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  1. Hitting hand Ahead of the Racket Head (prepare) — To help the strings face the correct direction, do not lead with the racket head; keep the wrist back and relaxed and out in front of your body. With your hand leading the racket head, the impact of the stroke will be absorbed my your big shoulder muscles and not your weak wrist. Watch videos below to see everyone doing this. If your racket head were to get ahead of your hitting hand before contact, the ball would most likely hit off your frame or go into the net.
  2. "Catch-Push" (contact) — Before learning the "punch" volley [adding power to the ball], it is important to learn to "touch" volley [reflecting your opponent's force]. This means relaxing and waiting for the ball to come to your strike zone (with your racket out in front of you). At the moment of contact, you move forward with your body, but absorb the ball's force with your racket head, causing your racket to be pushed back a bit before pushing/guiding it forward. Your wrist must be relaxed and flexible in order to facilitate the absorption. (A punch volley calls for a firmer wrist to keep the racket head moving forward constantly through the ball.)
  3. Racket Elbow Down (contact) — This does two things: a) it prevents you from literally punching at balls, sending them into the net, and b) it keeps your racket face slightly open so that the ball clears the net.
  4. ​Eyes Stay on Racket  (follow through) — Since the ball is coming at you faster the closer you are to the net, it is easy to frame the ball if you are not focusing on the moment of contact. This tip emphasizes keeping your head still the moment after contact. Avoid the temptation to look up (jerking your head and body) to see where your ball goes.

Volley Fundamentals

This Video Teaches Volley Fundamentals

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  • (Video summary @4:30)

  • Why you'd need to volley (singles/doubles).

  • How to find the Continental grip.

  • Racket movement. (Prep, Contact, Follow Through)

  • Wrist position.

  • Strategy about where to hit.

  • How to recover for the next shot.

  • What might happen next.

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Note: This video teaches an assertive punch volley. We recommend starting with a touch volley because it's tough to learn with tension, and go back to hitting with a more relaxed wrist. (See the video to the right.)

Touch Volley

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  • Flexible wrist.

  • Catch and push feeling.

  • Add slight slice/backspin for more ball control.

  • For more power, firm up your hitting wrist and absorb less of the ball's force.

Don't Literally "Punch" Volleys

 

  • Keep your hitting elbow pointed down & the inside of your elbow up:

    • This keeps you from hitting down in to the net.

    • It also opens up your racket face to lift the ball up and over the net.

Volley Complaint #1

 

"My volleys always go down into the net."
 
  1. ​Get Low♫ (prepare) — If the ball is below the top of the net, get low and try to go deep to the open court. Attacking it will likely result in it going into the net.
  2. Chuck Norris Doesn't Sleep. He Waits… (prepare) — Keep your racket out in front of you. When players get lazy and droop their rackets, they are no longer prepared to meet the ball assertively; they barely have time to raise their rackets at all before the ball is upon them.
  3. No Hulking (contact) — Overhitting is the enemy. The second you tense up, you lose control. If the ball is a "floater", smoothly close in to the net early and angle it off court or to the open court.
  4. Clear the Shelf (follow through) — While hitting with backspin (high to low) does offer greater control, it can also lead the player to dump volleys in to the net. Instead of "cutting" at the ball, try feeling like you are pushing a row of books off of a shelf with your racket. Or, another example might be like a sinister cat carelessly swiping a vase off a high table.

"Guide," Your Volleys, Don't "Punch"

 

  • "Punching" is a technique that only really works when you are 1-2 feet off the net.

  • In every other situation, the volley is a "touch shot." It requires finesse and care.

    • Think "guide" or "glide".

  • When you warm up your volley, (unless you are simply trying to intimidate your opponent by "hulking") warm up in real life situations—when you are on the run, or after hitting an approach shot from the baseline.

  • Don't forget about extending your non racket hand for balance.

Volleying with 3 Speeds w/ Jorge

 

  1. Add speed. Attack. But keep it simple.

  2. Same speed.  Backswing=1 of 5, Followthrough=2 of 5.

  3. Reduce speed. All it needs is a few MPH off to mess with an opponent behind the baseline. As a drill, try to absorb the ball on strings by bouncing it once, then catching it.

  4. Start with racket just above ball and come down on it to create a little more slice and control.

Focus on Control and Depth

 

  • Don't fully extend your arm.

  • Keep your elbow tight to your side.

  • (If you're already making solid contact,) try "cutting" or dropping your racket head in the contact position to add backspin control.

Volley Complaint #2

 

"I have no control. My volley goes wherever it wants; it has a mind of its own."

 
  1. Relax (prepare) — If the ball goes long, then short, then you miss completely, my best guess is that you are so tight that it's messing with your timing.  Slow it down for a few strokes.  Watch the ball into your strings and focus on hitting with a nice, loose upper body. The volley is a "touch shot"; it requires finesse. You don't have to add power to the shot; you could simply reflect the power of your opponent.  Better to have control first.  Then add power later.
  2. Step & Strings (prepare) — Your volley will go in the direction your lead foot is stepping, and at the angle your racket is facing.
  3. Firm Wrist (prepare) — In an effort to be relaxed, some beginning players adopt a "loosey-goosey" mentality when volleying, causing the ball to just fall off the racket. Some players try to swing at balls like they would a groundstroke. But that's wrong; there is basically no swing in a volley. Keep your wrist cocked at about 45-90º to channel your power up through your legs, through your shoulder and out your racket. The racket elbow doesn't bend much. Let the ball come to you, point your strings at the ball the entire time, and "catch" or "receive" it.
  4. Focus on Your Strings (Contact) — Volleys go astray when you take your eye off the point of contact and you fail to make contact with the ball all the way through with the center of your strings.  You'll be tempted to follow the ball with your eyes as it leaves your racket, but you must resist. Maintain focus on your strings. Be comforted in knowing that the ball will hit your target, even if you're not looking at it, as long as your racket is pointed there.
 
Website: 10 Very Entertaining Volley Tips From A Tennis Nerd

Focus Gives Your Volley Confidence and Control

 

  • To get the feel for the backswing, play "patty cake" with your partner.

  • To get racket preparation down, put an empty ball can inside your racket's throat.

    • This helps you keep your racket face towards your opponent.

    • Doing the alternating "strings" vs. "can" drill helps you start with the racket face above the ball so it comes down with some slice.

Backspin Gives You Better Control Over Your Volleys

 

  1. Grip: continental

  2. Start with racket just above ball and come down on it to create a little more slice, and thus control.

Volley Complaint #3

 

"My volley is weak sauce. I can't generate any power, and I end up dinking it over."
 
  1. Again…Relax (prepare) — The automatic reaction to feeling like you need more power is to tighten your grip and hit harder. You need to do the exact opposite. You're probably lacking power, confidence, and control because you're all locked up inside. Get loosey-goosey. Try hitting super relaxed for a few and recalibrate your hand's grip on the racket.
  2. Powerful Legs (prepare) — If you're looking to add power, you're probably thinking it comes from your arm—IT DOESN'T! Like every shot, power begins in your legs, then develops through your body's momentum, out your arm and racket head, and into the ball. Prepare by "loading" your energy/weight on your back leg as the ball approaches you. Then, once the ball arrives, unleash your body's potential energy towards the ball (forward) at your contact point. At the moment of contact, you should be able to hear your lead foot stomp on the ground. (For right handers, left foot leads on forehands, and right foot leads on backhands). If the ball is going into the net, think more about exploding with your back leg.  If the ball is going long, think about exploding sooner with your body into the ball.
  3. Move Forward (prep, contact, follow through) — If you're not moving/falling forward into your volley, you are missing out on potential power.

Beginner's Volley Tutorial by Tracy Austin

 

  • Grip: Continental (gives slice, control)

  • Split step as the ball comes off your opponent's racket.

  • For most shots, racket should be even with your nose. For height adjustments, bend knees and raise/lower shoulder.

  • Don't backswing. For beginners, Tracey suggests that you rotate your whole unit.

  • Maintain an athletic stance, with knees bent. Keep it compact. 

  • Initially face strings towards your opponent.

  • Check your wrist and elbow angles.  Work with your whole arm as a unit.

  • Push with back leg into the shot.

  • Finish with strings still be facing your opponent/target. No wrist break. 

  • Keep it simple. Seek great technique and placement.

Volleys with James Jensen

 

  • Keep your racket up.

  • Keep your racket out FAR in front of you.

  • "Hit and Split" means after your volley, recover to a balanced split step.

  • Attack the ball.

  • Beginners should NOT attempt a swinging volley. Simply use your opponent's power. You are just wall. Hit and stick.

  • After you hit, move forward into a position where you are only one step from the side line and can cover the angle within one and 1/2 steps.

  • Don't move sideway. The ball pops up. Instead, MOVE FORWARD to the ball; be aggressive; attack that ball out in front.

Volley Complaint #4

 

"​What if the ball comes straight at my body?!"
 
  1. Marionette (contact) ​— Most players find it easier to backhand volley "bodyshots."  To do this:
    1. Turn your racket shoulder towards the ball.
    2. Rotate your elbow out (as if a puppet master raises your elbow string) bringing the racket across in front of your body.
    3. Aim for deep in your opponent's court.  Keep it simple.

When a Ball Comes At Your Body, "Marionette"

  • Don't Panic.

  • Shift weight to front foot. Start to turn body.

  • Eyes on the ball.

  • Contact slightly in front of body.

  • NO UNECESSARY BODY MOMENTMENT.

  • Keep the racket face flat or closed.

  • The followthrough is the key:

    • ​Pull the racket across your body, parallel to the net.  (This is called a slide followthrough.)

    • It creates spin.

When Hit to Your Body, Favor a Backhand Volley

  • The title says it all.

All images have the following license

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