How to Hit a Perfect Tennis Volley

The volley is the simplest shot in tennis. To hit it properly, most people need to forget everything they know or have been taught about the volley, and then relearn just the essential technique. The volley is a touch shot. It is all about physics. There is no swing to the volley, as we will see. Instead, we center our concentration in our center of gravity, moving our upper body “through” the ball.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Position yourself about six feet from the net. Draw two imaginary lines, one to each net most. We are now at the apex of a triangle, where each of the two imaginary lines at the net post as well as the net itself stands for the three legs of the triangle.

2. Assume ready position, with the racket head held around nose level. Our grip should be the Continental grip -- with the "V" near the top front ridge of the racket grip. Read the ball coming off the opponent’s racket. To strike a perfect volley as a forehand, just open up the racket face beneath the ball by rotating your wrist slightly, and holding it firm.

3. Holding your racket face as described and wrist firm, move your body toward the net post along the imaginary leg of the triangle we described in STEP 2. Holding our racket face slightly open, we “go to the post” and impact the ball simply by catching it on our strings.
   
   If we are right-handed, we move our body along that right leg of our imaginary triangle.
   
   If we are left-handed, we move our body along the left leg of our imaginary triangle.
   
   Either way, we “go toe the post”, moving up the line, through the ball, to “catch it” on our strings.

4. Hit the volley identically, whether on the forehand or backhand side.
   
   STEP For a backhand, we are already in the Ready Position., as in Step 1.
   Without taking the racket back, open up the racket face with a slight rotation of the wrist, moving the body through the ball as you go toward the post.

Tips & Warnings

• ALWAYS move at an angle, toward the post on whichever side the ball is on. We NEVER move straight toward the ball. That will steer the ball toward the net every time. Moving straight toward the ball is the easiest way to an error. Angling to the post is the surest way to master Your Perfect Volley.
• Though you are moving through the ball at a set angle, you can angle your shot toward to any open area on the court that is away from your opponent. The whole point of the volley is to control the net, and make your opponent run to the ball. Don’t worry about the direction of your shots initially; as long as your volleys are landing in the court, you are okay. As you gain proficiency, directing the shot is just a matter of opening your racket face to impact the ball a little to the inside or outside of the vertical meridian.
• Remember – the volley is pure physics.
• The half volley – taking a ball hit at our feet on a short hop while approached the net – is one of the most advanced shots in tennis. When hit with any consistency, the half valley is a sure hallmark of an advanced player. Hit the half-volley exactly as you would for your Perfect Your Perfect Volley.