Scooping, cupping, whatever, it produces volleys that sit up and normally get mashed past you at net.
The key is to trust that your Continental grip will provide plenty of natural under spin that will create a low skidding bounce on your opponent’s side of the net.
- New Lesson Announcement -
The Forehand & Backhand Volleys
How To Consistently Force Your Opponents To Have To Hit Back Up To You
(and then let the smiling begin…!)This is a full blown 70 minute DVD & Downloadable lesson that will help you understand the simple but vital stroke fundamentals of the forehand & backhand volleys.
We’re working on everything…
- Standard in-play volleys when you’re already up at net in singles and doubles
- The pure 7 vital fundamentals that you’ve absolutely got to have to create lousy geometry for your opponents
- Transitional volleys as you approach from the baseline so you can take advantage when you have your opponent out of position
- High volleys
- Low volleys
- Volleys hit directly at you
- Strategies for both singles and doubles
- and so much more…
Stay tuned for the release date which is expected to be during the week of September 6, 2010
What’s your biggest challenge when you have to play a volley? Let me/us know below by leaving your feedback in the Comments area – thanks…
Brent
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my problem is, sometimes I try to hold the racket I don’t hold it too hard because then I can’t control where the ball goes, but if I can’t really hold it lightly because the racket moves once it goes into contact (almost like I lose grip and it slips).
There is a level of firmness with holding the racket at contact.
Too much tension prior to contact is what makes the shot feel dead.
We’ll work on tinkering with what works best for each individual.
Brent
My biggest volley challenge has become those balls hit right at me more on the forehand side. It seems that I rarely get a ball that is comfortably at half arm’s length on that side and so am struggling to either get out of the way or hit it in front. I have had significant wrist problems so that laying the wrist back way in front of me often hurts so I shy away from doing that often.
My backhand valley is basically sound and fairly natural. I have started having a bit of a problem putting away a high volley to the backhand when playing net in ad court on partner’s serve. When young, I could kill that volley, now if I try to hit it hard, I often hit long. Going inside out requires more practice than I do on that angled shot.
Hi Robin – No question that the ball hit towards your forehand hip is a real challenge, but what I’ve found that works for me is to keep moving to my left as I play it which creates just enough spatial distance at contact.
But, you’ve got to be on balance to be able to recover back to where you just were. In an upcoming lesson I want to work on shot selections depending on specific situations in doubles.
Too often we go for a shot that won’t work unless it’s a complete winner. It’s OK to play shots that keep you in the point but don’t give the opponent an advantage with respect to you being out of position and/or good geometry with their shot.
Brent
I know that hitting a 1 handed backhand is the most desirable way to hit a backhand volley, but many of the girls I work with feel unable to hit with only one hand. So, trying to help them is a problem for me. How can I teach them to hit a 2 handed backhand volley?
Do them a huge favor and take the time to give them a one-handed backhand volley.
The technique required for the 1 hander will obviously easily transfer over to a one handed out wide slice backhand from the baseline and of course a nasty slice approach shot.
it’ll take longer for them to get good at the 1 hander, but the payoff for them will be huge.
Brent
I was told that on volleys you should try to “karate chop” the ball as you move your arm forward. When I do this I seem to put nothing on the shot, and it goes into the net. Your video shows a totally different approach and makes more sense, as I don’t see you chopping down at all. I also have the problem of not holding the racket firm enough and lose the shot.
Hi Steve. It is a karate chop in the sense that the side of your hand leads the way, but you’re right, it’s not a severe high to low chopping motion, in fact, the continental grip allows us to swing forward on a mostly horizontal plane and get that nice under spin.
Brent
I understand and this works when you have the time . Sometimes the play is so fast my defensive volley pops up. Am i to change the grip?
I HAVE FOUND THAT ON THE BACKHAND SIDE, WHEN I SLICE THROUGH THE VOLLEY WITH VERY LITTLE WRIST ACTION, THE VOLLEY PUSHES THE BALL LOW AND SKIDS. THIS IS DONE WITH AS LITTLE ELBOW MOVEMENT AS POSSIBLE SO TH. AT THE SLICE COME FROM THE SHOULDER PIVOTING. ALSO, I HAD A PRO TELL ME JUST RECENTLY THAT PRETEND I SHOULD PRETEND I HAVE HAND CUFFS ON. WHILE THIS HELPS, I THINK WHAT HELPS MORE IS TO MAKE SURE MY HANDS ARE LOWER THAN THE RACKET HEAD….
Good feedback Jerry. Thanks.
And just as a gentle reminder, all CAPS comes off pretty loud.
Brent