The swing volley—once considered a radical shot pioneered by the likes of Andre Agassi—is now commonplace on the pro tour for both men and women. Players rip the ball from all corners of the court directly out of the air, with little fear or reservation.
Let's explore the technique and tactics of this modern shot. This month the forehand swing volley and next month the backhand.
Positioning is Key
The footwork setup is critical for this aggressive shot. Players must move quickly and urgently forward without hesitation. The mindset of attacking any high floating balls is also key. Players need to have the confidence to attack with no fear. Footwork builds this confidence.
Chris Lewit, former #1 for Cornell and Pro Circuit player, has coached numerous top 10 nationally ranked juniors and is a leading coach, educator, and author. He has written two best-selling books, The Secrets of Spanish Tennis and The Tennis Technique Bible.
Chris runs a popular high performance summer tennis camp in the beautiful mountains of Vermont and coaches players world-wide through his virtual school, CLTA Online (CLTA.teachable.com).
Chris also produces a weekly high performance tennis video talk show and podcast, The Prodigy Maker Show, which is available on Apple Podcasts and all other podcasting directories. All shows can be accessed at ProdigyMaker.com.
Check out Chris's blog, also at ProdigyMaker.com for free articles on high performance junior development and Spanish training. Learn about his camp at ChrisLewit.com or visit the online academy at CLTA.teachable.com
The Secrets of Spanish Tennis
What makes Spanish tennis so unique and successful? What exactly are those Spanish coaches doing so differently to develop superstars like Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer that other systems are not doing? These and other questions are answered in The Secrets of Spanish Tennis, the culmination of five years of study on the Spanish way of training by USTA High Performance Coach Chris Lewit.
