How to volley in tennis

What a good volley looks like

1. Split step as the opponent makes contact.
2. Shoulder turn, small, with the racket staying in front of you and the head above the wrist.
3. Step across towards the ball with the opposite foot: left foot for a right-hander's forehand volley, right foot for the backhand.
4. Short forward motion through contact in front of the body, the face slightly open.
5. Recover to the ready position and split again for the next ball.

The whole stroke happens in a space about the size of a doorway. If the racket leaves that space, the volley has become something else.

Continental grip and ready position

Volley with a continental grip: base knuckle of the index finger on bevel 2, as if holding a hammer. It works for forehand and backhand volleys without changing, and at the net there is no time to change. A forehand grip makes the forehand volley feel easy and the backhand volley nearly impossible; it also closes the face, so low volleys go into the net.

Ready position: feet a little wider than the shoulders, knees bent, weight forward on the balls of the feet, racket out in front at about chest height with the head up. The non-hitting hand lightly supports the throat. A good starting spot for a club player is about halfway between the service line and the net, around three metres from it: close enough to volley down, far enough back to cover a lob.

How to volley, step by step

1. Split step

A small hop timed so you land as the opponent hits. Late is the usual club error: you are still in the air when the ball is already on you. Split on every ball, including the ones you are sure are going to the other side.

2. Turn, don't swing back

Turn the shoulders a little so the racket face is set to the side of the ball. The racket should stay in your peripheral vision the whole time. That turn is the entire backswing.

3. Step across

Step forward and across with the opposite foot as you meet the ball. The step, not the arm, provides most of the power. On a wide ball, the step becomes a lunge; on a ball at your body, turn and step back slightly out of its way.

4. Contact in front, racket head up

Meet the ball in front of the body, with the racket head above the wrist and the face slightly open for backspin and control. The wrist stays firm: the angle between forearm and racket is set before contact and held through it.

5. Short finish, fast recovery

The racket moves forward 20 or 30 cm after contact and stops. Then back to the ready position. At the net the next ball comes back in under a second.

Cue: racket head above the wrist. If it drops, the volley is in the net.

Punch or block

Both are the same stroke with a different amount of forward motion. Against a slow, floating ball, punch: a short, firm push forward and slightly down through the ball, with the step giving the pace. Against a hard-hit passing shot, block: hold the face firmly at the ball, with almost no forward motion, and let the incoming pace send it back. Most club players try to punch everything, which turns hard balls into long balls, or block everything, which turns sitters into rallies.

Where to aim: deep through the middle when you are further back, and short into the angles once you are close to the net and above net height. The volley rarely needs to be a winner. It needs to be difficult.

Low volleys and high volleys

Low volley

A ball below the net has to go up before it goes down, so you cannot attack it. Bend the knees (not the back), get the eyes down near the ball, open the face more and lift it deep with backspin. Aim for the service line or beyond, not the lines. The racket head stays above the wrist even here: the legs do the lowering. A low volley played well sets up the next one; played badly, it sets up the opponent's pass.

High volley

A ball above the shoulder and above the net is the one you can finish. Turn more, keep the racket head up, and punch down and through, still with a short motion. The common error is getting excited and swinging, which sends the ball long. High volleys that are nearly overheads are hit with the overhead motion; see how to hit an overhead smash.

Common volley mistakes and how to fix them

• Backswing. The racket goes back behind the shoulder and the ball arrives before it returns. Stand with your back against a wall or fence and shadow volley; the wall stops any backswing.
• Racket head dropping. Reaching down for low balls with the arm instead of the legs. Bend the knees until your eyes are near the ball's height.
• Flicking the wrist. Direction becomes guesswork. Set the angle before contact and hold it.
• No split step, or a late one. You are caught flat-footed. Time the landing to the opponent's contact.
• Reaching instead of stepping. Arm-only volleys have no pace and no control. Step across on every volley, even in drills.
• Standing too far back. Volleying from the service line means low balls all day. Close in after the first volley.
• Forehand grip. Backhand volleys collapse. Continental, every time.

Volley drills without a court

The volley is one of the easiest strokes to practise at home because it is so small. See also tennis practice at home and shadow swing drills.

• Wall volleys. One metre from a wall, no bounce, forehands then backhands then alternating. Count the longest run. Use a soft ball indoors.
• Back-to-the-wall shadow volleys, 20. Heels near a wall, alternating forehand and backhand with a step across each time. Any backswing hits the wall.
• Split and react, 4 × 30 seconds. Someone calls "forehand" or "backhand" (or a timer does) as you land from the split; step and volley.
• Hand catch. Throw a ball at the wall and catch it on the racket face without it bouncing off. Soft hands for blocks and drop volleys.

Volley drills on court

• Volley to volley. Two players on the service lines volleying to each other, no bounces. Then one steps in to the net and the other stays back.
• Feeder at the baseline. A partner or coach feeds from the baseline, alternating forehand and backhand, then low and high. Twenty balls a set.
• Approach and first volley. Approach shot, split step at the service line, first volley deep, move in, second volley into the open court.
• Two against one. Two baseliners against you at the net. It trains the split step and blocks, and it is humbling.

Related guides

• How to hit an overhead smash
• How to hit a slice
• How to hit a backhand: one- and two-handed
• Tennis practice at home: how to practise alone
• Shadow swing drills: the complete guide