Where do you stand when you practice your volley? If you’re like most players you position yourself a few feet from the net as you work on your net game. That’s fine if you’re trying to hone the shots you hit when you’re in position to put the ball away. But it’s not so good if you want to polish one of the most important shots you have to hit when you’re attacking the net—the first volley.
In most cases when you transition from the baseline to the net your initial volley will be struck around the service line, and the odds are good that a big portion of them will be hit from below the height of the net. To improve this critical shot remember to incorporate volleys into your practice routine where you’re standing at the service line and your partner is hitting from the baseline. Be sure and have him feed you both chest high balls as well as plenty of low ones. Adding this exercise to your practice will give you the confidence to deal with a variety of volleys from this position and teach you how to make the split-second decision whether to hit the ball aggressively or simply aim for good placement and a better position.