Volleys Failing in Match Play
The Bryan Brother’s “Romanian Volley Drill”
Footage: Annalee Berlin
Q: I’m hopeless at volleys. I understand the shot and in practice I get them where they need to be 80% of the time. But in matches - it is more like 20%..
This is a common problem as we begin to master the volley, so don't feel too frustrated. The volley has become slightly less relevant in tennis meta, so we are just less exposed to it, and thus more vulnerable.
What are you practicing?
It all comes down how relevant our practice is in comparison to the volleys we see in match. Players tend to practice warm-up volleys down the line within the service box. Unfortunately this tends to be the warm up AND practice for a majority of players. Even in normal practice settings they do this exact scenario. However, this situation hardly ever happens in a match. When do you ever rally from volleys to baseline? When does it actually happen exclusively down the line? Usually both players are trying to put away the ball. Below are the most common scenarios you will see in a match. Practice these shots and you'll be closer to getting your volleys truly mastered.
(1) Cross Court
In doubles volleys are almost always in the cross court direction, whether you are approaching or poaching. From a position + contact point standpoint, this shot is subtly but significantly different. Some players grasp this naturally(not the case for me), but 100% you need to have this down instinctively. Because we practice our down the line volley rallies most of the time, we will subconsciously prepare our volleys in that context causing an error.
Solution: Practice cross court volleys, both volley-volley and volley-baseline OFTEN.
(2) First Volley
The first volley is significantly different than the rest of the volleys. Our first volley is usually in no man's land and/or a little bit before service line. This is often twice the distance we usually hit vs service box volleys. Not only this, but this shot actually determines how difficult your next volley is. It's essentially the serve for the rest of your volleys. Add to the fact that this ball usually needs to be cross court, you can see how this ball is prone to error, and can make our next volley impossible.
Solution: Practice your volleys when you are in no man's land against someone who is at the baseline. You need to drive through the volley more and aim higher.
(3) Passive vs Active
In general we tend to practice volleys in a rally context, but not in an aggressive setting. Taking the initiative on the volley while covering ground is very different than staying inside the service box and hitting volleys hit to you.
Solution: This one probably requires someone to feed you. Try positioning yourself in different spots: no man's land, different service boxes, etc. Then have your coach/friend feed you a floater but away from you. Then transition to slightly faster balls.
(4) Off-Ball
Off-ball movement in doubles is an art. If you're standing still and stagnant, you and your partner are more likely to be frustrated throughout the points. Likewise if you shift your weight at the wrong time, or try to "hover" in the middle you make yourself extremely vulnerable to passing shots. This one is more instinctual and comes from practice and doubles knowledge/sense. My general advice is to be decisive. When you want to poach, you fully commit. The majority of rallies allow yourself to just stand your ground. When you see a ball that is in reach go for it. Your goal is to not put yourself in a 50/50 indecisiveness.
Closing Remarks
In general volley warm ups are passive. Volleys in a single direction. The volleys you receive in a match are not only hit to make it difficult for you, but there's a chance for a lob, a passing shot, or a body shot. There's many different circumstances that may happen and those possibilities make the overall volley more difficult in matches than practice.
Hope this gives you a good idea of the pathway you need to make your volleys more confident.
Good luck!