Watch the professionals play and you’ll notice that the game’s finest exponents, the likes of World No.1s Ali Farag and Nour El Sherbini, relentlessly take the ball on the volley both in defence and attack, seeking to exert pressure on their opponents.
Yet watching many amateurs competing in the weekly box leagues, you could be forgiven for thinking the volley is a shot reserved solely for the pros.
So why should you volley?
When used and played correctly, the volley;
At the amateur level volleying opportunities often go without action - at the higher levels it’s all about seeking out the right time to attack using the volley as it is a shot with lots of subtleties.
PREPARATION
When preparing to place a straight volley drive, there are three main areas to focus on.
Footwork:
To take the ball early and take time away from your opponent, you want to be quick off the mark. Your first step should be diagonally across the court towards the front corner. It’s also important to lead with your front foot (so on the forehand side, a right handed player should lead with the left foot, on the backhand side a right hander would lead with the right foot) as this helps keep your shoulders in line with the side wall and prevent over rotation.
Racket:
You want to get the racket out and ready nice and early in the movement - you’re not trying to use any deception in the shot, it’s all about getting onto the ball early. You want to get the racket head above the ball as much as possible. Especially if the ball is slow paced, you’ll struggle to get enough power if the racket is below shoulder height.
Timing:
You want to step into the shot and strike the ball at the same time, so it’s all one fluid motion. You want to avoid stepping into position and then swinging once your feet are already planted as doing so encourages over rotation of the upper body, whereas timing the motion and swing as one helps power and control.
SPACING
Good spacing is vital - both between you and the ball and between the racket head and your body.
If your body is too close to the ball you won’t be able to use the momentum of the swing and fully extend the racket to maximise the space covered for the shot. Similarly, if the racket is too close to your body there won’t be enough space to use the swing and momentum to create a fluid strike. Keeping good spacing helps you control the shot and find the open areas of the court.
FOLLOW THROUGH
When striking a volley, you want to try and finish the shot with the racket head nice and low and with your fingers relaxed. You want the racket to follow the path of the shot towards the front corners, not towards the middle of the front wall.
It’s an after thought and overlooked part of the game but a very important part of the shot and also helps to ensure you hold position and remain balanced after the strike.
THE OTHER HAND
One overlooked aspect of the volley is the role of your non playing arm.
Similar to a tennis service, on the forehand side your non striking arm can be used as a guide to help track the path of the ball towards the racket head.
On the backhand side want to have the non playing arm under the elbow of the striking arm to provide a counter balance and momentum in and out of the shot.
