Tennis - The Volley and Overhead Smash

Whether the tennis shot you make is a volley or overhead smash you can be rest assured that the net attack is the heavy artillery of tennis. It is meant to crush all defence so it must be regarded as a point-winning stroke at all times.

Once at the net hit from the point at the first opportunity given to get the racquet squarely on the ball. All the laws of footwork explained for the overhead drive are theoretically the same for the volley. While practicing you seldom have time to change your feet to a set position so you avoid trouble by throwing the weight on the foot nearest to the ball and pushing it in the shot.

Volleys are of two classes: the low volley, made from below the waist; and the high volley, from the waist to the head.

All low volleys are blocked while high volleys may be either blocked or hit. A Volley should never be stroked. There is no follow through on a low volley and very little on a high one.

A chop stroke is one where the racquet travels from above the line of flight of the ball down and through it. The angle made behind the racquet should be greater than 45 degrees, and many approach 90 degrees. Volleys should not be chopped because the tendency is to pop the ball up in the air off any chop.

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

To allow distance for the rise low volleys should never be hit hard but because of the height of the net should usually be sharply angled. 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 follow through should be very small. Most low volleys should be soft and short while most high volleys require speed and length.

The stop volley is nothing more than a shot blocked short with no force being used. The racquet simply meets the oncoming ball and stops it. The ball rebounds and falls of its own weight. There is little 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 causing back spin to the ball.

Volleying is a science based on the old geometric axiom that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points. A volleyer must always cover the straight passing shot since it is the shortest shot with which to pass him. He must volley straight to his opening and not waste time trying unorthodox curving volleys that give the base-liner time to recover. The only 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 but in no way a volley stroke is the overhead smash. It is the Big Bertha of tennis. It is the long range terror that should score more often than not. The rules of footwork, position, and direction that govern the volley will suffice for the overhead smash as well. The swing should be closely allied to the slice service with the racquet and arm swinging freely from the shoulder and the wrist flexible. The racquet should put a slight twist to the ball to hold it in court. The overhead smash is mainly a point winner through speed because 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. Keep at least one foot and when possible both feet on the ground in smashing.This wlll help regulate the weight and gives better balance. Most missed overhead shots are caused by the eye leaving the ball or a lack of confidence that gives a cramped, half-hearted swing. Follow through with your overhead shot to the limit of your swing.

The overhead smash is essentially a doubles shot because in singles the chances of passing the net man are greater than lobbing over his head.In doubles play two men cover the net so easily that the best 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 margin of error. Therefore smash 'cross court when pressed, but pull your short lobs either side as determined by the man you are playing.

Never drop a lob you can hit overhead because it forces you back and gives the attacking position to your opponent. Never smash with a reverse twist either. Always hit with a straight racquet face and direct to the opening.

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

Lobs are essentially defensive plays. The ideas in lobbing are: to give yourself time to recover position when pulled out of court by your opponent's shot, to drive back the net man and break up his attack, to tire your opponent and occasionally to win cleanly by placement. Different types of lobs include the chop lob, a heavily under-cut spin that hangs in the air and the stroke lob or flat lob hit with a slight top spin.

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