Volley Technique for Doubles: Punch, Do Not Swing

Doubles is won and lost at the net, and the volley is the shot most club players get wrong. They swing at it like a mini-groundstroke. They take a big backswing. They hit late. Every one of those mistakes has the same root cause: not treating the volley as its own shot.

The grip: continental, always

One grip for forehand volleys, backhand volleys, overheads, and serves. If you switch grips at the net, you are already late. Grip the racquet like you would hold a hammer.

The ready position

Racquet head up, above the wrists, out in front of the body. Weight on the balls of the feet. Eyes tracking the ball off the opponent's strings, not off their body.

The motion

Short. Compact. Punch, do not swing.

The racquet moves from the ready position to the ball in a straight line, with almost no takeback. The contact point is in front of the body, above the wrist, with a firm wrist. The follow-through is short — the racquet stops roughly where the ball was.

Think "catch and release," not "swing and hit."

Footwork

Every good volley has a step. Right foot forward on a forehand volley. Left foot forward on a backhand volley. That step transfers weight forward and gives the volley its depth.

Weight moves through the ball, toward the target. If you volley off your back foot, the ball will float, sit up, and get punished.

Height matters

• High volleys (above the net): angle down aggressively, aim into the open court.
• Low volleys (below the net): open the racquet face slightly, hit up and deep — do not try to angle a low volley. Just get it deep and keep the point alive.

The doubles application

At the net in doubles, your job is to volley one of two places: down the middle between the opponents (poach), or short and angled cross-court (finish). You are not trying to hit winners from below the net. You are trying to force weak returns you can finish.

Drill

Have a partner feed you fifty volleys at moderate pace, alternating forehand and backhand. Count how many land in the singles court, deeper than the service line. That number is your baseline. Beat it every week.

Great doubles players are made at the net. Own the volley and you own doubles.