Volleys!!!!

[randomname]

I know this is a weird thing to say but I'm a guy who loves to play high school girls doubles. I absolutely love camping out on the baseline and bashing the ball crosscourt but I really tend to struggle at net. The thing is, I know when to move forward and all the doubles strategy, but I just cant execute my volleys well, I probably miss about 30% of them outright and just kind of float in the ones that I do make. How do I improve my volley skills? also, on another note, is there a good way to predict where a person is going to hit the ball? or do I just have to guess based on percentages?

[phucng_10]

Pivot your legs (stay in a steady/neutral stance) and punch the ball for a forehand and slice the ball for a backhand.

[10s talk]

practice on a wall

[SystemicAnomaly]

How close are you to the net while waiting for your opponent to hit the ball? Many ppl camp out too close to the net while others hang back too far -- near the service line. You should be deep in the service box when your partner is hitting the ball. Once you see that his/her ball gets past the opposing net player, move in (more or less) toward the middle of the service box, about 10ft or 3 meters from the net, until the other opponent is about to hit the ball -- split step and be prepared to move.

That "waiting" position will not necessarily be in the middle. You will need to adjust it according to the placement of the shot that your partner (or you) just hit -- if that ball goes out wide, then you need to adjust your position to cover the alley. The bottom line is that the net position is not a static one. The net player constantly needs to adjust left, right, forward and back to be in the optimum position.

As you are watching the opposing player, before he/she hits the ball, look at their hips and upper body as well as the position of the ball with respect to their body orientation for clues as to which shot options they have available to them. As their arm & racket are moving forward to meet the ball, initiate your split step -- this should help you sync up to their shot. Their hips and upper body will probably yield more clues to the direction they will hit than their feet (for the most part).

Track the ball after it leaves their racket to determine which direction the ball is traveling. Turn your upper body and move your feet to line your racket up with the incoming ball. Notice that I said to "move your feet" to line up the racket -- do not extend your arm to reach for the ball unless it is a high ball or if your feet don't quite get you to the ball.

Before the ball gets to you, perhaps 10 feet (3m) or more, turn your head & focus your eyes on the expected contact point. Keep your eyes locked on this area until you have made contact & until the ball has left your strings -- this is important -- you won't be able to track most balls all the way into your strings (at best, it will be a fleeting blur), so it is more important to keep the head still & focus on the contact zone. If you move your head/eyes too late away from the contact zone too early (or while you are swinging), it can have a detrimental effect on your punch or swing path.

Check the following post for a net drill that may help you:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?p=2728832

For excellent articles & videos on volley fundamentals (& some advanced stuff: fuzzyyellowballs.com/videos/index.php/list/955/Volleys (http://www.fuzzyyellowballs.com/videos/index.php/list/955/Volleys)

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