A volley in tennis is a shot that is hit before the ball bounces on the ground. Generally a player hits a volley while standing near the net, although there are instances where it is executed farther back, in the middle of the tennis court or even near the baseline.

The primary objective of the volley is to go on the offensive, cutting the opponent's reaction time. The opponent will have much less time to chase down the ball from a volley. Another consideration is that, by volleying, a player eliminates any possibility of a bad bounce from an uneven surface such as those on some grass and clay courts. Also, while being near the net, the volleyer has a wider choice of angles to hit into the opponent's court. A volleyer, however, must have quick reflexes to make his shot, which also requires a good hand-eye coordination. A volleyer must also be prepared for passing shots and lobs from the opponent.

Generally, a player who advances to the net in the serve and volley type of game will make his initial volley fairly near the service line. He will then move closer to the net in hopes of making a put-away volley for a winning point. It is difficult to hit an effective volley in the area between the baseline and the service line and this is consequently often called no man's land.

A volley can also occur in other sports. It is simply playing the ball before it touches the ground.

Hitting a volley

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A regular volley is hit with a short backswing and a punching stroke. While standing at the net, a player usually has no time to take a long backswing. When the ball comes at less pace, though, the volleyer can take a longer backswing to impart more force on the ball, which is called a swing volley.

The lower the ball comes at the volleyer, the harder it is to hit an effective volley. In some cases, a player is better off to let the ball bounce rather than attempt to volley it; he then hits it on the rise right after the bounce. This is called a half volley (although technically it is not a volley) and is one of the most difficult shots in tennis; John McEnroe, who had superb hand-eye coordination, was a master of it.

Another type of volley is the drive volley. This is done by hitting a volley with more backswing and followthrough than a normal volley. Effectively this is a volley groundstoke and a very aggressive shot, giving your opponent less time, which can be used as a way to approach the net (approach shot).

Great volleyers

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In his 1979 autobiography Jack Kramer, who had a fine volley himself, devotes a page to the best tennis strokes he had ever seen. He writes: "FOREHAND VOLLEY—Wilmer Allison of Texas, who won the 1935 Forest Hills, had the best I ever saw as a kid, and I've never seen anyone since hit one better. Budge Patty came closest, then Newcombe. BACKHAND VOLLEY—Close among Budge, Sedgman and Rosewall, with Sedgman getting the edge probably because of his quickness. Schroeder and Trabert were almost as outstanding."

Tennis players known for their superior volleying skills include

• Vinnie Richards
• Frank Sedgman
• Lew Hoad
• Ken Rosewall
• John McEnroe
• Stefan Edberg
• Patrick Rafter
• Boris Becker
• Pete Sampras
• Roger Federer
• Martina Navrátilová
• Jana Novotná
• Taylor Dent
• Tim Henman
• Greg Rusedski
• Marat Safin
• Goran Ivanišević

Tennis shots | Tennis terminology

Volley