The tennis volley technique of the pros is distinguished by several unique hallmark “key positions” that are rarely ever taught to club players. As an aspiring professional tennis player, I’ve been able to identify these key positions after studying the top pros in slow motion video.
Have you ever wondered how the greats of tennis like Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and countless other pro tennis players of their time learned to hit exceptional volleys time and time again?
The irony is that most club, recreational and weekend warrior players struggle with the volley, because of poor tennis volley technique and lack of knowledge of the correct arm positions required for the volley. Many times, players are even afraid to approach the net because
Tennis Volley Techniques – Role of the Wrist
Watch Roger Federer’s volley, and you could see his wrist is firm while still staying relaxed at contact. There is no abrupt or jerky movement of the wrist or forearm. In fact, Federer keeps the arm and wrist “quiet” throughout with minimal superfluous movement.
Keeping the volley movement compact allows a player to hit driving volleys with good depth and penetration through the court. Often times, club players make the mistake of using too much racket movement in the volley – causing them to hit either late or weak volleys that allows their opponents to easily penetrate through them at net.
Less is More in Volley Techniques
Something to keep in mind with tennis volley techniques is that less is often more. Keeping the tennis volley compact is key. One thing players can practice is what is called “tucking in” the elbow. Here, a player ensures that the elbow stays tucked in and close to the body throughout the volley motion. A common mistake many players make is allowing the arm to “flail” away and the racket to swing wildly into the ball causing an elongated motion – whereas the pro tennis volley technique is often remarkable in it’s crisp appearance with almost no extraneous motion.
L-shaped hitting arm position – Key Tennis Volley Technique
The “L shaped” hitting arm, or double-bend is a super key hitting arm position, characterized by a bend at the elbow and a slight bend at the wrist – this position allows pros like Federer and Sampras to achieve maximum leverage and control on the ball without sacrificing accuracy. Think of a construction crane lifting a heavy object – the crane utilizes leverage to pick up the object. Here, the slight bend at the elbow and L shaped angle between elbow and forearm allow for the torque and leverage to occur.
Most club players lack this key position on their volley, which results in a weak volley. Or worse, they posses a straight-arm which will result in a player getting tennis elbow over time as there is no leverage and there will be excessive force on the grip.
Whether a player is hitting a forehand or backhand volley, the correct tennis volley technique involves the characteristic “L” shaped hitting arm position for leverage.
Pivot Sideways and Turn
Similar to the unit turn in tennis, the world class pro volley involves a player pivoting their foot sideways – which turns their body, shoulders and racket as one unit together. A common mistake is that some players will take their racket back for the volley, without turning their shoulders sideways – so essentially their torso is still facing the net, which will often cause a player to feel “jammed”
Racket Face in Front – Critical Tennis Volley Techniques
The other key position of note is the strings of the racket should always face the fence. The tennis volley technique involves a very simple, elegant and fluid motion. There is very little excess, virtually no “backswing” on the volley as short and sweet is the motto here.
A common mistake here is players hit either their forehand or backhand volley by taking their racket back way too far which results in them hitting “late” or getting “jammed” by the incoming ball on the tennis volley. Here, it will make it difficult for players to time the incoming shot accurately.
Keeping the strings of the racket facing the net at all times and minimizing any swing will allow a player to hit a compact but firm volley that has deep penetration in the court.
Watch Federer here for an example.
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