Choke Up Touch Volley Drill
Today’s tennis tip is on the volley and how you can solve a big problem you might be having. A lot of players don’t have enough feel when they get up to the net on their volleys.
Even some pros don’t have great touch at the net, and I want you to use a simple tennis volley tip that I love having students use especially when they’re warming up at the net.
You can perform a drill where you choke up and work on your touch. You’re going to find a comfortable position about 2-3 feet from the net and start to volley back and forth with your partner while choking up so that your hand is holding the racquet where the grip meets the throat.
Choking up on the racquet will give you more feel and control and teach you how to to use your hand without your wrist breaking on your volleys.
The next big key is to keep your feet moving the entire time. You want to feel like you’re dancing as you move while hitting volleys AND while waiting for the ball to come back to you
Keep The Racquet Head Close To The Head
Practicing hitting the ball with your partner using a feel based approach and focusing on keeping the racquet head close to your head without the wrist breaking will help your volleys tremendously.
Choking up on the racquet will help you keep the that “head close to the head.” Avoid trying to hit the volley hard or away from your partner. This is a cooperation drill where you aren’t keeping score.
Next time you’re looking for a tennis volley tip, use the “Choke Up Touch Volley” drill to instantly improve your feel and control.
This is a great suggestion. I have used these ‘half grips’ to work on techniques for numerous parts of the game, and doing that really helps get the basic feel for the stroke action, kind of isolating it from all the movements of the whole stroke. You know, after watching your former classmates step across on balls and bang them off the court and into the grandstand, I want to “be like Mike,” but the result is that my racket movement gets too sloppy because I do not anticipate (or read) nearly as well and do not prepare early enough, and compensate by using my wrist to rush through the stroke. I know i am not alone on that. This drill is very good “stroke maintenance,” in addition to being a good learning tool.
You are right, Robert! Great comment!
Jeff-love your tips-made me think-Why no choke up somewhat on your normal volleys to get more control
I do teach a slight choke up on the volley:)
Nice drill, I liked that you keep your feet moving.
Yes, moving those feet makes it happen!
Hi Jeff great video!!!!.
In your opinion what is the perfect location of the first volley when you are serving and volleying? a lot of tennis trainers says deep but I listen Navratilova and she says a short hard volley.
What is your opinion?
Thanks too much
Marco,
I like players to aim just past the service line. Deep is not usually the way to go for me.