Mine is closer to eastern bh grip, which is a fair bit away from my fh volley grip (continental). I do this because I simply cannot get power from continental grip on my bh volleys. Anyone else do this (especially for high bh volleys)?
Also, how far out infront should I contact the ball? I often hear the advice to hit out 'well infront', but that causes the racquet face to open too much.
Thanks!
The backhand and forehand volley done right takes little strength...thus, using the eastern grips for either is usually because of wrong technique. (I often demonstrate in clinics both volleys using only two fingers holding the racquet and hitting hard-hit balls deep and with pace to show that it has nothing to do with strength!)
Contact point is NOT out in front of the body, especially on the backhand. If you watch every pro volley, with few exceptions, they volley at their side, not way out in front of their body towards the net.
The mention of 'hit the ball out in front' is a real flawed bit of advice on the volley. (Unless it is used to get someone who is hitting late to make a correction.) Since the hitting arm on the backhand volley is initiated by the front shoulder, the arm is already out in front of the body when the player turns the shoulders sideways to prepare for the volley. On the forehand, because the shoulder is the back shoulder, the player will want to press forward for contact, however contact is still usually even with the front knee.
In reality, contact is in front of the body...however, this is often misunderstood as in front towards the net or target. It isn't...it is out in front of the body when the body is sideways...not towards the target but basically parallel with the net to the side of the body. This is so often misunderstood.
When players try to hit the ball too far in front, especially with the continental grip, it will feel weak. This is why so many players revert to the eastern grips to make it feel like a stronger grip.
Higher volleys can be adjusted to eastern grips. However, be careful that you don't hit these volleys too flat. Typically, a ball dropping from an opponent's shot will reflect downward at a similar angle that the ball was received at. (Angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence.) In addition, the higher volleys tend to make the arm swing in what I call in my book, a 'reverse pendulum'. This means, because the arm swings at the shoulder point, the racquet will only close as the arm moves forward. This is why so many players can hit a fairly high ball close to the net into the BOTTOM of the net!
A little slice on high volleys helps prevent this as well as helps keep the 'plane the same' within the contact phase of the volley.
I have my 8 year old daughter using continental grips on her volley and hitting firm, crisp volleys...and she has only been practicing seriously about 7 months.
It is all about technique...not about strength.
The problem is that the continental grip is not comfortable and must be trained and mastered without reverting back to more comfortable or familiar grips just because they FEEL better!
. I just clicked on his homepage, it seems that he has a book of the same name. 300 pages of the same great advice may just make me want to buy it as a Xmas gift for myself...hehe
