Tennis volley drills and net play

1. Your partner feeds. Catch the ball on your strings with no swing, ten times on each wing.
2. Volley to volley with your partner at service-line distance. Count consecutive makes.
3. Your partner feeds low. Step across, open the face and lift it deep. Hit ten on each wing, and count only balls that land past the service line.

1. Stand at the service line. Your feeder drops balls at your feet. Hit ten: freeze low before the bounce, block, and lift the ball over the net.
2. Hit ten more moving forward from the baseline into the same ball. Count the ones that land past the service line.
3. Hit ten more, each followed by closing in and volleying the feeder's next ball.

1. Your feeder gives you a short ball. Slice it deep down the line, split at the service line as the feeder strikes and volley the reply. Do ten on each wing.
2. Repeat with a topspin approach, ten on each wing.
3. Play it live: the feeder may pass or lob. Score only the volleys that finish the point or land deep in a corner.

1. Have your partner lob short, to the service line. Do ten reps: turn and point before the ball peaks, then hit a three-quarter serve.
2. Have your partner lob deeper. Do ten reps: cross-step back, keep the ball in front of your shoulder, then explode up.
3. Run eight cycles: lob, smash, recover to the net and volley the next ball.

1. With a partner at net and a feeder or server, take ten fed returns and poach every one. Count the volleys that land in the open court.
2. Take ten more. Poach on even reps and fake on odd ones. The feeder notes where the return went on the fakes.
3. Play live, server and net player against two returners, first to seven. The net player must poach, pinch or fake every point, and the server calls the cover.

You needA practice wall · 2 balls

1. Stand 3–4 m from the wall with a continental grip.
2. Volley without letting the ball bounce: a short punch, racquet face set early, no swing.
3. When you can keep it going, alternate forehand and backhand volleys.

A compact, firm volley that uses the ball's pace instead of a swing.

You needA practice wall · 2 balls

1. Stand 5–6 m back and hit gently down so the ball rebounds to land just in front of you.
2. Take it straight after the bounce with a short block, knees bent and the face slightly open.
3. Count clean half volleys that return to the wall above the net-height line.

The half volley's short block and bent knees, with no time to swing.