Why does no one topspin their volleys?

[LeeD]

I consider myself a good consistent HALF volleyer.
I seldom hit topspin. Usually, a combination of slice and sidespin.
My swing goes from higher to low, so an open racketface can hit the ball over the net and not too high, barely skimming the net.
I know Sampras hits a topspin half volley quite often, as does Federer.
I'm nowhere near their skill.
A local former 5.0 also hits a topspin BACKhand half volley.
But everyone underspins their volleys.

[TheCheese]

Originally Posted by LeeD

I consider myself a good consistent HALF volleyer.
I seldom hit topspin. Usually, a combination of slice and sidespin.
My swing goes from higher to low, so an open racketface can hit the ball over the net and not too high, barely skimming the net.
I know Sampras hits a topspin half volley quite often, as does Federer.
I'm nowhere near their skill.
A local former 5.0 also hits a topspin BACKhand half volley.
But everyone underspins their volleys.

It's not too tough to hit topspin half-volleys, just a matter of technique and practice. You don't have to be Federer. I think most 4.5's could pull it off without too many problems.

[LeeD]

I'm not saying it's tough.
I'm just stating how I hit half volleys, at a high 4.0 doubles level.
As a very skinny and weak person, I never tried to hit topspin on my half volleys. No need to. Good placement with some side/slice makes a good enough shot to force the baseliner to run full speed to get to the ball. If he crushes a clean winner from there, he can hit the same winner if I added a little topspin to my shot.
Don't think I'll ever need shots to face Sampras or Federer.

[_craze]

Originally Posted by TheCheese

You posted a video of Sampras hitting a half-volley as evidence of topspin volleys being a viable shot.

There's really no situation where you'd want to hit a volley with topspin unless it's a swinging volley or you're stabbing for it. Half-volleys can be hit with topspin, but that's a different shot.

Also, you can hit a topspin volley with a continental grip if you pronate your forearm enough.

The only difference is that the ball bounced. It's almost the exact same technique. At this point, you're nitpicking that....

Maybe when you want to keep the ball in against a harder shot?

[Cindysphinx]

If you are a 4.5 self rate, then you are not necessaily a 4.5 player.

Just sayin' . . .

[zapvor]

come on guys. lets give him a chance. lets wait for the video, and if he proves himself we all look like idiots. before then lets nto jump to conculusions

[NLBwell]

I've hit topspin volleys before when just messing around. Don't really know why you would want to do it other than just for grins. A good slice volley is easier to hit, will move through the court sooner, and will stay lower - out of the strike zone of the opponent.

[_craze]

Originally Posted by Cindysphinx

If you are a 4.5 self rate, then you are not necessaily a 4.5 player.

Just sayin' . . .

If you are a 4.5 computer rate, then you are not necessaily a 4.5 player.

Just sayin' . . .

[Timbo's hopeless slice]

Originally Posted by _craze

I'd say between 3.5 and 4.

Does it make a difference?

and if you're a "anything between 3.5 and 4.5, depending on the thread", you're probably not worth listening to in technical discussions.

just sayin'

[zapvor]

craze us Talk tennis forum are a bunch of crazies. just post the video and show them

[_craze]

Originally Posted by Timbo's hopeless slice

and if you're a "anything between 3.5 and 4.5, depending on the thread", you're probably not worth listening to in technical discussions.

just sayin'

Because your conditioning, hopeless slice, and lack of experience in working with a shot makes you so sagacious.

Get over yourself and hit the shot. If not = "lazy". Besides, technical know-how isn't linear: many of the posters here know more about form than touring pros. It's something that gets more instinctive as you get better.

@zapvor: I'll try my best. Thanks.

[zapvor]

be prepared for the "2.5-3.0 at best" comments.

[Rogael Naderer]

Originally Posted by zapvor

be prepared for the "2.5-3.0 at best" comments.

Well here in the UK we just play tennis and let the scores be the only numbers worth talking about, the rating system is a vague guide at best; that's just us.

[mxmx]

Originally Posted by _craze

Why couldn't an Eastern grip deal with overheads? Overheads can be sliced and hit flat with that grip. Djokovic put a lot of overheads away against Murray, as slices.

Again, and no offense, but I still have to ask: have you hit the shot regularly enough to really *know* its strengths? Or are you conjecturing its strengths and weaknesses?

I'm not saying it is not possible...I'm saying it is not ideal. At my club one of the best overhead hitters, hits with SW....But he would be better if he learned proper technique. He is merely relying on his ability which would only help so much in the long run. Whilst he hits great overheads at times, often he is very limited depending on the type of lob or how much time he has. A good example of him not being able to hit a good overhead, would be when he lets the ball bounce on the very high ones. He has to sometimes resort to a forehand then.
Years back, before I hit overheads/volleys with the proper grip, i used to be on eastern myself. And this error on technique is a very common mistake...which could take long to unlearn.

Now on the technique:
When hitting a overhead with an outstretched arm, the natural relaxed position of the wrist would include pronation after contact on a continental grip. When one is on a eastern or SW grip, the natural pronation point would occur too early. This would often mean you would need to contact the ball lower to compensate...causing energy loss as well as possible wrist problems. You can compare the serve to the overhead. Ask yourself why people are serving with continental and backhand grips, and not so often on strong continental or eastern forehand (or SW) grips...Boris Becker was sort of an exception to millions of players out there.

[mxmx]

Originally Posted by LeeD

I'm not saying it's tough.
I'm just stating how I hit half volleys, at a high 4.0 doubles level.
As a very skinny and weak person, I never tried to hit topspin on my half volleys. No need to. Good placement with some side/slice makes a good enough shot to force the baseliner to run full speed to get to the ball. If he crushes a clean winner from there, he can hit the same winner if I added a little topspin to my shot.
Don't think I'll ever need shots to face Sampras or Federer.

But you still want to be the best you can be right? It is never too late to adjust technique to become even better?
We should not model ourselves to cope with club level play....we should model ourselves against the best. If we aim high, our limitations will be less even on club level.

[Cindysphinx]

Originally Posted by Timbo's hopeless slice

and if you're a "anything between 3.5 and 4.5, depending on the thread", you're probably not worth listening to in technical discussions.

just sayin'

Nice detective work.

Sorry, but it is lower-level players who are the ones who think unorthodox technique is perfectly fine. It is, at the lower levels.

Once you get to the higher levels, unorthodox technique gives poor results. Which is why I only see wonky strokes and jacked up technique at the lower levels and why you don't see pros trying to hit topspin volleys.

[_craze]

Originally Posted by Cindysphinx

Nice detective work.

Sorry, but it is lower-level players who are the ones who think unorthodox technique is perfectly fine. It is, at the lower levels.

Once you get to the higher levels, unorthodox technique gives poor results. Which is why I only see wonky strokes and jacked up technique at the lower levels and why you don't see pros trying to hit topspin volleys.

Does it matter what you think? You aren't high level. High level is 5.5+

Unorthodox technique didn't give McEnroe poor results. Many of the pros today have "unorthodox" technique. That's completely subjective, you never even saw the shot and can't comprehend it, and you're unwilling to - you're low level if you can't hit a topspin volley. That's just how it is, plain and simple.

Now, as a low-leveled player, like us all, you don't really have the right to say what shots will work and what won't. You haven't played that rating, and I know it.

Also, a shot isn't a technique. It's shot selection. Technique is the fundamentals of your stroke and footwork when hitting the shot.

[_craze]

Originally Posted by mxmx

I'm not saying it is not possible...I'm saying it is not ideal. At my club one of the best overhead hitters, hits with SW....But he would be better if he learned proper technique. He is merely relying on his ability which would only help so much in the long run. Whilst he hits great overheads at times, often he is very limited depending on the type of lob or how much time he has. A good example of him not being able to hit a good overhead, would be when he lets the ball bounce on the very high ones. He has to sometimes resort to a forehand then.
Years back, before I hit overheads/volleys with the proper grip, i used to be on eastern myself. And this error on technique is a very common mistake...which could take long to unlearn.

Now on the technique:
When hitting a overhead with an outstretched arm, the natural relaxed position of the wrist would include pronation after contact on a continental grip. When one is on a eastern or SW grip, the natural pronation point would occur too early. This would often mean you would need to contact the ball lower to compensate...causing energy loss as well as possible wrist problems. You can compare the serve to the overhead. Ask yourself why people are serving with continental and backhand grips, and not so often on strong continental or eastern forehand (or SW) grips...Boris Becker was sort of an exception to millions of players out there.

It isn't ideal, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. When you're in the position to hit an overhead anyway, so long as you can hit it well, the grip won't really matter. The serve is the beginning of the point, so the grip is more important then. Now, I still wouldn't go beyond an Eastern forehand grip for any overhead shot.

Besides, I do have time to change my grip and I do have time to track the ball. I hit my overheads with the same grip that I hit my serve: Continental. I still hurt my wrist, but that's because I injured it off court. So I usually slice my overheads if I can. In which case the grip I'm using matters even less.

[_craze]

Originally Posted by zapvor

be prepared for the "2.5-3.0 at best" comments.

My serve is weak now and I have no grip or glasses, but I won't make excuses beyond that. I might use one of my alternate racquets.

But first I have to make sure I get court time. If it turns out I'm a 2.5-3.0 level to this board, that's okay, since I only worry about my own, fluctuating self-rate and how well I perform in matches.

[Fuji]

Originally Posted by _craze

If you are a 4.5 computer rate, then you are not necessaily a 4.5 player.

Just sayin' . . .

Well pretty well you are actually... Hence the whole point of the rating system. Unless your sandbagging, and thus even higher...

-Fuji