| THE VOLLEY AND OVERHEAD SMASH. | | | | Attack with your volleys. Never defend the ball when |
| The net attack is the heavy artillery of tennis. It is | | | | at the net. The only defensive volley is one at your |
| supposed to crush all defence. As such it must be | | | | feet as you come in. It is a mid-court shot. Volleys |
| regarded as a point-winning stroke at all times, no | | | | should win with placement more than speed, although |
| matter whether the shot is volley or smash. | | | | speed may be used on a high volley. |
| Once at the net hit from the point at the first | | | | Closely related to the volley, yet in no way a volley |
| opportunity given to get the racquet squarely on the | | | | stroke, is the overhead smash. It is the Big Bertha of |
| ball. All the laws of footwork explained for the drive | | | | tennis. It is the long range terror that should always |
| are theoretically the same in volleying. In practice you | | | | score. The rules of footwork, position, and direction |
| seldom have time to change your feet to a set | | | | that govern the volley will suffice for the overhead. |
| position, so you obviate trouble by throwing the weight | | | | The swing alone is different. The swing should be |
| on the foot nearest to the ball and pushing it in the | | | | closely allied to the slice service, the racquet and arm |
| shot. | | | | swinging freely from the shoulder, the wrist flexible and |
| Volleys are of two classes: (1) the low volley, made | | | | the racquet imparting a slight twist to the ball to hold it |
| from below the waist; and (2) the high volley, from the | | | | in court. The overhead is mainly a point winner through |
| waist to the head. In contradistinction to the hitting plane | | | | speed, since its bounce is so high that a slow |
| classification are the two styles known as (1) the deep | | | | placement often allows time for a recovery. |
| volley and (2) the stop volley. | | | | Do not leap in the air unnecessarily to hit overhead |
| All low volleys are blocked. High volleys may be either | | | | balls. Keep at least one foot, and when possible both |
| blocked or hit. Volleys should never be stroked. There | | | | feet, on the ground in smashing, as it aids in regulating |
| is no follow through on a low volley and very little on a | | | | the weight, and gives better balance. Hit flat and |
| high one. | | | | decisively to the point if desired. |
| You will hear much talk of "chop" volleys. A chop | | | | Most missed overhead shots are due to the eye |
| stroke is one where the racquet travels from above | | | | leaving the ball; but a second class of errors are due |
| the line of flight of the ball, down and through it, and the | | | | to lack of confidence that gives a cramped, |
| angle made behind the racquet is greater than 45 | | | | half-hearted swing. Follow through your overhead shot |
| degrees, and many approach 90 degrees. Therefore I | | | | to the limit of your swing. |
| say that no volleys should be chopped, for the | | | | The overhead is essentially a doubles shot, because in |
| tendency is to pop the ball up in the air off any chop. | | | | singles the chances of passing the net man are |
| Slice volleys if you want to, or hit them flat, for both | | | | greater than lobbing over his head, while in doubles two |
| these shots are made at a very small angle to the | | | | men cover the net so easily that the best way to |
| flight-line of the ball, the racquet face travelling almost | | | | open the court is to lob one man back. |
| along its plane. | | | | In smashing, the longest distance is the safest shot |
| In all volleys, high or low, the wrist should be locked and | | | | since it allows a greater margin of error. Therefore |
| absolutely stiff. It should always be below the racquet | | | | smash 'cross court when pressed, but pull your short |
| head, thus bracing the racquet against the impact of | | | | lobs either side as determined by the man you are |
| the ball. Allow the force of the incoming shot, plus your | | | | playing. |
| own weight, to return the ball, and do not strive to | | | | Never drop a lob you can hit overhead, as it forces |
| "wrist" it over. The tilted racquet face will give any | | | | you back and gives the attacking position to your |
| required angle to the return by glancing the ball off the | | | | opponent. Never smash with a reverse twist, always |
| strings, so no wrist turn is needed. | | | | hit with a straight racquet face and direct to the |
| Low volleys can never be hit hard, and owing to the | | | | opening. |
| height of the net should usually be sharply angled, to | | | | Closely connected to the overhead since it is the usual |
| allow distance for the rise. Any ball met at a higher | | | | defence to any hard smash, is the lob. |
| plane than the top of the net may be hit hard. The | | | | A lob is a high toss of the ball landing between the |
| stroke should be crisp, snappy, and decisive, but it | | | | service-line and the baseline. An excellent lob should be |
| should stop as it meets the ball. The follow through | | | | within 6 feet of the baseline. |
| should be very small. Most low volleys should be soft | | | | Lobs are essentially defensive. The ideas in lobbing are: |
| and short. Most high volleys require speed and length. | | | | (1) to give yourself time to recover position when pulled |
| The "stop" volley is nothing more than a shot blocked | | | | out of court by your opponent's shot; (2) to drive back |
| short. There is no force used. The racquet simply | | | | the net man and break up his attack; (3) to tire your |
| meets the oncoming ball and stops it. The ball | | | | opponent; (4) occasionally to, win cleanly by placement. |
| rebounds and falls of its own weight. There is little | | | | This is usually a lob volley from a close net rally, and is |
| bounce to such a shot, and that may be reduced by | | | | a slightly different stroke. |
| allowing the racquet to slide slightly under the ball at the | | | | There is (1) the chop lob, a heavily under-cut spin that |
| moment of impact, thus imparting back spin to the ball. | | | | hangs in the air. This, is the best defensive lob, as it |
| Volleying is a science based on the old geometric | | | | goes high and gives plenty of time to recover position. |
| axiom that a straight line is the shortest distance | | | | (2) The stroke lob or flat lob, hit with a slight top spin. |
| between two points. I mean that a volleyer must | | | | This is the point-winning lob since it gives no time to, the |
| always cover the straight passing shot since it is the | | | | player to run around it, as it is lower and faster than |
| shortest shot with which to pass him, and he must | | | | the chop. In making this lob, start your swing like a drive, |
| volley straight to his opening and not waste time trying | | | | but allow the racquet to slow up and the face to tilt |
| freakish curving volleys that give the base-liner time to | | | | upward just as you meet the ball. This, shot should |
| recover. It is Johnston's great straight volley that | | | | seldom go above 10 feet in the air, since it tends to go |
| makes him such a dangerous net man. He is always | | | | out with the float of the ball. |
| "punching" his volley straight and hard to the opening in | | | | The chop lob, which is a decided under cut, should rise |
| his opponent's court. | | | | from 20 to 30 feet, or more, high and must go deep. It |
| A net player must have ground strokes in order to | | | | is better to lob out and run your opponent back, thus |
| attain the net position. Do not think that a service and | | | | tiring him, than to lob short and give him confidence by |
| volley will suffice against first-class tennis. | | | | an easy kill. The value of a lob is mainly one of |
| Strive to kill your volleys at once, but should your shot | | | | upsetting your opponent, and its effects are very |
| not win, follow the ball 'cross and again cover the | | | | apparent if you unexpectedly bring off one at the |
| straight shot. Always force the man striving to pass | | | | crucial period of a match. |
| you to play the hardest possible shot. | | | | |