Many players groove their ground strokes by hitting drop feeds to a target. You can do the same thing with your volley, and the benefits are tremendous. You will quickly get a feel for the stroke and will learn a natural, proper technique. You can even practice in your basement or garage, driveway or backyard.

Get yourself a big waste basket, ball hopper, or garbage can. Stand back several feet and toss a ball a few feet into the air. As the ball drops to about shoulder level, hit it with a volley stroke, giving it plenty of lift. You want the ball to have a nice arc so it clears the net and lands in your target.

Proper technique is critical. I suggest you stand with your shoulders facing your target, racquet in front of you and fairly vertical. Lift the ball into the air and simultaneously turn your hitting shoulder slightly away from your target (just like your service motion). This will automatically bring your racquet to a position parallel to the net. Remember, you don’t want a big swing on a volley, so once your racquet is parallel to the net, that is as far back as it should go.

Use either an Eastern forehand or a continental grip. Your wrist should be in a natural position, but laid back slightly and locked firmly. Racquet preparation should occur at the same time you turn your shoulder.

Step into the ball smoothly. Let this step bring your racquet to ball contact. Your forearm should thrust forward slightly at the same time. To put backspin on the ball and give it height, take the racquet head back higher than the intended contact point and lead with the bottom edge of your racquet.

Follow-through on the volley is minimal. In fact, a good volley will have the racquet face more-or-less parallel to the net throughout the stroke. This is best accomplished by keeping the wrist firm from start to finish.

Once you are able to hit balls into your target consistently, start adding variety to the practice. Hit from different positions on the court. Hit balls higher and lower in the air (bending your knees to get down to a low ball). Try to hit your target with less arc and with more arc. Hit soft volleys and hard ones. This variety will add to your feel for the stroke and your mastery of the technique and give you confidence to execute a perfect volley during real match play.

Randy Cummings
Match Point Racquet Sports
www.racquetgear.com