The Swinging Volley and the Future of Attacking Tennis

[johnyandell]

Would love to get your thoughts on "The Swinging Volley and the Future of Attacking Tennis"

[GeoffWilliams]

The uni grip is ideal for swinging volleys without changing grips at the net. I use it against players who put the ball at my feet on returns. Instead of continental, I switch off that grip while coming in.

I advocate it as a tactic inside the service line, for future swing volley advancement, that was only created by Agassi due to his 4.0 fh blocked volley in the first place!

But it takes years of practice to get used to the uni grip while serve/volleying, and takes a lot of match practice to perfect. Beyond the ability of most up to 5.0.

Who was better than Agassi at short hopping a ball at his feet? He instinctively knew that using a swing volley short hop was better than a bad continental block. He just didn't take it to the next uni grip logical level.

[tennis_chiro]

I'd still like to see a modern player who could volley at least reasonably in a conventional manner (classic) and also has full ability to hit what I call a "drive volley" and distinguish from a swinging volley. By a "drive volley", I mean something with a fuller backswing, but with the racket hand (right for righty) going no further back than the rear shoulder while the racket head might be a couple of feet further back and the follow through is an extended volley followthrough with the racket shaft maintaining its orientation largely parallel to the net or perpendicular to the intended path of the ball.

This is a huge swing for a volley, but much shorter than a swinging volley and does not require the semi-western grip most of the players need for their swinging volleys. It can be hit in a hurry and as you close without a lot of time to set up and it can be hit quite hard with excellent accuracy; much more so in those perspectives than a true swinging volley. Additionally, the completion of this stroke does not keep you from making your move to your next position to be prepared for the attempted passing shot. A true swinging volley has a long followthrough and it is hard to make an immediate close until you have completed that followthrough. Otherwise, you risk hitting an ineffective swinging volley or simply missing it.

Swinging volleys could be really effective immediately after the serve on weak returns, but as you get closer to the net you need to be able to hit a classic punch volley off a fast ball and that requires a classic continental grip.

I would like to see something develop that would get the players to come to the net a little more. Some of the stats are amazing on net play. It is not unusual to see that the player is winning 75% on his net points only to see that he only went to the net 4 times. You would think a 75% winning ratio would encourage a player to take more risk. I see this all the time.

don

[don_budge]

Modern Tennis and Modern Love...

Would love to get your thoughts on "The Swinging Volley and the Future of Attacking Tennis"

SNAFU

[klacr]

I'd still like to see a modern player who could volley at least reasonably in a conventional manner (classic) and also has full ability to hit what I call a "drive volley" and distinguish from a swinging volley. By a "drive volley", I mean something with a fuller backswing, but with the racket hand (right for righty) going no further back than the rear shoulder while the racket head might be a couple of feet further back and the follow through is an extended volley followthrough with the racket shaft maintaining its orientation largely parallel to the net or perpendicular to the intended path of the ball.

This is a huge swing for a volley, but much shorter than a swinging volley and does not require the semi-western grip most of the players need for their swinging volleys. It can be hit in a hurry and as you close without a lot of time to set up and it can be hit quite hard with excellent accuracy; much more so in those perspectives than a true swinging volley. Additionally, the completion of this stroke does not keep you from making your move to your next position to be prepared for the attempted passing shot. A true swinging volley has a long followthrough and it is hard to make an immediate close until you have completed that followthrough. Otherwise, you risk hitting an ineffective swinging volley or simply missing it.

Swinging volleys could be really effective immediately after the serve on weak returns, but as you get closer to the net you need to be able to hit a classic punch volley off a fast ball and that requires a classic continental grip.

I would like to see something develop that would get the players to come to the net a little more. Some of the stats are amazing on net play. It is not unusual to see that the player is winning 75% on his net points only to see that he only went to the net 4 times. You would think a 75% winning ratio would encourage a player to take more risk. I see this all the time.

don

Agree with you on many points on the technical aspects and wanting to see more players hit conventional volleys.
Your 3rd paragraph is one that pretty much defines the situation quite well. If you notice in the article, all players hitting the swinging volley do so well behind the service line and off weak floating returns. This is when it gets used. No one is advocating a swinging volley inside the service line on a fast ball that a reflext or block volley could be used.
The swinging volley, love it or hate it, is used in specific situations and although the old guard may not enjoy seeing it, it is a shot that will become more prominent. Classic, proper volley technique be damned.

If it's not for a swinging volley, these players may never get into the net. Beggars can't be choosers, whatever brings them to the net I'll take. That's the goal after all.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[jimlosaltos]

For Weekend Warriors?

Would love to get your thoughts on "The Swinging Volley and the Future of Attacking Tennis"

John,

Do you recommend amateurs try both forehand and backhand swinging volleys? Or instructors teach both to teens?

As we discussed in an earlier thread on TNP, I've been surprised at a sudden surge in backhand-swinging-volleys on the ATP side -- 2-handed and 1-handed.

Also, in future articles I hope you'll discuss the perennial question of to what extent people should emulate ATP players' strokes. The great series you had with Rick Macci said so for the "ATP Forehand", but what about it's prodigal son the FWV? Or the backhand SV? {I've seen Gasquet hit one from below-and-near the net and have enough racket-head speed to get it up and down ... I can dream ...}

In his title match with Fed, Djokovic hit back-to-back swinging volleys, one on each side on the same point. Can't recall when I've seen that.

Here are two photos I took of Djokovic's SV at BNP Indian Wells, one from your current Tour Portrait:

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/tourportraits/jim_fawcette/iw_2015/index.html

Nole's backhand SV:
BNPIW15Djokovic17 Backhand Swinging Volley by james.fawcette, on Flickr

Nole's forehand SV:
BNPIW15Djokovic16 Forehand Leaping Short - Version 2 by james.fawcette, on Flickr

end.

[arturohernandez]

Great comments from everyone! I have been thinking about this topic for a while as I grapple with how to come to the net these days. The days of just serving and volleying or chipping and charging are long gone. With the strings and rackets it is just too easy to hit it at people's feet. No need to even hit a passing shot anymore. Just hit at the feet and then wait for the next ball to come up and finish the point.

At the same time it has become more and more reasonable to try and hit deep spinny balls to neutralize opponents. I personally like to come to the net but have felt the need to adapt to this new reality.

At times I have also stepped back well behind the baseline and just let the spin die out. But that leads to playing in a way that many times favors the baseline player and takes away my advantage.

The swinging volley is a nice hybrid solution. There are often times that balls are up in the air and I have time to take them on the rise. But this still gives my opponent time. It also increases the level of difficulty because of hitting just after bounce.

The swinging volley is nice because it cuts off time without obligating the player to come in. It also doesn't require one to generate that much pace. The ball is in the air and so it can be hit safely without worrying about whether the timing is perfectly precise.

I really like the idea and am going to try it out.

I hit a one-handed backhand so that should be an interesting experiment.

[johnyandell]

I would encourage every player to experiment. If your swing patterns are sound on your ground strokes then you have the technical basis for the swinging volleys. How you incorporate them into play is something that can be situational, but I think some players are going to find they can use it as a deliberate tactic.

[gzhpcu]

The swinging volley is a tactic a good friend of mine, who used to coach at Harry Hopman's camp in Florida, recommended to use against high, floating shots... He said Hopman promoted it...

[GeoffWilliams]

It's the future of the attacking net game. Both sides, uni grip, here it comes.

[lobndropshot]

What is the real advantage of the uni grip?

Is it that you save a thousandth of a second by not changing you grip. Wouldn't you lose the time you save when contact with the ball earlier and farther out in front?

[gzhpcu]

What is the real advantage of the uni grip?

Is it that you save a thousandth of a second by not changing you grip. Wouldn't you lose the time you save when contact with the ball earlier and farther out in front?

I don't think that matters, because I don't think it is used for hard, flat passing shots, but against defensive, rather high shots, so you have plenty of time.

[jimlosaltos]

I would encourage every player to experiment. If your swing patterns are sound on your ground strokes then you have the technical basis for the swinging volleys. How you incorporate them into play is something that can be situational, but I think some players are going to find they can use it as a deliberate tactic.

-- thx

[jimlosaltos]

why uni?

It's the future of the attacking net game. Both sides, uni grip, here it comes.

Why "uni grip"? Seems plenty of time to switch grips {or am I misunderstanding?} and ATP types seem to. Gasquet even hits swinging backhand volleys with a severely turned one-handed backhand grip.

p.s. trivial -- but I hate auto correct continually turning Gasquet into Gasket