Volley

A volley in tennis is a shot that is hit before the ball bounces on the ground. Generally a player hits a volley while standing near the net, although there are instances where it is executed farther back, in the middle of the tennis court or even near the baseline.

Hitting a volley

A regular volley is hit with a short backswing and a punching stroke. While standing at the net, a player usually has no time to take a long backswing. When the ball comes at less pace, though, the volleyer can take a longer backswing to impart more force on the ball, which is called a swing volley.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The lower the ball comes at the volleyer, the harder it is to hit an effective volley. In some cases, a player is better off to let the ball bounce rather than attempt to volley it; he then hits it on the rise right after the bounce. This is called a half volley (although technically it is not a volley) and is one of the most difficult shots in tennis; John McEnroe, who had superb hand-eye coordination, was a master of it.

Related Topics:
Half volley - John McEnroe

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~