I was playing a tournament at Mission Hills and Woodforde was working with Pospisil on center court not long after Pospisil won Wimbledon doubles. He was drilling balls at him and the only thing he kept telling him was to keep the racquet face open.
I agree that many pros hit underspin volleys, but David MacPherson, who coached the Bryan brothers for most of their career, said they had the best volleys in the world because they hit higher volleys flat-and hard with lots of “stick.” It can be done with a continental grip; you just tilt the racket face so it’s perpendicular to your intended line of the ball’s flight and hit slightly down, moving the racket face on that same line. It’s easy to do on high volleys because don’t have to get the head of your racket quite so high.
Thanks for the feedback and comments, BJ. When it comes to the Bryan brothers and their style of doubles, the flatter volleys were often more effective because they were all over the net...closer than almost any team in history, (maybe McEnroe the same) and certainly closer than when playing singles on most volleys. Technically, the idea of tilting the Racquet face using the same grip involves the wrist and is a tough task for most rec players, and it doesn't make sense. Best, John
Hi John, Thank you so much! Always appreciate your kind words and support! Are you attending the Irvine Tennis Seminar on Sunday? I am presently in Hawaii, but hope to attend as I am returning on Friday. Thanks again, John
Hey there is there like a metaphor that you have in mind describe how this volley works, and so it can be remebered easier, and implemented naturally without having to think too much into the technique.
I have given this quite a bit of thought. There are a number of concepts from stopping the ball, blacking the ball, catching the ball, clipping the ball, etc. There really is no time to think about technique, as things happen so quick. The volley needs to be practiced to the point where it is played without thought, but perhaps "feel". Here is a quote from the great John Wooden: Coach Wooden believed the teaching of fundamentals, until they are all executed quickly, properly, and without conscious thought, is a prerequisite to playing the game. Drills must be created so that all of the fundamentals are taught to the criterion that players execute them automatically. In Coach Wooden's words: "Learning and drilling created a foundation on which individual initiative and imagination can flourish.”
