Where to stand to practice volleys?

[Cindysphinx]

My practice partner and I, at the urging of our pro, have resolved to practice more. One thing he wants us to do is stand at the net and volley to each other, trying to keep a rally going and thereby improve our footwork and reactions.

We tried this today, and the same thing kept happening. I hit the ball low, partner pops it up, I hit it low to her, she pops it up.

This is not how the drill is supposed to go. We are supposed to place our volleys to each other high enough for the other person to return, not at their toes. I am wondering whether part of our problem was being too close to the net.

So. How close to the net should you be for ideal volley-to-volley practice? And how close to the net should you be for baseline-to-volley practice?

 

[drakulie]

You should probably stand between the net & service line (closer to the service line). Once your volleys get better, along with your reaction you work your way closer to the net.

Good luck. This is a very good drill.

 

[Noisy Ninja]

You can start volley drills with both of you standing near service line. This is typically where you would hit your first volley if you were s&v; the idea is to hit your vollyes deep and aim fro your partner but the occasional short/low balls will allow you to practice digging low volleys and/or half volleys as well. After a bit of time spent practicing volleying drills at the service line, you'll eventually want to move closer to the net (halfway into service box); doing the drill closer to the net will effectively shorten reaction time available to both players and develop quickness & good footwork. Volley drills should be done so that volleys are aimed directly at partner and not trying to pass him/her. Idea is to keep a long rapport of volleys going. One of my favourite drills for sure.

 

[Trinity TC]

The objective of the volley-to-volley drill for 2.5 -3.0 players is to hit the ball softly enough to keep it going. There will be a bit or an arc to the ball's flightpath when you start out. Generally, you would keep your volley at 40-70% of power that you would use in a match. It's more about building up numbers and your eye's ability to track the ball as opposed to technique for the first 150 (give or take a few) shots.

Positioning? Somewhere around the halfway point between the service line and net as Drakulie and Ninja say.

You can do it with two balls simultaneously when you get better at the volley-to-volley drill.

 

[golden chicken]

another good volley drill is to start each halfway from the net to the service line, and after each volley, take a step backwards towards the baseline. try to keep the ball in the air.

 

[fuzz nation]

I'd say stand on the service line or just a step inside it if both of you are up and volleying to each other or the exchanges are a little too quick. This is one of the best ways to start any hitting session actually. It gets everything warmed up at low intensity before you start taking full cuts at the ball.

When one player is back, the one practicing volleys should be only two or three steps back off the net--wherever you'd want to be during a point. Don't be afraid to hit some volleys and half-volleys from other areas, though. It's helpful to be cabable everywhere on the court since opponents rarely hand you the ideal shot from your favorite spot.

 

[Zuras]

I think that's a bad drill if your point is to improve your volley skills. Hand eye coordination/reflexes are one of the most genetically-based aspects of tennis outside of height. You get what "god" gave you. And the drills you are performing will not generally help your volleying in a mechanical/footwork/muscle memory aspects because you won't be volleying like that hardly ever in a real tennis match. Waste of time IMO.

 

[tempura_MAKI]

I think that's a bad drill if your point is to improve your volley skills. Hand eye coordination/reflexes are one of the most genetically-based aspects of tennis outside of height. You get what "god" gave you. And the drills you are performing will not generally help your volleying in a mechanical/footwork/muscle memory aspects because you won't be volleying like that hardly ever in a real tennis match. Waste of time IMO.

I agree. Baseline to volley would be a better drill, and have the person on the baseline try to put away the winner, only because this is what you will experience in a real match. You wont have tea time at the net with your opponnent, so let someone from the baseline try and rip a few winners to you. its also a very mental part of the game.

 

[drakulie]

I think that's a bad drill if your point is to improve your volley skills. Hand eye coordination/reflexes are one of the most genetically-based aspects of tennis outside of height. You get what "god" gave you. And the drills you are performing will not generally help your volleying in a mechanical/footwork/muscle memory aspects because you won't be volleying like that hardly ever in a real tennis match. Waste of time IMO.

Well, the best volleyers in the history of the sport (McEnroe, Edberg, Rafter, etc. ) would disagree with you. Also, any decent tennis instructor.

 

[thejackal]

If you have trouble getting a good rally going, try standing really close to each other at first and moving farther as you get better. I find getting a lot of reps help more than having to pick up balls all the time.

 

[Deleted member 13755]

Ball should sail about a foot above the net.

 

[Trinity TC]

My practice partner and I, at the urging of our pro, have resolved to practice more. One thing he wants us to do is stand at the net and volley to each other, trying to keep a rally going and thereby improve our footwork and reactions.

Does your pro supervise these drills or does he give advice without overseeing what you guys are doing?

 

[Duzza]

As long as you don't stand right next to the net and angle every volley away from the feeder, you should be right. Start about 50cm from the service line.

 

[papa]

Well, I think the answer to this should be rather obivious. Stand where you normally stand when your playing a volley - sometimes its in other times its back, sometimes left other times right. I see players practice volleies from just one position that in many cases is not even a realistic court position - or one that you might seldom be in. The bottom line is practice from most places on the court. Find places where you have problems with and practice from those spots like the service line, don't just stand a foot from the net.

 

[35ft6]

I stand just inside the service line. I only start moving in at the very end. The reason for this is that the closer you get to the net, the easier the shot, so why spend the bulk of my time practicing an easy shot? Same thing with overheads. If I'm practicing overheads I don't want super short easy ones.

 

[Cindysphinx]

Does your pro supervise these drills or does he give advice without overseeing what you guys are doing?

He supervised the drill during our last lesson, finally getting through my thick skull that the point was not to blast the ball of my practice partner's tennis shoes. I failed to observe or ask where we should stand. That's why I asked you guys.

 

[Cindysphinx]

I stand just inside the service line. I only start moving in at the very end. The reason for this is that the closer you get to the net, the easier the shot, so why spend the bulk of my time practicing an easy shot? Same thing with overheads. If I'm practicing overheads I don't want super short easy ones.

Yeah, I never understood the "Start with your boobs on the net strap" positioning for volley drills either (like when a baseliner is trying to pass you). I figure it makes sense to start where you'd likely start in a real match -- just inside the baseline. This teaches you that just standing there flat-footed and failing to close the net makes your life much more difficult.

Nevertheless, whenever I practice volley drills and I'm the baseliner, that's what the practice partner does. It doesn't seem to be my place to tell them to quit cheating and back up, so I just resign myself that they'll make dozens of spectacular volleys they'd never be able to pull off in a real match.

 

[Mahboob Khan]

There are many good suggestions here. I woud add the following:

Drill 1: From cooperation to competition: Both of you should start at a step behind T. After you have hit 3 deep cooperative volleys, gradually move in to the net and put it away when the ball is nice and high. Do this for 5 minutes.

Drill 2: Start as above, but put the ball away whenever possible! 5 minutes.

Drill 3: Ask your partner to feed you a short ball to your BH. You make slice approach shot down the line, and angled cross-court volley. 5 minutes. And repeat this for your partner as well.

Drill 4: Ask your partner to feed you a short ball to your FH. You rip the ball down the line and close in for angled cross-court volley. 5 minutes. And repeat this for your partner as well.

Drill 5: Ask your partner to feed you a short ball in the mid-court area. You rip the ball inside-out and close in for volley in the open court. 5 minutes. Repeat this for your partner.

Drill 6: Play 21 points with your partner whilst you are serving and volleying.

Drill 7: Let your partner play 21 points with you whilst he is serving and volleying.

Drill 8: If four persons are available, play a set of doubles but follow the modified scoring:

-- If the server hits an ace, he wins the game.

-- Double fault will lose the game.

-- Return of serve error will lose the game.

-- If you win the point with a volley or smash you win the game.

Whilst doing the above, one out of 10 volleys should be wrong-footing.

Through systematic practice you will reap the benefits of learning.

 

[LuckyR]

He supervised the drill during our last lesson, finally getting through my thick skull that the point was not to blast the ball of my practice partner's tennis shoes. I failed to observe or ask where we should stand. That's why I asked you guys.

Cindy- You seem to play a lot of doubles. I do as well and for me, since I am approaching the net aggressively, a lot of times on less than perfect shots (seconds serves etc), the thing I need to most practice on is first volleys, so I take all of my pregame warmup volleys from the service line. If you can master first volleys off of your shoe tops and weird half volleys, then normal or second volleys up near the net are cake, and essentially don't need practice.

 

[Cindysphinx]

Cindy- You seem to play a lot of doubles. I do as well and for me, since I am approaching the net aggressively, a lot of times on less than perfect shots (seconds serves etc), the thing I need to most practice on is first volleys, so I take all of my pregame warmup volleys from the service line. If you can master first volleys off of your shoe tops and weird half volleys, then normal or second volleys up near the net are cake, and essentially don't need practice.

True, LuckyR. I think the point of this drill (and where my doubles game is most weak) is to help me when the net player plays a shot to me at net. I'm not so good fighting off hard offensive volleys from up close. On account of how I tend to close my eyes or get smacked square in the face (just last week).

Yes, it really hurt.

 

[sureshs]

Yeah, I never understood the "Start with your boobs on the net strap" positioning for volley drills either

Never heard of that one. Is there a corresponding one for men?

 

[papa]

In many cases you don't need a substitude - some pretty big people (and I'm not just talking height) playing the game these days.

Never heard of that one. Is there a corresponding one for men?

 

[maverick1]

I agree with the couple of people who said this is not a good drill for 3.0 and lower levels. The best 3.0s can maintain for more than a couple of shots each is a slow looping volley. That doesn't need any reflexes and it is unrealistic for matches.
One at baseline and one at net is more productive way to practice volleys.

My favorite way to practice volleys & passing shots is with two people playing on half of the doubles court, one at the baseline and one at the net, playing tie-breakers, alternating turns at the net. I haven't worked the fairest rules for this game yet(that is not really important). Right now my rules are no lobs and volleys must land beyond service line.
In practicing volleys, I never stand closer than half way between net and service line.

 

[Swissv2]

I agree with the couple of people who said this is not a good drill for 3.0 and lower levels. The best 3.0s can maintain for more than a couple of shots each is a slow looping volley. That doesn't need any reflexes and it is unrealistic for matches.
One at baseline and one at net is more productive way to practice volleys.

Maverick caught on to one of the most important points of 3.0-4.0 level tennis which is: consistency with a volley drill.

There are two different aspects you need to learn as a doubles player: Reaction and control. Having both of you do service line drills and closing in is great for control (more so) and reaction (less). Having your partner feed you from the baseline and you "aiming" the ball back at that person is great for reaction (more so) and control (less).

1 - For the service line drill you should try to maintain consistency as long as you can.

2 - For the baseline feed drill you should try a 1-2-putaway drill. Rally twice then the net person puts the ball away for a winner. Repeat.

 

[Trinity TC]

I'm not so good fighting off hard offensive volleys from up close. On account of how I tend to close my eyes or get smacked square in the face (just last week).

Yes, it really hurt.

Cindysphinx, I went through the same thing. It has absolutely nothing to do with volleying technique. I could do the volley-to-volley drill and the volley-against-the-backboard drill like a pro but it didn't translate well to actual game situations. It was as if I had a blind spot or the reflex volley part of my brain had been damaged...I just couldn't seem to figure out what I was seeing in "those" situations as I would go into panic mode. It was as if my hand-eye coordination deserted me at the wrong time...like it was a form of tennis dyslexia. That's the bad news.

The good news is that I learned to overcome this problem of perception by doing two ball drills. I managed to coerce a good player to do the volley-to-volley and the volley-to-groundstroke drills with me that required us to keep two balls going at once. He would feed a ball to me and as soon as I made contact with it he would feed another ball. The purpose of the drill was to keep two balls going for as long as possible. The key was to establish a good workable tempo by hitting the ball at half speed and make sure the you were making contact at the same time as the other person was making contact with the other ball. It would panic and overstimulate the brain at first but after awhile you calm down and get used to having two balls in your line of sight.

Picking up one ball regardless of how close it is and hard it is hit at you would become very easy. I've used the two ball drills with students that are afraid of the net or have trouble hitting reflex shots and have had great success with it. Your problem (if you choose do do this drill) is finding someone who will be cooperative and do the drill with you as chances are they wouldn't understand the purpose of it. It's not your normal text book drill but it does get to the root of the problem.

 

[Geezer Guy]

Never heard of that one. Is there a corresponding one for men?

Balls on the baseline?

 

[kevhen]

With beginners and even with equals I like to do a quick volley drill trying to hit 20 in a row and will keep starting over until we get to 20. We stand about 2 steps off the net and hit soft controlled vollies back and forth. This is a good warm up drill. Try to hit as many backhand vollies as possible too by rotating the racquet around even when the ball is coming to your forehand side.

Once you get good at this move back another step and hit a little more aggressive back and forth.

A harder drill is to start at the service line and hit a couple of vollies or even half vollies and then try to move in while playing the point out with each of your only covering half a singles court. Volleying from deeper on the court seems much harder for 3.0-3.5 players but is a good 4.0-4.5 level drill.

 

[AngeloDS]

The best practice you can do is to serve, then come in to the service line volley or take the half volley [be sure to stop and take the ball out in front], then follow in after the ball about half way between the net and service line and punch the ball or take a cut at it and make a good angle.

Do that a lot, and you'll have real great skills.

Another is to do the same thing but the person will feed a ball cross court that ends up short, you take the ball inside the court, move in and then take then skip the first volley and go for the punch or cut.

The first volley is the hardest in serve & volley, second is a ton easier.

Also, a good drill to do with four people would be reaction volleys. A feeder [5th person] will stand behind 2 volleyers and feed a ball into play. Everyone will be behind the service line or on it, and then slowly move in or stay on it if they choose.