The Basics of Good Volley

If you look at footage of all-time greats such as Margaret Court,Chris Evert, Stan Smith and Bjorn Borg, you can't help but notice how different the game is off the ground when you compare them with current stars like Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova. But the volley, at least the non-swinging variety, has proven to be mostly impervious to change, and what was considered good form then is still in style today, as Mauresmo and King demonstrate.

The Perfect Volley:

1. GRIP - Both King and Mauresmo, like virtually every advanced player, use the Continental grip on their volleys, though Mauresmo, hand is farther down the handle than King's. Notice especially how they position their index finger. This is what controls the head of the racquet on volleys.
2. ELBOW - One of the keys for a consistenly solid forehand volley is keeping your elbow tucked in. From these photographs, you can see that both King and Mauresmo do that well. Although you'll often find it impossible to keep your elbow close to your side, whenever you have a chance to set up, and especially when you're volleying a hard-hit ball, keep you elbow tucked just inside your right hip to minimize excess racquet movement and ensure that it's far enough in front of your body for good contact.
3. RACQUET HEAD - Most players have been told to keep the racquet head up when they volley, but often I see players exaggerating this and holding the racquet almost perpendicular to the surface of the court. Just above horizontal, as King and Mauresmo are doing, is just right. Again, there are exceptions. On low volleys, for instance, you might have to let the racquet head drop below wrist level and open the racquet face more. But when you have a choice, keep it up.
4. FEET - King and Mauresmo place their feet identically, and each will be planting with her left foot just as she hits the ball. I always try to think "step and hit together"when I volley. If you put your front foot down too soon, you may check your upper-body momentum and pitch forward and dump the ball into the net. Mauresmo takes practically no backswing on her forehand volley, generating her pace with her body movement. She transfers her weight forward into this shot beautifully.
5. CONTACT POINT - King and Mauresmo will both make contact with the ball just ahead of their left feet, which is perfect for the forehand volley. The mantra with the volley is to move forward, but you don't want to do that at the expense of your contact point. The sensation you want to feel is similar to catching a ball, when you let the ball go into your hand and absorb it.
6. EYES - Each player, but especially King, watches the ball well. King already has her eyes fixed on the intended point of contact, while Mauresmo is looking just ahead. On volleys it's best to keep the ball close to and in front of your eyes. If you do that, you'll find that your knee bend will take care of itself.

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