Drills to Improve Your Volleys

Drills to Improve Your Volleys

1. Rapid-Fire Volley Drill

• Objective: Improve your reaction time and consistency with volleys.
• How to do it:
  1. Stand at the kitchen line with a partner positioned across from you.
  2. Your partner will hit fast-paced volleys at you.
  3. Your goal is to return the volleys quickly, keeping your paddle up and using a compact swing.
  4. Focus on alternating between forehand and backhand volleys.
• Focus: Keep your paddle up, react quickly, and use short swings. Practice maintaining balance while moving laterally to respond to each volley.

2. Punch and Block Volley Drill

• Objective: Learn when to use punch volleys (offensive) and block volleys (defensive).
• How to do it:
  1. Stand at the kitchen line and have your partner feed you a variety of fast and slow volleys.
  2. For higher balls, practice the punch volley by hitting the ball with a firm, compact swing.
  3. For fast, low shots, practice the block volley by absorbing the pace and softly returning the ball.
  4. Alternate between punch and block volleys, focusing on the appropriate shot selection based on ball height and speed.
• Focus: Work on your ability to adjust quickly between offensive and defensive volleys based on the situation.

3. Target Volley Drill

• Objective: Improve your placement and accuracy on volleys.
• How to do it:
  1. Place targets (cones or markers) on different areas of your opponent’s side, such as near the sidelines, center court, or at their feet.
  2. Stand at the kitchen line and have your partner feed you volleys.
  3. Focus on aiming your volleys toward specific targets, practicing both forehand and backhand volleys.
  4. Repeat, trying to hit each target multiple times.
• Focus: Improve accuracy by consistently aiming for your opponent’s weak spots or open areas of the court.

4. Drop Volley Drill

• Objective: Master the soft touch required for drop volleys or dink volleys.
• How to do it:
  1. Stand at the kitchen line and have your partner hit balls to you from the baseline.
  2. Practice hitting soft drop volleys that land just over the net into your opponent’s non-volley zone.
  3. Focus on keeping the ball low and controlled, forcing your opponent to move forward and hit up.
  4. Alternate between soft drop volleys and punch volleys to develop versatility.
• Focus: Develop the touch needed for finesse volleys while staying balanced and ready for the next shot.

5. Shadow Volley Drill

• Objective: Build muscle memory for proper volley technique.
• How to do it:
  1. Stand at the kitchen line without a ball, practicing your volley footwork and swing motion.
  2. Simulate both forehand and backhand volleys, focusing on short, compact swings.
  3. Practice split-stepping, reacting, and resetting your position after each simulated volley.
• Focus: Ensure proper form, keeping your paddle up and maintaining balance while working on footwork and swing technique.