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

A common mistake made by club players is using the “wrist” to hit the volley, and done in this manner will always result in poor or weak depth and power on the volley. On contact, the wrist should be firm (but not possessing a death grip) at any point during the stroke. Often times, you will hear players referring to a player’s volley as “too wristy” because the wrist is either droopy or being manipulated at contact.

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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The post Tennis Volley Technique – Understanding the Fundamentals of World Class Tennis Volley Techniques appeared first on Tennis Instruction.

However, the tennis serve and volley does have advantages and some of them are:

• The Tennis Serve and Volley move can surprise your opponent
• The serve and volley is an ideal tactic to conserve energy or to rest from long and tiresome rallies
• This combination move disrupts your opponent’s momentum and concentration, and
• It can scare your opponent forcing him to make unforced errors.

Serve and Volley Strategies

Strategy # 1 – Wide serve and open court volley

The first strategy in the tennis serve and volley is to serve wide and then volley in the open court. A wide serve means to hit the corners of the sidelines but not beyond them. Once your wide serve is done perfectly, you have to move as fast you can towards the net by following the direction of the ball. In most cases, players stop in the T section of the court if the opponent is able to return the ball early. The T section means the intersection between the service line and the vertical line in the middle of the court. At this stage, your eyes should be glued on the ball. If your opponent’s return is directed down the line, you have the option of hitting a cross-court volley as quickly as possible to the open court.

If you hit the ball in the open court, it makes for a very difficult pass for your opponent if he manages to reach the ball. After you hit the ball, immediately move towards the net, in doing so be sure to cover the down the line shot, in case he is able to return your first volley.

Strategy #2 – Wide serve and wrong foot

The wide serve is commonly used in the tennis serve and volley move. Here, you should again execute a perfect wide serve. Then, move to the net as quickly as you can. Follow the direction of the ball as you move towards the net. This time, if your opponent chooses to return the ball crosscourt, you should return the shot with a cross court volley so that the ball lands at the back of your opponent.

When your opponent hits a cross court shot, this means that his or her recovery position is further towards the middle of the court. This puts him in a vulnerable position which is a good time to make him or her off balance. Generally, this strategy does not give you a clear winner, but it can force the opponent to hit a weak or off balanced return. If this is the case, you can position yourself near the net and cover the down the line passing shot. At this instance, you must also anticipate that your opponent might reply with a lob over your head.

Strategy #3 – Down the middle serve and wrong foot

Although the wide serve is commonly used in the serve and volley, a down the middle serve can also be very effective in a tennis serve and volley. Serving in down the middle (or T) is an excellent tactic as it creates a situation that lessens your opponent’s chances to return a cross-court ball or to hit down the line.

Upon serving the down the middle serve, move as fast as you can towards the net and remember to follow the ball’s direction. This return volley will put your opponent in a vulnerable situation because when he returns your serve he must recover towards the center of the court. Hitting the first volley behind him rather than to the open court will wrong foot him, causing him to be off balance and unprepared for your volley. Immediately after you hit the ball, position yourself near the net and cover any possible shot that your opponent may hit.

Tennis Strokes commonly used in the serve and volley

The Backhand volley

Grip and ready position

The tennis grip which is commonly used in the backhand volley is the continental grip. The ready position when you are about to hit the volley is with your left hand supporting your racket at the throat.

A split step should be executed by a short hop. Once you are up in the air, separate your feet widely and then turn you body sideways towards the ball. The split step execution is very crucial because you can’t just do this step anytime. You have to time it perfectly with your opponent‘s contact point.

Backhand Volley Takeback

The backhand volley does not require a big swing. Instead, think of it as a block volley that starts once your right foot (right handed player) steps forward which brings you in a sideways position. Then use your left hand which is positioned on the racket throat to help you guide the shot. In a backhand volley, you don’t need a backswing, but instead just do a short backswing.

Ideally it is best to have the point of contact just in front of your head. Always remember to fix your eyes unto the ball before and after the point of contact.

The Forehand volley

Grip and ready position

As mentioned above, the use of the continental grip is easy when you do a backhand or forehand volley, you must remember to switch from the forehand grip to the continental when you are going to hit a forehand or backhand volley. Continental grip is most advisable for all tennis players learning how to execute the tennis serve and volley.

The split-step is executed by jumping slightly on your toes to elevate your feet off the ground. Then, spread your legs apart while you are airborne. Use the split step to help turn your body and feet towards the direction of the ball. Timing is very important here. You only do the split-step when your opponent makes contact with the ball.

Take back

A backswing in the forehand volley execution is not needed. Hence only a short and compact take back is needed to execute the forehand volley.

Point of Contact

In the forehand tennis volley, hitting the ball with perfect timing ensures an effective and quality volley. The earlier and quicker you hit the ball, the better your volley will be. Hitting the tennis volley early can also surprise your opponent. Avoid hitting the ball too late or your volley won’t be effective, because they lose the surprise aspect of the volley. In addition, aside from hitting the ball early, you should also be always aggressive and also maintain forward momentum.

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The post Tennis Serve and Volley – Tips and Strategy for the Serve and Volley appeared first on Tennis Instruction.

This is often a follow-up shot after an initial approach shot has been hit. Typically, players use the forehand volley when the ball comes to their dominant side. Depending on the point situation and court position, the forehand volley can either be a finesse shot or a finishing shot. Some examples of top professional players that have exquisite tennis volley technique is Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. For these professional players, the forehand volley is a creative shot.

Forehand Volley Grip

The forehand volley can be an easy and simple shot, but it needs a lot of practice and drills to master. The hardest part of this tennis volley shot is to choose the appropriate grip that you are most comfortable with. The forehand volley shot does not vary on the type of grip you use. Thus, it is very important to use the grip that are you are comfortable with.

The most common forehand volley grip used by tennis players is the continental grip. The good thing about this grip is that you don’t have to change your grip if you execute a backhand volley after a forehand volley shot.

Tennis volley shots can be hit using the Eastern forehand grip as well. However, this grip is not that popular because of the fact that you have to change your grip to a modified Eastern backhand or full Eastern backhand for backhand volleys. To change one grip from one shot to another can be very difficult especially for beginners.

Forehand Volley Ready Position

The ready position for a forehand volley begins with the initial recognition of the ball. An ideal ready positions is to stand with your body and feet facing the net and with your eyes glued to your opponent’s movements anticipating his/her shot.

You have to stand with your feet spread at a shoulder width. The racket position depends on the players themselves. Some would prefer to have their racket directly in front of them with their left hand or non dominant hand (for right-handed players) slightly supporting the racket’s throat.

At the same time, the elbow is off of your body. Avoid resting your elbow in your stomach because this posture may delay your volley shot. Always keep your elbows more or less parallel to the ground. This posture allows you to quickly react and hit the forehand volley once the ball arrives.

Other players are not comfortable with the above ready position especially when they don’t have a clear idea of their opponent’s return. They prefer to hold their racket with the racket face just in front of their left shoulder (for right-handed players in edge-first position-the racket edge is facing the body) but with the handle (held by the right hand) directly in front of the body. The racket’s throat is still slightly supported by the non racket hand

Forehand Volley Preparation: Split Step

A split step is one of the most important footwork moves that begins the forehand volley. It is normally done by tennis players in preparation to hit a return, in this case the forehand volley. The split step is completed by a little jump while you are air borne.

Upon landing from the split step, you should separate your feet widely to give you more balance when the feet touch the ground. This step prepares the player to move to any direction to where the ball is. For the split step to be effective, it has to be executed in a timely manner. The ideal time to execute the split step is when your opponent starts to make contact with the ball. This means that when you are up in the air, the ball has just come off from your opponent’s racket.

Forehand Volley Backswing

The backswing for a forehand volley shot is a lot different from tennis groundstrokes backswing. The forehand volley backswing is a lot shorter and less powerful. If you do a full backswing with so much force, your volley shot become unreliable. It should also be noted that not all forehand volley shots is executed with a backswing especially if the ball is hit at a very fast pace and you are near the net. However, if you are positioned farther from the net and the ball speed is not that fast; a longer backswing can be applied.

Contact Point

For your forehand volley to be very effective, meet the ball in front of your head or your body and transfer your weight gently forward. Remember that if you are a right-handed player and you hit a forehand volley shot, you have to step forwards with your left foot. If you are a left-handed player, you have to step forward with your right foot. These actions allow you to put extra pace to your shot. Once you made the contact, keep your eye locked to the point of contact. Also remember that you when make contact with the ball, your racket head should be above your wrist.

Forehand Volley Follow-through

The follow-through of a forehand volley is just a short continuation of your forward motion.

Forehand Volley Techniques and Tactics

Forehand Volley Tip #1

The most common reason why many tennis players hit a long forehand (outside balls) volley shots is because they tend to pivot their elbow or wrist when they hit the ball. If you do this, you have to execute the shot accurately to avoid error. Remember to keep your elbow and wrist firm when you execute your forehand volleys. You also have to punch out from your shoulder when you hit the ball.

Forehand Volley Tip #2

It is ideal to hit the forehand volleys when the ball is at net level or higher. To do this, you have to move forward to meet the ball.

Forehand Volley Tip #3

For better results, you have to keep your racket head above your wrist when you hit the ball.

Forehand Volley Tip #4

Always remember that in a backspin forehand volley, the ball floats farther than in a flat volley. Thus, you have to hit your ball lower and apply lesser power.

Forehand Volley Tip #5

To hit a proper forehand volley, the magnitude of the downward angle in your racket swing must be of equal proportion to the magnitude of the upward angle of your racket swing.

Forehand Volley Tip #6

Always move forward and meet the ball in front of you when you make contact. Avoid hitting the ball back or else it can cause a lot of errors.

Forehand Volley Tip #7

When you are moving forward to hit the ball (as mentioned above at contact), you have to make sure to that you keep moving when you are about to make contact with the ball.

Forehand Volley Tip #8

If you are about to hit a return from your opponent’s heavy topspin shot, you have to remember that the ball has the tendency to jump off from your racket face. Thus, you need to compensate this by hitting the ball a bit lower.

Forehand Volley Tip #9

If you are going to hit a forehand volley below the net, remember that it is ideal to hit hard and deep than on a high ball. Add backspin in your shot and for best results, hit a drop shot or angle forehand volley shot.

Forehand Volley Tip #10

To hit a backspin forehand volley, you have to tilt your racket face upward or do the downward chop.

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The post Forehand Volley – Secrets of the Tennis Forehand Volley appeared first on Tennis Instruction.

Whether on TV or in person, the Federer Volley is admired by fans around the world for its perfection and flawless volley technique. While the Federer Volley is admired by many, few players can hit this shot with consistency.

Many players are reluctant to approach the net, lacking confidence in their volley technique and court coverage. This is unfortunate because many points can be easily won at the net.

One modern player who has gobbled up his fair share of points at the net is Roger Federer, and a quick look at the Federer Volley technique can help players at all levels.

Roger Federer has been called by some experts the greatest player in men’s tennis history, and the reason is not entirely based on his won-loss record or number of major championships won.

Federer has earned that distinction in the minds of many because of his superb all-around game. His serve is formidable, his forehand lethal, his backhand a work of art, and his volley nearly flawless. In short, there are no holes to Federer’s game, no areas that a player can attack. The Federer Volley is one of the elements of his game that strikes fear into the hearts of opponents.

Before digging into the exact Roger Federer Volley technique, let’s first discuss the mental aspects of the volley.

Many players are reluctant to hit volleys because of bad experiences they had in the past. Perhaps as a child first learning the game, you were hit by a ball or two or three when standing at the net during a drill to practice your volley technique.

You never forgot that feeling of the ball hitting you square in the mouth or eye, and that painful memory has formed your game even into adulthood.

Sound far-fetched? Ask a player who is young and fit why he or she does not go to the net, and you will be surprised by how many refer to an earlier bad experience there.

Why Learn From the Roger Federer Volley Technique?

If you have not been smacked by a ball in the nose at the net, then you truly have no excuse not to venture there from time to time to win easy points. Yet, other players avoid the net like the plague for several reasons:

1) They watch the pros and see that they rarely, if ever, go to the net. They then conclude, “If it’s good enough for the pros, then that style is good enough for me. I’m going to stay back.” The reason the pros don’t go to the net is because they do not even have time to approach the net in many cases. The modern game of tennis at the professional level is built on raw power.

Racquets are more powerful, as are the players. Professionals often do not have the time to get to the net and they also have great confidence in their ground strokes. They are thus willing to grind out points from behind the baseline.

You, however, are not a professional. Some of your opponents hit soft shots that you could devour at the net. Your opponents also will be stupefied if you break out a serve-and-volley game for a few points per set. You might not win all of the points that you pursue at the net, but you will win more than one-half if you use sound technique. That leads to the second reason why players do not go to the net:

2) They lose a few points there and conclude that the gamble is not worth the risk.

This occurs many times with players at a lower level. A coach tells them to proceed to the net to win some fast points. The first time a ball whizzes by their ear and lands in, they conclude that the net is not a fair wager. What they don’t realize is if they win four points and lose two, they are still far ahead with their gamble. No player should let a few good passing shots or lobs discourage them from going to the net. In fact, those two possibilities can be greatly reduced when sound strategy and technique are employed, which leads to the third reason why so few players incorporate the volley into their games:

3) They lack total confidence in their volley technique.

Players who have gone to the net from time to time and never practice their volley believe that it is far more difficult than a groundstroke to execute. In fact, the opposite is true. The volley motion is easier than the groundstroke. What is required, however, is focused concentration and an eye on the ball. With that introduction, let’s break down the Roger Federer Volley technique. For a more graphic explanation, several videos are available online showing how Federer hits his volleys.

Technical Elements of the Roger Federer Volley Technique

Balance:

Roger Federer begins his volley with his head centered over his feet, enabling him to move gracefully and quickly at the net. You, too, should have your feet spread a bit and your shoulders facing the net to be in maximum ready position. Your racquet should be in front of you unless you have guessed to which side your opponent will hit the shot.

Federer‘s Volley Technique, once he begins the motion to strike the volley, extends his left arm for greater balance, much like a figure skater or skateboarder. He does not keep it tucked into his body when hitting a forehand volley.

Racquet Up:

The Federer Volley features the racquet moving forward from a high position, with the racquet head above the wrist, ensuring stability. The backswing on a volley is, of course, limited. Take the racquet back just a bit and be ready to strike the ball. You will avoid punching the ball by executing a nice follow through in a moment. The entire efficacy of the volley is based on using the speed of the approaching shot against your opponent. Because the ball has not struck the court and suffered the slowing effects of friction, it is coming at you at a greater speed than normal, in all likelihood. That’s why you’ve been afraid of this shot for all these years!

Head still:

This is the most defining part of the Roger Federer Volley Technique. The head must be still and the eyes following the ball all the way into the strings. As you watch the Federer Volley on tape, you will see his chin almost touching his right shoulder as he watches the ball into the sweet spot of his racquet. Most errors on volleys can be attributed to the player moving his head and eyes off the ball too quickly. This will result in a mis-hit that can further discourage your volleying efforts. Practice keeping your head absolutely still when you hit volleys.

Patience:

Federer never springs forward to strike his volley too soon. In many cases, the ball is coming too quickly towards him for him to wait even a millisecond. However, on other shots, the ball hangs in the air for a brief moment and he waits until it is close to his racquet before moving towards it. Many other volleys are ruined because the player rushes the motion. Federer almost never does this.

Follow through:

This motion is not just for the ground strokes! It is equally important for the volley. Federer often whips his racquet all the way around his body after a volley to ensure that he does not simply punch the ball weakly.

Knees bent:

The Federer Volley is also characterized by the relaxed posture of Mr. Federer. He never appears to be panicked by the ball zooming towards him. He keeps his knees bent and is able to go low and dig ankle-high volleys out because his knees are already supple. Be sure not to simply bend at the waist when a volley is below your belt. You must bend your knees to hit a solid volley. As you bend, your eyes will be much nearer to the ball, a necessity for a volley to imitate the Federer Volley.

Modeling the Roger Federer Volley Technique

Armed with these points in mind, you, too, can have much greater confidence in your volleys and use the stroke to great effect as Roger Federer does. If your opponent pops a ball up or hits one so weakly that it will barely clear the net, consider that shot to be an open invitation to run to the net and punish the ball. Do not get too eager, though. Keep your balance, have your racquet above your wrist, maintain a still head, wait until the ball is upon you and follow through with bent knees to do your best imitation of the Federer Volley.

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The post The Roger Federer Volley Technique Explained appeared first on Tennis Instruction.

Most players also use the backhand slice in a baseline rally when a player wants to distract his or her opponent’s rhythm. A backhand slice that is placed well can force the opponent to return a short ball. It can also be used to return the ball in a baseline rally or when you are in a defensive position. The tennis backhand slice will slow the tennis ball down and allow the player to return to the recovery position. This is also used to counteract low balls.

Backhand Slice Grip

In a tennis backhand slice, the ideal grip to use is the continental grip. However, players do vary their grip in executing backhand slice depending on how comfortable they are. Some players use a eastern backhand grip.

Footwork for the Backhand Slice

The most common footwork to execute in the tennis backhand slice is a series of small steps to perfectly position your body to where the ball is going to land. This should be followed by a large final forward step using your right or front foot (right handed players) when you are about to hit the ball. The weight of your body should be transferred from your back foot to the front foot creating forward momentum.

Neutral Stance

The backhand slice is usually hit with a neutral or closed stance. In a tennis backhand slice, the player has to align the feet in such a way that if you draw a line in between your front foot and you back foot, the line should be parallel to the sideline.

Tennis Backhand Slice: Backswing

The slice backhand should create adequate backspin making it difficult for the opponent to return. The backhand slice can serve as a change of pace throwing your opponent off balance. Backspin tends to decrease the speed of the ball resulting to a sharper curve. The use of the tennis backhand slice with one hand is also a technique used in an approach shot. The slice backhand can also be used to defy your opponent by curving the ball away from him or her.

Top of Backswing

The forehand slice backswing also plays a vital role in executing the perfect and effective slice forehand shot. The forehand slice backswing starts with a shoulder turn. As you swing you racket back, make sure that it is positioned up. This means that your hand holding the racket is positioned a bit behind and above you head. The racket head should also be higher than the path of the ball. See to it that the long axis of your racket is almost horizontal to the ground and that the racket tip points more or less to the back fence. Then if you want to execute the square stance, step your left foot forward (for right-handed player) and be ready for the forward racket swing execution.

Swing before contact

Once the ball bounces, your body weight should be concentrated on your front foot. It is important to lean forwards in preparation to hit the ball. The backhand slice should be executed with a knifing action with your racket from a high to low direction.

A knifing action means you have to hit the ball as if you are slicing something with a knife; this is why it is called the backhand slice technique. This action rasps the face of the racket (racket strings) in the lower part of the ball producing the backspin. Your left hand also plays an important role as a balance and to assist the hitting arm position the racket. Your eyes should be glued to the ball.

Contact Point for the Backhand slice

At the contact point, your racket should be positioned lower to meet the ball. Your racket should be in open position to touch the ball with an upward movement since you are hitting the ball from a high to low manner.

It is ideal to make contact at about 18 inches just in front of you front or right foot. One thing to remember during contact, do not hit the ball too early because the ball tends to move straight up making it an easy shot for your opponent. However, avoid hitting the ball too late also or else a very flat ball will be produced which might result to a long ball.

Maintain your balance by concentrating you body weight in the center. Seconds after you hit the ball, your racket should naturally moves to the right side of your body which means that you produce enough sidespin.

Backhand Slice Follow-through

At this stage your racket continues to move to the right side of your body. Your body should remain low. The racket movement from a high to low direction is a counterbalance which leads to a finish characterized with the racket ending up high close to your right shoulder.

Once the swing is complete, it is important to immediately return to the recovery position to prepare for the next ball. Maintain your balance by extending your left arm.

Two types of backhand slice: High and low ball backhand slice

The high backhand slice is slightly different from the low backhand slice in such a way that the former needs a shorter backswing and the downward hit should be angled. In a low backhand slice, the player needs to bend his knees while keeping a low center of gravity. A low slice backhand requires the same amount of in depth touch and finesse. It also requires the proper usage of the body to stay low throughout the stroke.

In the high backhand slice the player should use a sharp knifing action from high to low before the ball bounces. The tennis backhand slice is an ideal stroke to use when a player wants to execute a drop shot or he wants to hit the ball to the feet of the opponent who is in attacking position.

Generally, a backhand slice is not an offensive shot due to the fact that when you use this technique, you cannot hit the ball hard. This is because the main part of the body that is used here is only the upper body and it does not involve rotation or hip movement, hence no power can be produced. Although it is generally a defensive shot, but it can be used as an offensive stroke if executed perfectly and placed accurately.

If your opponent‘s return is a high ball, the dropping of the racket head will usually be less pronounced than if the ball is low. If you drop the ball too low in this situation, hitting the ball long is possible, resulting to your miss and a point to your opponent.

After contact and follow-through

Right after ball contact, after the ball just left the racket face, you have to maintain the slight bend in the knees. Then, at the farthest forward point of your racket head, the distance between this point and the farthest backswing point should be 7 feet. The racket should have risen 3 feet from the lowest point of the swing (when the racket has to drop before the contact).

In a two handed backhand in tennis, the more you loosen your arms as you swing the racket, the more potential you have to create a fluid and efficient swing. The racket should end up over your left shoulder in the follow through.

Learn to Hit a Forehand Like Roger Federer

If you want to jumpstart your forehand and play like the PROS, check out my 70+ page Tennis Ebook that will immediately show you how you can take your forehand to the next level.

The Modern Forehand Domination Ebook is guaranteed to improve your tennis technique, and increase power, topspin and accuracy of your tennis forehand!

Modern Tennis Forehand Ebook
Learn How to Hit a Forehand Like Federer, Nadal and Djokovic

The post The Tennis Backhand Slice Technique appeared first on Tennis Instruction.