Half volley: is it a stroke or..

[tennis_balla]

Originally Posted by 5263

I don't know what our disconnect is here. Didn't I clearly agree that Fed's shot
off that short hop was clearly half volley technique?
I don't think anyone disagrees with that.

The question I posed is more about Delpo's full strokes off the short hops at the BL.
Those are not half volley technique and I wouldn't call them that; would you?
But they do fit the definition we find when we google it with many sources.

I'm also just raising the question, "Is it worth while to recognize and separate the
difference between the half volley technique and the short hop situation"?

I've never heard of the term short hop situation. Do you mean taking ball on the rise from baseline? Bit confused here sorry.

[5263]

Originally Posted by tennis_balla

I've never heard of the term short hop situation. Do you mean taking ball on the rise from baseline? Bit confused here sorry.

The term is "short hop" which is a situation.

short hop is taking the ball quickly after the bounce, therefore keeping the
hop or bounce very short.

make more sense?

[5263]

"short hop" is maybe always on the rise, but

"on the rise" is not always a short hop and usually isn't.

[tennis_balla]

I've always heard it referred to as "taking the ball on the rise". Interesting.

[5263]

Originally Posted by tennis_balla

I've always heard it referred to as "taking the ball on the rise". Interesting.

And imo, this makes it worthwhile to discuss these terms. Did you play any
baseball?

[tennis_balla]

Nope, never played baseball besides in elementary school, phys ed.

[5263]

Originally Posted by tennis_balla

I've always heard it referred to as "taking the ball on the rise". Interesting.

Nothing wrong with that.
Short hop is just more descriptive and a subset taking it on the rise.

[Ash_Smith]

over here the "half volley" is a shot hit immediately after the bounce - always has been-always will! Like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo9ZLQMode0

Whether it is hit with groundstroke technique of volley technique (like Radek) in situational. Andre used to hit plenty of half-volleys from the baseline off his backhand and Radwanska does it loads today.

cheers

[Ash_Smith]

combined with post above...

[5263]

Originally Posted by Ash_Smith

over here the "half volley" is a shot hit immediately after the bounce - always has-always will!

cheers

So you guys would call those full cuts by Delpo at the baseline which were
clearly short hopped....half volleys?

and always will? : )

[Ash_Smith]

^^^dunno, havent seen them!? But if they're like those Agassi used to hit - then yes! We don't have the term "short-hop" over here (at least not that I have heard in 15 years of development and performance coaching), and nor did I hear it used in Spain. What are it's origins (if you are aware)???

[5263]

Originally Posted by Ash_Smith

^^^dunno, havent seen them!? But if they're like those Agassi used to hit - then yes! We don't have the term "short-hop" over here (at least not that I have heard in 15 years of development and performance coaching), and nor did I hear it used in Spain. What are it's origins (if you are aware)???

Likely baseball over here, but I can't say.

You guys probably call them on the rise at the BL, even though they were taken very low.
I can't imagine calling a full cut swing a half volley.

[tennis_balla]

Who knows with those Brits, can't even drive on the right side of the road. Don't trust them!

[Ash_Smith]

Originally Posted by 5263

Likely baseball over here, but I can't say.

You guys probably call them on the rise at the BL, even though they were taken very low.
I can't imagine calling a full cut swing a half volley.

Ahhh, baseball - like Rounders, but not as good

"Half-volley" is hit immediately after the bounce, "on-the-rise" is generally a contact after the bounce but before the apex - still usually around waist height though.

Cheers

[5263]

Originally Posted by Ash_Smith

Ahhh, baseball - like Rounders, but not as good

"Half-volley" is hit immediately after the bounce, "on-the-rise" is generally a contact after the bounce but before the apex - still usually around waist height though.

Cheers

so no particular stroke then...just hit it anyway you want?

Sort of odd since the term reflects it could be a half like a stroke technique
called the volley.

So do you teach a variety of ways to handle such a ball with different strokes?

[treblings]

so i can tell my students that when they are at the net they will likely face a no hop situation and can deal with it using a volley, smash, or ground stroke technique?
worth thinking about

[Ash_Smith]

Originally Posted by 5263

so no particular stroke then...just hit it anyway you want?

No idea what you mean by this?

Sort of odd since the term reflects it could be a half like a stroke technique
called the volley.

The term only reflects that if it is your reality - it is not the reality I have been brought up coaching in and as such I would never assume it to mean a "half-stroke".

So do you teach a variety of ways to handle such a ball with different strokes?

No, I guide my players to discover different ways of dealing with those situations

.......................

[5263]

Originally Posted by Ash_Smith

.......................

Thats good, and why I started this thread. Just curious how people see this.
Just seemed to me that since the term contained volley and the stroke technique
I learned best for this, sort of was much like a volley...
Thanks for your perspective here

[J011yroger]

In days past when players spent time between the baseline, and the net the half volley was a legitimate stroke which was drilled, taught and practiced because it was often used in matches.

The way tennis is taught now the only reason a player would have to hit a half volley is because something went wrong, which is why it is seen as more as an improvised thing now.

I see it with kids all the time these days.

Jolly: "Did anyone every teach you how to hit a half volley?"

Kid: *Blank stare*

Where players of old would hit a half volley and come in, younger players just stay back and hit a groundstroke.

J

[Avles]

Just to take this thread further into pedantry, it turns out that the first recorded use of "half-volley" (in 1843) was in reference to cricket (a ball bouncing just reaching before the batsman or fieldsman) So it's possible that both tennis and soccer adopted the term from cricket.

On the other hand the term "volley" goes back to Real Tennis (first recorded use 1596). But it originally referred to the flight of the incoming ball, not the stroke used to hit it (Shots were hit "at the volley" meaning "on the fly.") It appears that the use of "volley" to describe the shot itself comes from the 19th century.

Short hop probably is a baseball term, that's where I've heard it. It was the best equivalent I could think of for the half-volley situation.