Doubles players -- which is better: your FH or BH volley?

[LeeD]

Usually a bad idea to poach and hit a volley into someone's chest. First of all, it's the easiest spot to defend, since your racket is right there ready with a backhand volley. Second, it can piss off the defender, who now decides to wake up, move back when his partner throws up weak stuff, and then HE poaches. Third, it's easier to hit a clean winner at his feet, but just out of his reach either up the middle or DTL.
This scenario is prevelent in maybe 3-3.5 level tennis, where the poacher has no control, but you seldom see it in 4.0+ levels.

[LuckyR]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Talking, reacting to the poach right at you, right?
YOU, knowing that anything weak will be put away, needs to think beforehand, "don't volley right back". You have to know the hole you're going at, or the lob volley you're gonna try. The hole is a winner, between the two opponent's or down an alley. The lob volley is also a winner attempt, as anything less will be crushed down your throat.
You know what you should be doing because that scenario has happenned to you many many times before. Your partner puts up a weak groundie or volley, you are in position to EAT the ball. So you preplan what you're gonna do when opponent poaches and hits within your racket's reach.
Now if the poacher is strong, can volley with pace, just turn around and give up the point. But you have reactions. If the poach is a normal volley nto your chest, you have plenty of time to reflex lob volley into the open court, then move forwards to center of service box. That lob volley is purely offensive.

This sounds like a semantics issue, not a real issue. If you (or I) have a volley blasted at us and we anticipate it and cough up a lob volley winner, it is a winner. But in my vernacular, I would call that lob volley winner a "defensive" shot, that happens to win the point. You're calling it an "offensive" shot since... it's a winner.

Regardless of what you call it, that type of shot is better, for me, as a BH. When I'm blasting a poach at the other netman's chest, my FH volley is better.

[LeeD]

Both of us have probably played enough doubles to anticipate what to do when the poacher crush's one down our feet. We already planned to lob, either volley or half, over into the CC longest court. Since it was preplanned, it's an offensive shot. If our lob goes short, or long, it's a poorly executed offensive shot.
If we hit a framer into the netcord, and it dribbles overthe net for a winner, it's a mishit.
Kinda like, poacher goes for one of your partner's wimp balls, what do you do? I automatically wait into he's about to hit his poach, then step over to the middle to cover the middle, usually with a lob attempt. Neither of us would just stand there.

[corbind]

Originally Posted by LuckyR

Uummm... what do you call a volley that the opposing netman poaches towards your chest?

A winner! LeeD saying there are no defensive volleys, well, that is shocking(ly wrong)!

[J011yroger]

Originally Posted by BHiC

I don't know, I have certainly put plenty of effort into learning both volleys, and I play S&V at a high level about 50% of the time. My forehand volley is the more solid, consistent shot. I find I don't tend to swing quite as much on the forehand, and I can turn slightly easier.

I'd think you were the exception then. For most it is easier to take the racquet back too far on the FH.

J

[J011yroger]

Originally Posted by corbind

What do you think causes the BH volley to become better?

Excessive arm/wrist movement on the FH side, the racquet just wobbles more.

For sure when I miss a FH volley most of the time it is that the racquet wobbled and the face was pointing too up, or down.

The rest of the time I miss is because I didn't get enough body into it, or general incompetence. However those two things affect FH and BH equally.

J

[LeeD]

I think my backhand volley is better than my overall forehand volleys because I practice it more. I practice it on half my groundstrokes, I practice it on half my returns of serves on that side.
My forehand volley only get's practice when I'm at net position, and chances are I get low and half volleys