Whether you bound up to the net at the first given opportunity or remain glued to the baseline, being able to execute a winning volley is a major advantage for any tennis player.

Baseliners seem to dominate matches nowadays. Today’s tennis racquets are lighter and more powerful than ever before, enabling players to increasingly hit winners from the baseline. However, volleys are still the most efficient way to finish a point as long as you

Whether you bound up to the net at the first given opportunity or remain glued to the baseline, being able to execute a winning volley is a major advantage for any tennis player.


Baseliners seem to dominate matches nowadays. Today’s tennis racquets are lighter and more powerful than ever before, enabling players to increasingly hit winners from the baseline. However, volleys are still the most efficient way to finish a point as long as you keep them out of the net.

Have confidence

The first major tip for sending your volleys over, rather than into the net is to gain confidence. This is easier said than done, maybe. So the solution is to force yourself up to the net as often as possible no matter how reluctant you are. The more frequently you volley, the more confident you’ll become when hitting.

Whenever you find yourself up at the net, instead of panicking about netting your volleys, remember you’re the player in prime position to finish off the point. Your opponent is in the defensive position and they have to get the ball past you. A net player is always a threat to the baseliner.

Be aggressive

Don’t falter. You have between 1-1.5 seconds to react to the incoming ball. Hesitance on your part will only lead to a mediocre volley and more likely than not, the ball will end up in the net. You have to be ready to attack every shot coming your way. The more aggressive you are the more likely you’ll hit a winning volley.

Your grip

Certain grips work better than others. Because life at the net is so faced paced, there is little time for switching between grips. Instead, use a grip you’re comfortable with when volleying and stick with that for both forehand and backhand volleys. The Continental grip is a popular grip for volleys and you may already use this when you’re serving. 

Racquet position

Holding your racquet in the right position for the volley is paramount to keeping the ball out of the net. For most volleys except the low one, your racquet should be held up and centered just in front of you with the head well above wrist level. And always squeeze the handle when hitting the ball. The tighter you squeeze the more control you’ll gain. If you allow your racquet head to drop, the chances of getting the ball over the net rapidly diminish.

Practice, practice, practice

There really is no other way around this. You can only hope to gain experience by forcing yourself up to the net as often as possible, especially while playing competitive matches. Drills are useful, but constantly putting yourself into the position where you’re forced to make snap decisions will help speed up your reaction times and build your confidence at the net.

As long as you stay confident when up at the net, concentrate on keeping your racquet head up and maintain a strong grip, you’ll stand a better chance of keeping your volleys out of the net. And with the multitude of baseline players found on courts today, why not upset the balance and surprise them with your newfound volley skills.