The Volley

The volley is technically the easiest stroke in tennis, but the one that players butcher the most. In the past volleying was an art form. Revered as the “scalpel” of tennis, learning how to volley correctly was a mainstay of the sport. However, in recent years the volley has slowly faded into the background. This is in part because players are able to hit such strong ground strokes that volleying has become more technically difficult. This is evidenced by the fact that Wimbledon no longer has the two “pathways” etched into the grass by serve and volleyers of past generations. Instead the baseline becomes worn out by the 2nd week, with only an occasional point ending at the net. Regardless, volleying properly can dramatically improve your game. It will allow you to end points quicker and more efficiently.

Let’s start out by first defining what a volley is: it is simply a shot hit out of the air before it bounces on your side of the court. Volleys can be hit from anywhere on the court, but they most often occur near the net. Most beginners find the net unfamiliar territory and often hurry back to the safety of the baseline. However, volleying need not be scary! The main goal of coming to the net is to take the offensive. Volleying allows you to run your opponent around the court and dictate play.

Like the other strokes in tennis let’s begin with the proper grip. Similar to the serve and backhand, both the forehand and backhand volleys are best hit with a continental grip. Refer to the section on grips to refresh your memory of how to hold the racket to obtain a continental grip. A continental grip allows you to hit volleys below your knees and above your head without sacrificing the time needed to change to a different grip in-between shots. Since most shots hit near the net come with greater velocity you have a minimal amount of time to react. By using the same grip for both the backhand and forehand you drastically cut down the time needed to react to your opponent’s shots.

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The next step to hitting a text book volley is proper positioning. The key to hitting an effective volley is keeping your center of gravity low. Like all other strokes in tennis you want your legs and core muscles to provide the energy for the shot, not your arm. In addition you should always be on the “balls” of your feet; if your heels are on the ground you will not be able to react quickly enough to handle balls hit with pace or heavy spin. Last, but not least, is keeping the racket head in front of your body. I see countless players hold the racket to one side of the body or the other; without a doubt, a shot hit hard to the opposite side of their body will cause them all sorts of problems. By keeping your hands in front of you your reaction time to either a forehand or backhand volley remains short and compact.

Low Center of Gravity (image to the left): the key to hitting a solid volley is (a) keeping your center of gravity low, (b) staying on the “balls” of your feet, and (c) keeping the racket head in front of your body.

The next step is taking the racket head back. The volley, unlike ground strokes, does not require a backswing or a follow through. As a rule of thumb when you take the racket back it should not drift past your peripheral vision; if it does, you’ve taken it back too far. Likewise, if you follow through past the midline of your body, you’re following through too much. The volley, being the “scalpel” of tennis, requires precision. Long backswings and follow throughs simply complicate an otherwise uncomplicated stroke. Keep it simple!

The “backswing”: notice that the racket head does not traditionally go beyond the back shoulder. Backswings longer than this drastically reduce reaction time and lead to an increased error rate.

So if you can’t take a big backswing or a long follow through where does the power come from? It comes from converting your low center of gravity into a powerful step. I refer to this as the “opposite foot rule”. For example, if a right handed player hits a forehand volley they would step into the ball with their left foot and for a backhand volley they’d step with their right foot. Stepping into the volley gives you a little extra pace. Notice that I never said swing at the ball! The stroke itself remains very compact. I only allow my students 6 inches of racket head movement. The pace must come from their center of gravity and step.

One final tip… It is crucial to keep your head near the point of impact. This forces them to use their legs to move to the ball rather than simply reaching out to the ball with their arm. After a few episodes of yanking your neck you get the point very quickly! Another commonly used technique is to put a ball in between your side and elbow. If you are hitting your volleys properly the ball should remain squeezed at your side without falling out. In other words, if your elbow is drifting away from your body you need to move your feet more to get in better position.

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