Master the volley at the net

A volley is hitting the ball out of the air before it bounces. Volleys are used at the kitchen line to maintain pressure and finish points. The key is a compact punch motion, not a full swing.

Proper Form

• Stand in an athletic stance, feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent
• Keep the paddle up and in front of your body at chest height
• Rotate the paddle head to 10-11 o'clock (right-handed) or 1-2 o'clock (left-handed)
• Contact the ball slightly ahead of your body — most net contact is waist-high or lower
• Punch the ball, don't swing. Paddle starts and finishes in front of your body

Tips

• Stay on the balls of your feet, ready to move in any direction
• Use the split step — a small hop as your opponent contacts the ball to load your weight for quick reactions
• The push volley is underrated: take dinks out of the air that aren't quite high enough to attack, keeping pressure on opponents