The Volley (Part II)

Tactical Training For the Volley

By Khan, M.

Tennis Program Director, Islamabad Club Coaching Center, Islamabad, Pakistan. Coach to national and internationally ranked juniors, professional and Davis Cup players

We have seen an often-practiced scenario: Player ‘A’ at the baseline hitting ground strokes, player ‘B’ at the net hitting volleys back and forth! This may be a great workout to sweat it out or to improve technique but it is not tactical training. From a tactical point of view alone, the best training for the volley would be if it challenges and trains the entire situation i.e. the shot or combination of shots before the volley such as an approach shot, chip return of serve, and the serve itself. This article highlights three patterns of play where the volley is often used as the final shot, and implications for training.

The Approach Shot

What is an approach shot?  An approach shot is a vehicle that gets you to the net. It could be via a topspin drive or slice shot. Generally, from the forehand side the modern players use “rip and charge” tactic whereas from the backhand side “chip and charge” tactic. The purpose of the approach shot is not to win the point right away, but to extract a volleyable ball which could then be put away for a winner (hopefully). 

Where to place an Approach Shot? An approach could be placed either down the line, cross court, or deep down the middle. However, in my view the best approach is down the line for two very good reasons: