Days are turning longer and the warmer air is entering, and the arrival of the brighter sun shows that it is the summertime!
Summer is the perfect season for sports enthusiasts and Wimbledon is one sports tournament synonymous with summer.
A prestigious tennis title is up for grabs every year in July when the world’s best players battle it out. Even though watching tennis is fun, nothing beats the excitement of playing like your favorite stars at Wimbledon. Tennis is a game that offers numerous benefits for health. It flexes your competitive muscles, improves your coordination, improves fitness, and increases bone density. But it’s not an easy game to learn. It is easy to see why people struggle with learning all the rules and mastering shots like the volley. So this blog is going to be very informative for you to level up your game and how tennis volley is performed.
What is Tennis Volley?
The act of striking the ball without touching the ground in tennis is called a volley. A player who hits a volley must be close to the net in order to catch the ball without touching the ground. But it’s not necessary to stay close to the net.
Without touching the ground, the hitting of the ball is counted as a volley. From the farthest side of the net, or from the middle of the court, you can execute it. Volley is an aggressive game that needs a quick response because it doesn’t leave much time for the opponent team to react. This game requires reflexes, precise time, and rapid eye-hand coordination.
Types of Volley
There are two traditional categories of tennis volleying: forehands and backhands. Depending on the speed, height, and positioning of the ball coming at you, you can hit a volley. So here’s the list of different volleys, try it out on the tennis court and get yourself relaxed.
Punch Volley
Punch volleys are the standard volleys for netplay. In this game, the player punches the racket forward and slightly down at the net to create an underspin on the ball to add control to the short. This game doesn’t require power but accuracy and technique. It means no need for backswings. You should play this shot with a moderate pace so the ball comfortably clears the net.
Block Volley
Block volley is a defensive technique and needs less movement as compared to punch volleys.
In this kind of sport, you hold the racket in a way to block the shot of your opponent. You shot in a way that clears the net and lands in their half of the court. In this game, you don’t require swing and punch.
Drop Volley
A drop volley is a game that needs a light touch. It is played in a way that it lands softly on the opposing side of the net and assures that it is nearer to the net. This makes the opposite team run to reach the ball. It makes the situation difficult and increases the chances of dropping the ball for your opponent to hit it on your courtside. If it bounces once and your opponent hits it but doesn’t manage to clear the net, then you win the point, so it does not matter if it bounces twice and your opponent doesn’t manage to clear the net. A drop volley is pretty much like a drop shot played at the net.
Half Volley
A half-volley is the toughest volley to play. The second name of the half volley is “On the rising shot”. This is because the ball rises as the player hits it. In this game timing matters a lot. The sole mission is to hit the ball after the bounce. It needs rapid footwork and movement.
Lob Volley
The other name of lob valley is defensive lob or lob shot. In this game, the shot is played from the net, and keeping the ball high and deep on the opposite team’s head. The sole mission is to land the ball on the court’s back. It is really tricky to execute a passing shot because sometimes both players reach the net at the same time, which leads to intense rallies of volleys like hitting back and forth. So you have to create distance and compel the opposite one to retreat and make it tough for them.
Swinging Volley
A swinging volleyball has no rules like the standard volley. In this valley, the player uses a different groundstroke swing technique to smack the ball out of the air before it touches the ground. Players prefer to perform the swinging volley in the area between the service line and the baseline.
A swinging volley demands a perfect balance of power, pace, and swing to keep the ball in play and prevent it from going far away from the opponent’s baseline. This shows that this game is for more advanced players and thus requires extra time to learn this technique.
Key Elements of the Perfect Tennis Volley
Delve in to know how to master the perfect volley and follow these techniques to level up your skills in the game.
Select the Right Grip
The grip is the most essential part when it comes to tennis. It helps you to perform the winning shots. Tennis volley is perfectly performed with a continental grip. As a result, you can efficiently hit backhand and forehand volleys, with no need of changing the hand’s position. The position of your hand decides whether you are going to be the winner or a loser.
Nail that Motion
If your racket motion is not at the right point it means the game is going to end soon. To rule that volley position matters a lot. The two important aspects of motion are to go forward with a slightly open racket face and a downward cut in your volley motion. As a result of this backspin, the ball will land in your opponent’s court. If it is done perfectly then this low bounce will make the opponent team surprised and scared. The best technique is to keep your eye on the ball and keep your head down and position your hand in such a direction that you want the ball to go.
Get the Right Stance
For quick movements and impressive shots proper stance is very crucial. It means a jump in the air and standing back in a balanced and stable position like your weight is evenly distributed on both feet. Moreover, for a safe stance, you can adjust your position to hit a volley.
Practice Makes Perfect
As we all know everything demands consistent practice to become perfect in that particular field. Focus on the regular drills,hand-eye coordination, split-step timing, footwork, etc. These all things will lead you to your desired position and the incredible shots. To advance your skills and better performance seek help from the coach or partner for feedback and various skyrocketing techniques to be on the road to success.
WRAP UP!
Mastering the volley is not like a piece of cake. You have to learn some skills, techniques, and strategies to elevate your game to new heights and become an efficient player. This game demands focus, ability, practice, and quick decision-making to the critical conditions on the court. Sharpen your skills like footwork, anticipation, and racket skills to become a pro at hitting volleys with power, accuracy, style, and finesse. So master the art of tennis volley and face the challenges with no fear and a brighter and more successful future is waiting for you.
