball oncoming and it stops. The ballman and break his attack (3) tire your opponent; (4) on
rebounds and falls of its own weight. There is littlethe occasion, the victory by net investment. This is
bounce to such a coup, and that May be reduced byusually a lob volley near a net rally, and is slightly
allowing the racquet to slide slightly under the ball atdifferent stroke.
impact and inculcate Back Spin of the ball.It is (1) the chop lob, seriously under-cut spin looming in
Volleying is a science based on the old geometricthe air. This is the best defensive lob, as it is high and
axiom that a straight line is the shortest distancegive sufficient time to recover position. (2) The stroke
between two points. I mean volleyer must alwaysor flat lob lob, hit with a slight top spin. This is the
cover straight from the ball because it is the shortestpoint-winning lob since it gives no time for the player to
shot with which to pass him, and he must volleyrun around him, as it is smaller and faster than the
directly to its opening and not waste time tryingchop. In making this lob, start your swing like a drive, but
freakish bursts curves that give Base-line time toallow the racquet to slow down and inclination rising as
recover. He is the right Johnston volley that makes himyou meet the ball. This coup should rarely go above 10
a dangerous man net. It is always "punching" his volleyfeet in the air because it tends to go out with the float
right and difficult to open his opponent of the court.of the ball.
A net player must have bursts to reach the net. DoChop lob, which is a decided under cut, should rise
not think of a service and volley enough to the firstfrom 20 to 30 feet or more high and must go deep. It
class tennis.is better to lob and run your opponent back, thus tiring
Strive to kill your volleys at once, but your photo willhim, than to lob short and give him confidence by a
not win, follow the ball "and cross again cover the ballsimple kill. The value of a lob is mainly to disrupt your
straight. Always the strength of the man you're tryingopponent, and its effects are very visible if you put off
to play the shot possible.unexpectedly one in the crucial period of a match.