A volley is hitting the ball out of the air before it bounces, usually near the net. There is almost no backswing: you set the racket with a small shoulder turn, step, and punch the ball out in front, with the shoulder, arm and racket moving as one unit and the wrist firm at contact. You use one Continental grip for both sides, split-step as your opponent hits, and step toward the ball as you punch.
Continental grip, split step
Take your spot at the net. Stretch your racket out until you can almost touch the net, then take one step back. Too close and you risk touching the net; too far back and opponents can hit at your feet or past you.
close enough to cut the ball off, never touching the net.
Hold a Continental ("chopper" or hammer) grip and keep it for both forehand and backhand volleys. Hold the racket up in front of your chest, racket head above your wrist, free hand lightly on the throat. Keep the grip relaxed while you wait.
racket up and out in front, hands soft.
Split-step as your opponent hits. Hop off around their contact and land just after it (about 0.15 s after contact in serve-return research), so you land as you see where the ball is going.
light feet, landing balanced and ready to push either way.
Short punch, no backswing
Set the racket with a small shoulder turn, not an arm swing. The racket only goes back a little and your hitting hand stays in front of your body. On the backhand side, let the free hand on the throat help you turn, then let go as you hit.
turn, don't take it back.
Punch the ball out in front with the racket head above your wrist and the strings facing your target. Firm up your grip and wrist just before contact, then make a short forward punch, like high-fiving the ball. Don't flick the wrist: in skilled players the wrist angle at impact stays about the same wherever the ball is.
a short, firm block in front of you.
Step in and through
Step toward the ball as you punch. On a forehand volley step with your non-hitting-side foot (left foot for a right-hander); on a backhand volley step with your hitting-side foot. The step, shoulder turn and arm move forward together.
your body weight goes into the ball with the step.
For a wide ball, often step out with the near-side foot first, then cross over with the other. Reach with a straighter arm: skilled players' elbows were straighter on wide volleys (roughly 145-160 deg) than on balls at the body (about 130 deg).
move your feet to the ball, then reach.
On low balls, bend your knees and hips, not your waist, and keep the racket face steady. A low volley is defensive: send it deep and low rather than going for a winner.
your eyes come down toward the ball with your legs.
Keep the finish short, then bring the racket back up in front and get ready to split again.
punch, stop, racket up.
Feel it
A volley should feel short and firm: turn, step, punch, stop. Relaxed hands while you wait, firm grip right at contact. If your volleys sail or sit up, you are probably swinging or letting the racket head drop; shorten it, keep the head above the wrist and meet the ball in front. The app reads your punch mechanics and footwork, not where the ball goes.
Fix-its
- You take a big, groundstroke-style backswing Set the racket with a small shoulder turn and keep your hitting hand in front of your body. Think "high-five the ball", not "swing".
- Your wrist flicks or the racket face wobbles Firm the grip just before contact and move the arm and shoulder as one unit. The wrist should look the same at every contact.
- You meet the ball late, beside or behind you Start with the racket up in front of your chest and punch the ball out in front as you step.
- You're flat-footed, or you stand still and reach Split-step as your opponent hits, then step toward the ball (opposite foot on the forehand, same-side foot on the backhand).
- You bend at the waist on low balls and the racket head drops Bend your knees and hips to get down to the ball, keep the racket head above your wrist, and play it deep.
Drill
- Position check: stretch your racket toward the net until you can almost touch it, take one step back, and start every volley drill from there.
- Toss-and-volley: a partner in the front half of the service box tosses underhand to you at the net. Forehands first, then backhands, then alternate. Six balls, then switch roles. Cue: racket up above the wrist.
- Feed-and-volley: the partner drop-hits from the service line; you split-step as they hit and volley back. Six balls, then switch. Move the feeder back toward the baseline as you improve.
- Volley rally: both players in the middle of the service boxes keep a cooperative volley rally going as long as you can.
- Film from the side: check that your hand stays in front of your body, contact is out in front, and you step in on each volley.
By position
Singles: when you come to the net, stand around the middle of the court so your opponent needs a better shot to pass you. Doubles: as the net player, stay in the middle of your half and shift side to side with your partner to cover the alley and the middle. In one-up, one-back doubles the net player is usually the one who finishes points.
Sources
- LTA (Matt Smith) — How to improve your tennis volleys technique (n.d.)
- USTA — Tennis 101 for Adults (2018)
- Elliott — Biomechanics and tennis, Br J Sports Med (2006)
- Chao, Huang, Chao, Chen & Liu — Kinematic analysis of tennis volley, ISBS (2008)
- Chow et al. — Movement characteristics of the tennis volley, Med Sci Sports Exerc (1999)
- Chow et al. — Muscle activation during the tennis volley, Med Sci Sports Exerc (1999)
- Mecheri et al. — Split-step timing and leg stiffness in world-class tennis players, J Sports Sci (2019)
- UGA PEDB Program — Tennis, ch. 6 Volley (open textbook)
- CUHK PE Unit — Tennis notes (2025)
- Tennis.com — How to hit volleys on high and low balls (2016)
Last checked 2026-10-26.