A volley is often decided before the ball reaches your strings. If your racquet starts low, your swing gets big, or you wait for the ball to come to you, even an easy floater can turn into a difficult shot. Learning how to practice tennis volleys means training preparation, footwork, and decision-making together – not simply standing at the service line and hitting hundreds of balls.
For juniors building an all-court game and adults looking to finish points more confidently, volley practice should be short, focused, and frequent. The goal is not to hit every volley hard. It is to make clean contact in front of your body, control the ball’s direction, and recover quickly for the next shot.
Start With a Volley Position You Can Repeat
Good volleys begin with a ready position that works under pressure. Hold the racquet out in front of your chest with your hands relaxed, your elbows comfortably away from your sides, and the racquet head above your wrist. Keep a slight bend in your knees so you can move forward, back, or sideways without standing up first.
Many players lose control because they take the racquet back like a groundstroke. At the net, there is rarely time for that. Think of the first move as a compact shoulder turn rather than a backswing. On a forehand volley, turn your shoulders slightly to the right if you are right-handed, then step toward the ball. On a backhand volley, use your non-dominant hand to help support and guide the racquet face as you turn.
Your contact point should be out in front. A useful cue is to imagine catching the ball on the strings, then sending it toward a target. That feeling encourages a firm wrist and a short, efficient punch instead of a swipe.
How to Practice Tennis Volleys With Better Control
Start close to the net. This may feel too easy at first, but it reveals whether your fundamentals are actually dependable. Stand about six to eight feet from the net with a partner on the other side at the same distance. Rally gently using only volleys, aiming over the center of the net with enough height to keep the exchange going.
Focus on making the ball travel from racquet to racquet without speed. Keep your hands in front, take small adjustment steps, and use a simple split step as your partner strikes the ball. If the ball floats or sprays, slow down before trying to hit harder. Clean contact is the foundation of pace later on.
After you can sustain a controlled exchange, move both players back a few feet. The added distance forces you to read the ball earlier and adjust your racquet face. This is also where players learn an important trade-off: a firmer volley gives the opponent less time, but too much force reduces your margin. Most routine volleys should be placed with purpose, not blasted.
Use Targets to Give Every Ball a Job
Aimless volleying can improve feel, but targets build usable skills. Place cones, balls, or court markers in the service boxes and choose one target before each feed. For a basic drill, hit five forehand volleys crosscourt, five backhand volleys crosscourt, then alternate sides.
Crosscourt is the best starting target because the net is lower and the court is longer. Once that feels comfortable, practice directing a few balls down the line. Down-the-line volleys are more aggressive and can finish points, but they require more precise contact. Save them for balls you can meet well in front of your body.
For developing players, use larger target areas. Competitive juniors can make the drill more demanding by aiming deep through the service box or keeping the ball away from a partner standing near the center. The right target should challenge your accuracy without making every miss feel like failure.
Build Footwork Into Every Drill
Volleys are not played from a fixed spot. Even when you are close to the net, your feet determine whether you contact the ball in balance or reach at it late. A split step should happen as your opponent makes contact, giving you a quick first move in either direction.
Try a simple feed-and-recover drill. Have a partner feed alternating forehand and backhand volleys from across the net. After every shot, recover to a balanced ready position near the middle of your assigned area. Do not drift forward after contact or admire a good volley. Your next ball may be at your feet, over your shoulder, or straight at your body.
Next, add movement forward. Start around the service line, split step as the feeder hits, move through the ball, and volley into a target. Finish with two or three quick recovery steps. This drill teaches a key net-play habit: forward movement creates pressure, but only if you stay balanced enough to handle the reply.
Low volleys deserve their own practice. Bend from your knees and hips rather than dropping the racquet head alone. Keep the racquet face slightly open and guide the ball upward with a short motion. A low volley is usually a setup shot, not a winner. Your job is often to get it deep, crosscourt, or safely back to the middle so you can regain a stronger court position.
Add the Volleys You Will Use in Matches
Once the basic punch volley is reliable, practice the situations that show up in real points. A coach or partner can feed these patterns one at a time, then combine them as your control improves.
The first is the first volley after an approach shot. Begin at the baseline, hit or simulate an approach, and move forward as your partner sends a ball toward you. Your first volley may come near the service line, so it needs more depth than a volley hit close to the net. Aim deep through the middle or crosscourt and keep moving forward if the ball allows it.
The second is the reaction volley. Stand closer to the net while a partner feeds firm balls toward your body, forehand, and backhand. Keep the swing extremely short. Your goal is to block the ball with a stable racquet face and direct it safely, not create a highlight-reel winner.
The third is the volley at the feet. Ask your partner to feed dipping balls that land near your shoes. Practice getting low, opening the racquet face slightly, and sending the ball with enough lift to clear the net. This shot separates players who can get to the net from players who can stay there.
Finally, practice the overhead-to-volley sequence. Hit an overhead, recover your balance, then be ready for the next ball at the net. Points do not always end after the overhead, especially against quick opponents. Training the second shot builds the habit of staying engaged.
Train With a Partner, Coach, or Wall
A partner makes volley practice more realistic because you can read a live ball and respond to changing pace. Keep cooperative drills structured by choosing a target, a number of successful contacts, or a movement pattern. Random hitting has a place, but a clear purpose helps you improve faster.
Private instruction is especially helpful if your volleys feel awkward, float too high, or break down against pace. A teaching professional can quickly identify whether the issue is grip, contact point, racquet face, or footwork. At Trumbull Racquet Club, year-round indoor courts also make it easier to practice net skills consistently instead of waiting for ideal weather.
A wall can help when a partner is unavailable, but use it carefully. Stand close enough that the rebound stays manageable, use a compact motion, and work on forehand and backhand control. The wall is excellent for repetition, though it cannot fully replicate the spin, height, and decision-making of a live opponent.
Keep Your Practice Short Enough to Stay Sharp
Ten focused minutes of volley work can be more productive than a long session with tired feet and loose technique. Begin with controlled close-net exchanges, move into targets and footwork, then finish with a match-style pattern such as approach shot plus first volley.
Track one simple measure each session: consecutive controlled volleys, target hits out of ten, or successful first volleys after an approach. Improvement becomes easier to see when you measure something specific.
The best volleyers look calm because their preparation happens early. Give yourself regular chances to practice that early preparation, and the net will start to feel like a place to take control of the point rather than survive it.