volley with your feet

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
clearly i'm on a mouratoglou kick (he keeps popping into my feed)
i really like the way he coached/demo'd this... personally i tend to swing a bit too much, and bit too "stuck in the mud".

discuss

I have the habit of swinging and agree with his advice of basically never letting the racquet out of your sight.

Are there any devices that train you not to swing? Saw a guy taking a lesson and he was wearing a foam device but can't remember what it was and whether it it was for preventing a swing.

Below is foam device to aid in racquet face angle. Maybe something similar to prevent swinging. :unsure:

 

nyta2

Hall of Fame
I have the habit of swinging and agree with his advice of basically never letting the racquet out of your sight.

Are there any devices that train you not to swing? Saw a guy taking a lesson and he was wearing a foam device but can't remember what it was and whether it it was for preventing a swing.

Below is foam device to aid in racquet face angle. Maybe something similar to prevent swinging. :unsure:

the closest i've seen/tried is having a broomstick or ball under your armpit... to get the feeling of how little you should be swinging... obvsiously a bit harder when you're stretched wide, etc..
 

Dan R

Professional
I like this idea. Another way of saying this is you reach for the ball with your feet not your arms. In basketball they say you play defense with your feet not your hands. That's a similar concept. It's tempting to reach for a volley with just your arms and racket, but it's more important to stay balanced and you do that by moving your feet. Sure, sometimes you can't - the ball is coming too fast or you have too much ground to cover and you have to reach, but generally that's not the case.

A coach I know puts it this way - volley in the box. If you hold both arms straight in front of you so they are perpendicular to your shoulder blades and create a box with your shoulders, arms, and then close off the open end - that's the box. The entire volley stroke should take place in the box - backswing, forward swing all of it. Your job is to move the box (with your feet) so it's in the path of the ball. Again, that's not always possible but the vast majority of the time it is.
 

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
Sure, sometimes you can't - the ball is coming too fast or you have too much ground to cover and you have to reach, but generally that's not the case.

Will have to try this out but not convinced that the typical medium pace volley at the net gives you all that much time to move the feet.

I find that the typical volley, particularly in doubles exchanges with both players at net, gives me just enough time to turn my upper body.

Is Murray moving his feet here? Does not look like it at all.. Or is this just practice where he is being lazy with the feet?

final_603d46773cc7e000fc077548_242013.gif
 
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Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
i too question the value of strings, since at times i seem to play exclusively with my frame...

I won a game this morning without ever having the ball touch the string bed by itself.

Framed and late return at an outrageous angle for a winner
Framed drop shot winner over the net cord on a second serve
Framed return short ball followed by my opponent airmailing his approach shot
DF at 0-40 from a visibly shaken and angry opponent.

This game is easy sometimes.
 

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
I won a game this morning without ever having the ball touch the string bed by itself.

Framed and late return at an outrageous angle for a winner
Framed drop shot winner over the net cord on a second serve
Framed return short ball followed by my opponent airmailing his approach shot
DF at 0-40 from a visibly shaken and angry opponent.

This game is easy sometimes.

Judge: "You're accused of being part of a shank winner plot."

Ball: "I was framed."
 

Jake Speeed

Professional
Wow!

The above video, the gentleman giving the verbal instruction, plus working with an assistant, is absolutely the best way to give instruction to any promising player. Young or old.

This student has many natural and distinct qualities in her movement and style of play. God given talent.

Do others see this?

She is absolutely going to be a great tennis player!

JS
 

Curious

G.O.A.T.
Wow!

The above video, the gentleman giving the verbal instruction, plus working with an assistant, is absolutely the best way to give instruction to any promising player. Young or old.

This student has many natural and distinct qualities in her movement and style of play. God given talent.

Do others see this?

She is absolutely going to be a great tennis player!

JS
That gentleman is Serena Williams’ coach , you know right??
 

Cashman

Hall of Fame
Will have to try this out but not convinced that the typical medium pace volley at the net gives you all that much time to move the feet.

I find that the typical volley, particularly in doubles exchanges with both players at net, gives me just enough time to turn my upper body.

Is Murray moving his feet here? Does not look like it at all.. Or is this just practice where he is being lazy with the feet?

final_603d46773cc7e000fc077548_242013.gif
Reaction volleys are not really what people are referring to when they talk about volleying with your feet
 

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
Reaction volleys are not really what people are referring to when they talk about volleying with your feet

That gif looks like a standard volley. Nothing particularly fast. The typical volley encountered in a match. The claim was that there was time to volley with feet on the majority of volleys.

Here is Murray hitting easy routine volleys. Not reaction volleys; opponent is way back at the baseline. Do not see him moving his feet much at all.

 
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Cashman

Hall of Fame
That gif looks like a standard volley. Nothing particularly fast. The typical volley encountered in a match. The claim was that there was time to volley with feet on the majority of volleys.

Here is Murray hitting easy routine volleys. Not reaction volleys; opponent is way back at the baseline. Do not see him moving his feet much at all.

I think you misunderstand what volleying with your feet means
 

nyta2

Hall of Fame
That gif looks like a standard volley. Nothing particularly fast. The typical volley encountered in a match. The claim was that there was time to volley with feet on the majority of volleys.

Here is Murray hitting easy routine volleys. Not reaction volleys; opponent is way back at the baseline. Do not see him moving his feet much at all.

not much foot movement cuz the ball is already coming to/through his "box" as @Dan R mentions above...
volleying with your feet is about moving the "box" to the ball (vs. stretch and swing)
 

J011yroger

Talk Tennis Guru
That gif looks like a standard volley. Nothing particularly fast. The typical volley encountered in a match. The claim was that there was time to volley with feet on the majority of volleys.

Here is Murray hitting easy routine volleys. Not reaction volleys; opponent is way back at the baseline. Do not see him moving his feet much at all.


You. . . Don't see him moving his feet?

J
 

S&V-not_dead_yet

Talk Tennis Guru
That gif looks like a standard volley. Nothing particularly fast. The typical volley encountered in a match. The claim was that there was time to volley with feet on the majority of volleys.

Here is Murray hitting easy routine volleys. Not reaction volleys; opponent is way back at the baseline. Do not see him moving his feet much at all.

I have a bad habit of leaning at the waist to volley rather than taking that extra step. It happens most frequently on the first volley when I'm still around the SL but it can happen on others too. I can get away with it in many cases because I have good touch and reaction time but it's definitely holding me back from getting to the next level.
 

Jake Speeed

Professional
You. . . Don't see him moving his feet?

J

Notice where he's hitting from.

During match play, it is important to be stylish and bring the left foot over for the forehand volley. Opposite for the BHV.

This is done for balance, reach and recovery.

JS
 

nyta2

Hall of Fame
I have a bad habit of leaning at the waist to volley rather than taking that extra step. It happens most frequently on the first volley when I'm still around the SL but it can happen on others too. I can get away with it in many cases because I have good touch and reaction time but it's definitely holding me back from getting to the next level.
me too, instead of taking that extra step, i'll relying on reaching/swinging
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
obviously i was thinking more along these lines:
This is what came to mind first. But could not recall the Thai name. 5 foot net on badminton court. Have also seen a 2-man game here in the park with something that looked more like a hackysack footbag. Appears the futbol tennis I linked uses a net that might be lower than 5 ft high
 
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Dan R

Professional
Will have to try this out but not convinced that the typical medium pace volley at the net gives you all that much time to move the feet.

I find that the typical volley, particularly in doubles exchanges with both players at net, gives me just enough time to turn my upper body.

Is Murray moving his feet here? Does not look like it at all.. Or is this just practice where he is being lazy with the feet?

final_603d46773cc7e000fc077548_242013.gif
This is an interesting video. Given that his body is so still and that a very high speed camera appears to have been used - I'm guessing that this was taken from some sort of demo/practice session and Andy may have been stationary at the net. This ball is hit pretty hard given the racket deflection. BUT, if he moved his feet it would have been before this part of the video.

Moving the feet is a way of saying get your whole body to the proper volley position before you hit the ball - if you can, instead of just reaching for the ball with your arms.
 

Jake Speeed

Professional
This is an interesting video. Given that his body is so still and that a very high speed camera appears to have been used - I'm guessing that this was taken from some sort of demo/practice session and Andy may have been stationary at the net. This ball is hit pretty hard given the racket deflection. BUT, if he moved his feet it would have been before this part of the video.

Moving the feet is a way of saying get your whole body to the proper volley position before you hit the ball - if you can, instead of just reaching for the ball with your arms.

That ball would have had to come out of a cannon to do what it did to the racket.

These guys play custom rackets made special for themselves, generally really stiff with little flex. No "off the shelf" rackets.

Forget about feet, the racket doing what it did is the conversation.

JS
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
That ball would have had to come out of a cannon to do what it did to the racket.

These guys play custom rackets made special for themselves, generally really stiff with little flex. No "off the shelf" rackets.

Forget about feet, the racket doing what it did is the conversation.

JS

Pretty much a feature of Head frames that tend to have flexible hoops with stiffer throats. That's how they keep their RA so low since the RDC Machine generally measures hoop flex more than throat flex.
 

SinneGOAT

Hall of Fame
Will have to try this out but not convinced that the typical medium pace volley at the net gives you all that much time to move the feet.

I find that the typical volley, particularly in doubles exchanges with both players at net, gives me just enough time to turn my upper body.

Is Murray moving his feet here? Does not look like it at all.. Or is this just practice where he is being lazy with the feet?

final_603d46773cc7e000fc077548_242013.gif
That flex :love: beautiful gif. God I love this sport!
 

GuyClinch

Legend
You. . . Don't see him moving his feet?

J

He is not taking a step to complete his sideways turn and then volleying on most of those volleys. This is what pros teach to juniors/ beginners. Obviously if you want to be pedantic he is moving his feet - split stepping etc. But I think you understand what he is getting at.

Volleys are not that complicated - you turn the racquet to a sideways position and then use a short swing kind of across the body to hit the ball. When you don't have much time you might not step forward or step forward or forward and across like you would if give a lot of time.

Don't give the poster a hard time - come on now.. He is right - when someone hits the ball hard right to them - pros and good amateurs will not step into the shot.
 
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