Scott Murphy: Volley Types and Tactics

Play aggressively on the "ideal" volley, but maintain solid mechanics. Now that readiness, mechanics, and footwork have been discussed (see part one and part two), it's on to the various types of volleys and their tactical considerations. The fact is, there really is no such thing as "the" volley. There are a myriad of situations: high balls, low balls, wide volleys, half volleys, drop volleys, volleys hit directly at you-the list goes on. The next two articles will cover all of these situations. Consider it a primer on what you need to volley effectively in match play. Let's start with the high volley. The volley we all love to play is the "ideal" high volley. This is a ball above the net, from mid chest to just above shoulder height. Assuming you're somewhere in the front two-thirds of the service box, it provides you with the opportunity to play aggressively. The height allows you to "comfortably" volley outward and/or downward at a wide array of targets. The best volleyers really go after this ball by closing on it and accelerating the racquet head forward, making sure to maintain solid mechanics. Too often this volley is there for the taking, but...