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Volley techniques have changed in the "modern" game.
There is so much written about the "modern game," and how techniques and tactics have evolved and differ from the past. Most of this discussion has been over groundstrokes, especially the forehand, and the serve.
Less time has been spent doing the same for the volley. In part this is because of how infrequently the players are coming forward. But the fact is that when players do get to the net, or near to it anyway, the shots they play have evolved. This article will explore those changes and the modern techniques that are necessary for success.
Why aren’t players rushing the net more regularly? Certainly the returns of serves at the professional level have taken a quantum leap forward in the past two decades. It used to be that servers, even at the top of the sport, would aim most deliveries toward the backhand and rarely would the return get blistered past them. This is positively no longer the case.
Aggressive returns have blunted serve and volley play.
Returning aggressively is an acquired skill, but it is also an attitude. Developing junior and even recreational players take their cue from the…