The Volley

Quick Look

• The volley is hit out of the air before the bounce, usually from up at the net.
• Athletic ready position: feet about shoulder width, knees bent, up on the toes.
• Paddle stays out in front and in the middle, held a little above belt height. Off hand on the throat.
• Grip is a continental neutral grip so you can cover both wings without changing anything.
• Almost no trunk or shoulder turn. There is not time and you do not need it.
• Backswing is very short. Paddle goes back to about your body, never behind it.
• Hit through the ball. Get over it for topspin when you can, slice under it when the ball is coming hard.
• Default target is deep to keep the other team pinned back.
• If they are approaching, go at their feet and shins instead.
• Angles exist, but deep is the higher percentage play most of the time.

Ready Position

The volley lives and dies on the ready position, because there is almost no time to fix anything after the ball is struck.

Feet about shoulder width apart, knees bent, up on the toes. Paddle out in front of me and in the middle of my body, held a little higher than my belt. Off hand on the throat.

Out in front and in the middle is the part people get wrong. A paddle held low, held to one side, or held close to the chest costs you the split second you do not have. From the middle position you are equally ready for a forehand volley or a backhand volley without committing to either.

Grip

For volleys I use a continental neutral grip. That is the whole point of continental: it sits between the forehand and backhand grips so the paddle face works on both sides without a grip change.

At the net you do not have time to change grips. Whatever grip you are holding when the ball is struck is the grip you are volleying with, so it needs to be one that covers both wings.

Preparation

This is where the volley separates from the groundstrokes. On a forehand or backhand from the ground, the first move is the trunk twist. On a volley, I am not twisting my trunk or my shoulders anywhere near as much.

There is simply not time, and the shot does not need it. The volley is a block and a punch, not a swing. The power is already in the ball. Your job is to redirect it with a stable paddle face.

Backswing

Very short. That is the whole instruction.

On a forehand volley I take the paddle back with both hands, keeping the off hand on the throat, and the paddle goes back to about my body. Not behind my body. Same on the backhand volley: both hands, off hand on the throat, paddle back to the body and no further.

If the paddle disappears behind you, you are swinging at a volley, and swinging at a volley is how you spray balls long or into the net. The compact preparation is not a limitation, it is the shot.

Contact and Swing Path

Hit through the ball. When I can, I try to get over the ball and put a little topspin on the volley, which brings it down and keeps it in.

When the ball is coming at me hard, I go the other way and hit under it with a slice, more like a traditional tennis volley. Against pace you are not adding anything, you are just controlling. The underspin gives you a stable face and takes some of the heat off.

Forehand Volley

The forehand volley is where I feel most comfortable adding shape. Paddle back with both hands, short preparation, then hit through the ball and try to get over it for a little topspin. Against a hard ball, switch to the slice.

Backhand Volley

Same preparation: off hand on the throat, paddle back to about the body, then hit through the ball.

On my backhand volley I generally hit through the ball a little flatter than on my forehand side. That is a comfort thing more than a rule. You absolutely can get over the ball and put topspin on a backhand volley, much like a ping pong backhand, brushing over the top of the ball. If that motion feels natural to you, use it.

Shot Selection

This is the part that decides points.

If the other team just hit a third shot drop or drive and they are still back, I volley deep. Keeping them pinned behind the baseline is the goal, because a team that cannot get to the net cannot win the point on their terms.

If the ball comes with little pace and there is a clear angle available, sometimes I take it. But I think the higher percentage play is the deep volley. Angles look great when they work and give away easy points when they do not.

If they are approaching and coming forward, the target changes. Go at their feet and shins. A ball at the feet of a moving player is the hardest ball in pickleball to handle, and it is a better answer than trying to hit past them.

Recovery

Right back to the ready position: paddle out in front and in the middle, a little above the belt, off hand on the throat, knees bent, on the toes. At the net the next ball is often already on its way, so the reset has to be immediate.

Key Takeaways

• Paddle out in front and in the middle, a little above belt height, with the off hand on the throat.
• Use a continental neutral grip. There is no time to change grips at the net.
• Skip the big trunk turn. The volley is a punch, not a swing.
• Keep the backswing to about your body and never behind it.
• Get over the ball for topspin when you can, slice under it when the ball is coming hard.
• Backhand volleys can be flatter, and that is fine. Topspin on that side is optional, not required.
• Deep is the default target. Keep the other team back.
• When they are moving forward, aim at the feet and shins.