Is is harder to volley with a soft frame

[kenshireen]

My frame is a 110 with a Ra of 55.
My volleys have no pop on them..
Now I know my technique needs work but is there anything that
will help other than lessons

[keithfival]

My experience is the opposite. I think there are many other more influential factors than stiffness. Large sweetspot probably the biggest for me.

[MomentumGT]

My old Head Premiere Tours feel really soft but they are great to volley and play doubles with. Maybe add a little weight at 10 & 2 o'clock positions on the hoop to get a little more weight going through the ball.

-Jon

[Gaz77]

If anything i would say its marginally easier.

But i would suggest changing your stick. Go for a racket with a slightly smaller head, say around 98", you'll probably get more pop off your shots than a racket with a 110" head and it'll probably feel more controlled. Unless you string really tight a 98" head racket strung at around 54lbs would feel pretty good. Works for me anyway.

[LeeD]

I suggest learning how to volley.
The old rackets were softer than anything today, and some pro could volley OK with them.

[eman resu]

Originally Posted by LeeD

I suggest learning how to volley.
The old rackets were softer than anything today, and some pro could volley OK with them.

seems harsh, but it's true. Stiff racquets may give the impression of better volleys, but once you correct your technique you'll find that you can hit great volleys with a soft frame, and not only drop volleys. I never thought my Ozone was a good volleying racquet untill I had my strokes really improved. Sometimes I still have troubles with some volleys, but now I see that when I make the right things my volleys go deep, with power, placement, pace etc. I shouldn't blame the racquet (even though it takes some work to notice that).

By the way, what's your racquet?

[kenshireen]

Originally Posted by eman resu

seems harsh, but it's true. Stiff racquets may give the impression of better volleys, but once you correct your technique you'll find that you can hit great volleys with a soft frame, and not only drop volleys. I never thought my Ozone was a good volleying racquet untill I had my strokes really improved. Sometimes I still have troubles with some volleys, but now I see that when I make the right things my volleys go deep, with power, placement, pace etc. I shouldn't blame the racquet (even though it takes some work to notice that).

By the way, what's your racquet?

Old School Wilson PS 7.0 110 (old stef Graf model circa 93)

[LeeD]

In the old days, I played mostly with a WilsonProStaffKramer. Moderately soft, middle of the road.
When I switched to the Bancroft Red triaxial glass racket, which was MUCH softer, my volleys actually improved, while my serves lost what seemed like 10 mph off the first flats. Second serves seemed about the same.
A stiff racket might be harder to volley with, as the ball leaves the strings too fast, and you get no FEEL for the ball.

[marosmith]

No softer is better, thick beams and large heads on the other hand do not help. That is likely the problem you are running in to. Hard to get feel with a big OS at the net.

[LeeD]

Seems a HeadMicroGelOS at 107 sq in volleys just fine. Flex is around 56.

[man_untd11]

Personally I think the most important thing for volleying is weight. If you have a decent weight your volleys will have a bit more pop on them. Low weight and naturally they'll lack some power.

[floydcouncil]

Originally Posted by kenshireen

My frame is a 110 with a Ra of 55.
My volleys have no pop on them..
Now I know my technique needs work but is there anything that
will help other than lessons

My fishing technique sucks. I should go and get a faster boat....

Really... work on your skills and forget about your tools.

[tennisdad65]

Technique matters but it is easier to volley with a softer racquet (more feel)

volleying feel with my racquets:
copper ace (RA = 50) > Redondo (RA = 56) > Volkl PB Mid (RA = 59)

[MesQueUnClub]

I have always preferred a smaller head and a softer frame. Currently using a PB10 mid and my volleys are just fine. Work on your technique and hands.

[fuzz nation]

Originally Posted by man_untd11

Personally I think the most important thing for volleying is weight. If you have a decent weight your volleys will have a bit more pop on them. Low weight and naturally they'll lack some power.

Same experience for me.

Softer frames have a slightly diminished measure of "pop", which is usually much more apparent when those flexible racquets also carry less heft. A middle-weight frame with some stiffness will still offer some zip on a more compact shot like a volley, but a lighter racquet with significant flex can seem relatively dead.

I picked up a pair of Yonex RD Ti 80's last year, which weigh around 12.8 oz. and are also gummy-bear soft. They have bananas spin potential for me, but also volley with a boatload of authority. I love those frames for heavy doubles play, but prefer my leaner Volkl C10's for everyday action. The Ti 80's are actually quite powerful because they're rather heavy. My Volkls are stable enough for me to volley well, but they also give me a better balance of power and control from the back court.

If you can get a little lead tape on your hoop at maybe 3/9 o'clock (2/10 o'clock is fine, too), that might raise your racquet's volley performance in a hurry. A little lead under your grip (counterbalancing) can also preserve the balance you had in your stock layout. When my racquet has a familiar feeling balance, it's usually easier for me to maneuver it more effectively around the net when I want to react quickly to incoming shots.

[AlfaAce]

McEnroe and Navratilova didn't seem to have any trouble with softer racquets . But, as someone else mentioned, these were also heavier racquets than most (not all) of what's being sold today.

Dunlop Max 200G
Yonex R-22

[Dave M]

Untill ifound this forum the term "pop" never occured to me when hitting tennis balls, i think we've all become obsessed with a quick fix.Maybe it's society changing.
Soft racquet, small head & thin beam should make it easier than the opposite but technique will count for more.Agassi hit some nice volleys with an O/S.

[Hi I'm Ray]

I find it easier to control volleys with a softer or lower powered set up (stiff frame plus lowered powered strings works too). However, I found there was a huge drop off in power when catching a volley at the tip of a flexible hoop compared to a stiff frame/hoop which has a more even respose throughout.

[tata]

Like most people have mentioned, I too find it easier to volley with a softer frame.