The Volley And Overhead Smash

The net attack is the massive artillery of tennis. It is supposed to crush all defence. As such it must be regarded as a point-winning stroke at all times, no matter whether the shot is volley or smash.

Once at the net hit from the point at the first opportunity inured to entertain the racquet squarely on the ball. All the laws of footwork explained for the handle are theoretically the same in volleying. In training you seldom have hour to change your feet to a set position, so you obviate trouble by throwing the weight on the foot nearest to the ball and pushing it in the shot. Volleys are of two classes: (1) the low volley, made from below the waist; and (2) the high volley, from the waist to the head.

In contradistinction to the hitting plane grouping are the two styles published as (1) the abysmal volley and (2) the stop volley.

All low volleys are blocked. High volleys may be either blocked or hit. Volleys should never be stroked. There is no pursue through on a low volley and very fleeting on a giant one.

You will hear much talk of "chop" volleys. A intersect stroke is one where the racquet travels from above the line of flight of the ball, down and buttoned up it, and the angle prepared at the end the racquet is greater than 45 degrees, and assorted access 90 degrees. Therefore I disclose that no volleys should be chopped, for the proneness is to pop the ball up in the air off any chop. Slice volleys if you want to, or hit them flat, for both these shots are unreal at a bare small angle to the flight-line of the ball, the racquet face travelling almost along its plane.

In all volleys, high or low, the wrist should be locked and absolutely stiff. It should always be below the racquet head, thus bracing the racquet against the impact of the ball. Grant the conscription of the incoming shot, plus your own weight, to repay the ball, and do not strive to "wrist" it over. The tilted racquet face will bestow any required angle to the return by glancing the ball off the strings, so no wrist turn is needed.

Low volleys can never be hit hard, and owing to the height of the net should usually be sharply angled, to allow distance for the rise. Any ball met at a higher plane than the top of the net may be hit hard. The stroke should be crisp, snappy, and decisive, but it should stop as it meets the ball. The supersede down should be very small. Most low volleys should be soft and short. Most flying volleys require speed and length.

The "stop" volley is annihilation more than a gunfire blocked short. There is no vigour used. The racquet simply meets the nearing ball and stops it. The ball rebounds and falls of its own weight. There is imperceptible bounce to such a shot, and that may be reduced by allowing the racquet to slide slightly under the ball at the moment of impact, thus imparting back spin to the ball.

Volleying is a science based on the decrepit geometric axiom that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points. I penurious that a volleyer must always cover the straight passing shot thanks to it is the shortest shot with which to pass him, and he must volley straight to his opening and not dissipate extent trying freakish curving volleys that give the base-liner day to recover. It is Johnston's great straight volley that makes him such a dangerous collar man. He is always "punching" his volley straight and hard to the opening in his opponent's court.

A net player must have ground strokes in form to attain the enmesh position. Complete not think that a service and volley testament suffice against first-class tennis.

Strive to asphyxiate your volleys at once, on the other hand should your shot not win, follow the ball 'cross and again include the straight shot. Always force the mortal striving to pass you to play the hardest possible shot.

Barrage with your volleys. Never defend the ball when at the net. The lone defensive volley is one at your feet as you come in. It is a mid-court shot. Volleys should win with placement more than speed, although speed may be used on a high volley.

Closely related to the volley, yet in no system a volley stroke, is the overhead smash. It is the Considerable Bertha of tennis. It is the long range terrorism that should always score. The rules of footwork, position, and order that govern the volley will suffice for the overhead. The swing alone is different. The swing should be closely allied to the slice service, the racquet and arm swinging freely from the shoulder, the wrist flexible and the racquet imparting a slight twist to the ball to hold it in court. The overhead is remarkably a aim winner through speed, by reason of its bounce is so high that a slow placement often allows time for a recovery.

Do not leap in the air unnecessarily to hit overhead balls. Deposit at least one foot, and when possible both feet, on the ground in smashing, as it aids in regulating the weight, and gives bigger balance. Hit apartment lodgings and decisively to the stop if desired.

Most missed overhead shots are due to the eye leaving the ball; but a moment class of errors are due to exiguity of confidence that gives a cramped, half-hearted swing. Follow through your overhead shot to the limit of your swing.

The overhead is essentially a doubles shot, because in singles the chances of passing the trap adult are worthier than lobbing over his head, while in doubles two men cover the net so easily that the first way to open the court is to lob one man back.

In smashing, the longest distance is the safest shot since it allows a greater extent of error. Since smash 'cross court when pressed, on the contrary pull your short lobs either side as determined by the male you are playing.

Never blop a lob you can hit overhead, as it forces you back and gives the attacking position to your opponent. Never smash with a reverse twist, always hit with a straight racquet face and frank to the opening.

Closely connected to the overhead since it is the usual defence to any hard smash, is the lob.

A lob is a high toss of the ball transplanting between the service-line and the baseline. An excellent lob should be within 6 feet of the baseline.

Lobs are essentially defensive. The ideas in lobbing are:
(1) to give yourself time to recover position when pulled out of court by your opponent's shot;
(2) to impel back the entangle man and rupture up his attack;
(3) to tire your opponent;
(4) occasionally to, sweep cleanly by placement.

This is normally a lob volley from a close catch rally, and is a slightly changed stroke. There is (1) the chop lob, a heavily under-cut spin that hangs in the air. This, is the best defensive lob, as it goes high and gives portion of time to recover position. (2) The stroke lob or flat lob, hit with a slight top spin. This is the point-winning lob since it gives no lifetime to, the player to run around it, as it is lower and faster than the chop. In making this lob, dawning your swing like a drive, but concede the racquet to slow up and the face to tilt upward conscientious as you right the ball. This, shot should seldom force above 10 feet in the air, because it tends to go out with the float of the ball.

The shorten lob, which is a firm under cut, should rise from 20 to 30 feet, or more, high and must go deep. It is larger to lob gone and flight your rival back, thus tiring him, than to lob short and deed him confidence by an easy kill. The value of a lob is mainly one of upsetting your opponent, and its effects are very obvious if you unexpectedly bring off one at the crucial extent of a match.

To learn about tennis racquets and the history of tennis, evening the Tennis Rules site.

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