Tennis Volley

Here are 7 questions you might consider before you start:

1. Is there 1 best grip?
2. What is the experience status of the player – beginner, intermediate or advanced?
3. What is the age of the player?
4. What is the physical strength of the player?
5. What are their aspirations as far as development of their game?
6. Will they practice new skills sets?
7. Do they want to change?

Which of the grips do I choose to teach:

1. Eastern backhand
2. Continental
3. Eastern forehand
4. Semi-western
5. Hybrid

You will need to evaluate several tactical questions to come up with the correct technical answer.

Here are 9 to consider:

1. Where is the position your opponent sending the ball from?
2. What is the height of the incoming ball you are receiving?
3. What kind of spin are you receiving?
4. What kind of speed are you receiving?
5. What is the position from which you are receiving the ball?
6. What is the position of the opponent as you send the ball?
7. Do you wish to stay in the point or finish the point?
8. What kind of spin are you going to send away?
9. What kind of speed are you going to send away?

Sample tactical situations you might be faced with – for a right handed player:

You are inside the service line and the ball you are receiving is coming to your right side but close to your body and between waist and chest high.

Options: Based upon the speed of the ball to be received you may choose:

1. Play a forehand or backhand
2. On a faster ball, use more of an eastern forehand grip to block or hit with some underspin into the open court
3. On a slower ball, use more of a continental grip, move away from the incoming ball to create better spacing and hit a short or sharply angled ball to your left
4. On a slower ball, use more of an eastern forehand grip, move away from the ball and play an inside out ball to your right

If the ball to be received were wide to your right, slightly below net height and barely reachable you may:

1. Switch to a heavy continental or even an eastern backhand grip to open the racquet face, maximize your reach and attempt to apply underspin.  This would help to reduce the speed of the ball, apply spin to direct the ball back up over the net and reduce the depth of the ball if the opponent were deep in the court.
2. You may firm up the grip a contact to get more depth with the spin if the opponent were wide or inside the service line and you needed to send it back behind him.
3. You may try for a sharply angled volley behind your position, softer return or deeper return – based upon you skill level, their position, you position and luck.

As you can see, there are literally hundreds of tactical factors to consider in choosing the technical skill.  It takes lots of practice balls to gain the experience to recognize the tactical situation you are in.  It takes lots of practice balls to develop the technical skills to execute correct option available to you in that tactical moment.

In receiving the ball, you might consider 5 basic questions:

1. Who is sending the ball?
2. What kind of ball is being sent?
3. Where is the sender?
4. When will it get to you?
5. Why would you choose that tactical option?

In sending the ball, you might consider 5 basic questions:

1. Who are you sending the ball to?
2. What kind of ball should you send?
3. Where is the ball to be sent?
4. When should you contact the ball?
5. Why should you choose that tactical option?

The 5 tactical factors you must consider are:

1. Get the ball in play?
2. Determine the direction – cross court, down the middle or down the line?
3. Determine the depth – short, middle or deep depth?
4. Determine the spin – underspin, sidespin or topspin?
5. Determine the speed – soft, medium or fast?

Summary:

All grips are correct – based upon the tactical position from which you are receiving the ball and the tactical position you wish to send the ball:

Forehand:

1. Continental on a low ball
2. Continental or eastern of a ball above net high
3. Eastern or semi-western on balls above the chest or head high
4. Eastern backhand on low wide balls
5. Hybrid grip between any of he above

Backhand:

1. Eastern forehand or continental on low ball
2. Continental or eastern backhand grip on balls above net high
3. Eastern backhand or continental on balls above the chest or head high
4. Eastern forehand on low wide balls
5. Hybrid grip between any of the above.

These options are by no means complete – have fun and develop feel for the racquet and ball through practiced discovery with your professional.

The ultimate goal is to prepare the racquet face to receive then send the correct tactical shot.

Ken DeHart

PTR & USPTA Master Professional
USA High Performance Coach
2 time PTR International Pro of the Year
Wilson Premier Advisory Staff
4 time USPTA Divisional Pro of the Year

Photo Credits: nsaplayer

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5 Handy Tips

When you are involved in a match and need help deciding what to do, look to your hand for the answer.  Make a fist and then follow these simple directions:

P = In Play Stick up the thumb – the most important part of the hand which stands for “Get the ball in Play.

D = Direction With the thumb still up, extend the index finger and point which stands for “Direction” which has 3 options: down the line, cross court or down the center.

D = Depth With the Thumb and first finger still extended, the next and middle finger stands for “Depth” and there are 3 depths: near the baseline, near the service line and near the net. With depth you will add a special ingredient to help you – Height. Height stands for the clearance of  your shot above the net to assist the depth of your shot.

S = Spin The last two fingers are the controlling fingers.  The ring finger stands for “Spin” and spin helps to control the depth of the shot and there are 3 spins: topspin, underspin and sidespin.

S = Speed The last finger is really important.  The little finger has huge importance, it stands for “Speed” and there are 3 speeds: level 3 = as hard as you can hit – without missing, level 2 = a rally speed that enables you to keep a 10-20 ball rally going and level 1 = a loopy-spinny shot that everyone hates to play against.

While coaching may not be allowed on court, you can put the letters P, D, D, S & S on the tips of each of your 5 digits and in the palm of your hand write the word, “coach”.

The coach says, “If you need help, the answer will be in your hand.  There are 5 ways to control a match.  The first 3; in play, direction and depth are managed by the last 2; spin and speed.  Together that provide you with 13 options to solve the problem you are facing in the match.

Play = 1 option – over the net and in the court

Direction = 3 directions to aim the ball

Depth = 3 depths to play

Spin = 3 kinds of spins to impart to the ball

Speed = 3 kinds of speeds to use

You do not need to try all of these at one time. Individually or together they give you options and a focus point in defining a purpose or plan for the defeat of your opponent.

So the next time you are facing a challenging situation in a match, look to your hand for a “Handful of Answers.”

These 5 options make a great lesson plan if you are teaching others the strategy of the game or working on your own game.  If you or your students are unable to perform these 5 options, you now have a great “technical” lesson plan.  Teach and learn “how” to execute the strokes necessary to achieve the 5 strategies in the hand.

For other innovate approaches to playing and teaching “The Game”, go to www.kendeharttennis.com.

Send me questions about your game, training techniques or drills and I will give you weapons to develop a competitive game – regardless of your level.

Photo Credits: 1

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