Volleys
The volley is an essential shot for every good tennis player because it allows you to end the point. When you come to net, you are trying to put the ball away and not have a long rally. Volleys are at the same time very simple and very complex to execute. They are simple because there are only a few things you need to do to hit a technically correct volley, but they are complex because there is a very wide range of possible contact heights. When you are at net it is much more difficult to control your contact point because you have less time to react to the tennis ball, and it is more difficult to control contact height because you cannot move up or move back easily.
Because contact heights can vary so much when volleying at the net, this can cause the shots to look different each time. However, there are certain fundamental things that all pro tennis players are doing each and every time they hit a volley, and in this section we are going to focus on those things. If you can master the fundamentals presented here, you will be well on your way to hitting technically correct, effective volleys.
Introduction to the Volleys 
This video introduces the volley and explains how we teach the shot in this section.
| Volley Grip There is a narrow range of grips you can use when you hit a volley. You want to use a continental grip, or something close to it, when you hit a volley. You don’t have as much time to react to the tennis ball when you are at net, so you need a grip that allows you to hit both forehands and backhands. |
 |
Prepare to Hit This video focuses on the preparation necessary to hit a forehand volley. Among other things, you need to turn your body sideways and get your racket in position to swing forward correctly later in the shot. |
 |
Swing to Contact This video explains how to swing and hit the tennis ball on your forehand volley. Unlike a forehand groundstroke, the swing on a forehand volley is much shorter. |
 |
Forehand Volley Summary This video summarizes the mechanics necessary to hit a proper forehand volley. |
|
Prepare to Hit This video explains the first step of the backhand volley. This step deals mostly with preparing to hit the tennis ball. You need to pivot with your outside foot and get your racket into position. |
|
Swing to Contact This video explains the second step of the backhand volley. Having turned your body sideways and gotten your tennis racket in position to hit the ball, you are now ready to swing. Unlike a backhand from the baseline, the swing on a backhand volley is much more compact. |
|
Backhand Volley Summary This video summarizes the mechanics necessary to hit a proper backhand volley. |
| Forehand and Backhand Volleys Compared This video compares the swing directions on a forehand and backhand volley. A backhand volley has more of a downward swing because the mechanics of the shot are similar to a backhand slice groundstroke. |
-
Byunggun
-
Danny
-
Michael
-
Will Hamilton
