In tennis, volley is a shot that is hit before the ball bounces on the ground. Generally, a volley is hit by the player while standing near the net. But, there are also instances where the volley is executed from the middle of the court or even from the baseline. Thus, volley is a shot which is played in the air and as it is executed from the net, you have very less time to prepare. Some great volleyers of the past include: John McEnroe, Rod laver, Martina Navratilova and Boris Becker. Here are a few tips on hitting the perfect volley.

• The primary objective of the volley is to go on offensive, which cuts down the reaction time of the opponent. As there is very less time to hit the volley, you must have great reflexes and good hand-eye coordination.

• While hitting a volley, you should understand that you need not play a spectacular shot; a normal volley will do the job. Thus, you are not required to hit the ball hard, but just place it in the corners.

• You should try and get as close as possible to the ball. While hitting the volley, you should stand up and not get down.

• Relax the wrist while preparing for the shot, but maintain a firm wrist at impact. Thus, while hitting the volley, lock the hand and not the wrist.

• When the ball hit by the opponent is over the waist height, then high volleys are taken which can either be hit or blocked. In high volleys, the wrist position should be behind the line of the racquet head.

• You should wait for the ball to come in. Don’t extend out to the ball. Thus, always keep your arms closer to your body. Lower the racquet head so that it is equal to the ball’s height. Make sure that you lower the racquet and not your head.

• You should be on your toes and be ready to split step. The split step should be done as soon as your opponent makes contact with the ball.

• You should avoid a complete follow through after hitting the ball. Make sure that after hitting the ball, you react quickly. Get the racquet back in position and be ready for the next shot.

Doubles match in tennis involves 4 players which can either be Men’s doubles, Women’s doubles or Mixed doubles. It is played at high tempo and is a complex game which involves constant activity of all the 4 players. In doubles, you need to think constantly, as every shot you play should be with a definite plan to evade your partner from trouble. Thus, while playing doubles, there are a few strategies which should be followed as well as some tips like –

• Aggression is the key to winning in doubles game. You should get to the net as often as possible and keep the ball low.

• Server should be responsible. Try and get first serve in 65-75% of time. A double fault is inexcusable in doubles.

• You should never let the ball go down the middle of the court without someone hitting the racquet. You should always follow the direction of the ball with one player in the middle and other partner covering the alley.

• Lob the ball over your opponents and make them hit the ball from behind the service line. Do not try and hit the ball too long near the baseline.

• Communication is extremely essential for a successful doubles partnership. You and your partner must be able to know the exact plan at any given time. For this purpose, hand signals are very essential and effective mode of communications.

• As there are two players on each side of the doubles match, movement is very critical part. Move with your partner in a parallel motion, which will avoid crossing over each other on court. Also cover your own lob, to avoid this crossing.

• There are times when you are not sure where to hit the ball. At such moments, hit the ball down the middle, which is the lowest part of the net and the highest percentage shot.

• Always look for volley and smash, and only move back when absolutely necessary.

• You should offer suggestions to your partner but do not scold or fight with your partner. Also, do not show your annoyance with your partner as he/she is also trying their best to win.

• Spot the weaker player among your opponents and center your attack on that player.

The key to success in doubles is team work and not individual brilliance.

Forehand groundstroke is the foundation of the game you play and the right technique to hit the forehand can win you many games. Forehand is the main weapon for many players and for them it is their most reliable shot. For such players, forehand opens up the court, hits sharp angles and also overpowers the player across the net. Following are a few tips for hitting a perfect tennis forehand.

• You should always keep your eye on the ball. Watch the ball all the way till it hits your racquet. There are instances where the ball takes a weird hop off the court, resulting in an ugly mishit. So, always keep your eye on the ball to hit a consistently good forehand.

• While hitting a forehand, you should always keep your feet at the width of your shoulders.

• In forehand, more than one arm is required to hit the ball with great velocity. Thus, more power can be used by using leg muscles. If you bend your knees before hitting the forehand, you can push up while making a contact to add extra power to your forehand.

• You should hold the racquet at waist level directly in front of you. You should try and maintain a firm wrist through the entire stroke i.e. backswing, hit and follow through.

• Adding topspin to your forehand will make it harder and increase the chances of getting the ball in. Topspin can be added to the forehand by swinging the racquet from below the waist to above the waist, during which the stringbed should be parallel to the net.

• The follow through after hitting the forehand should be complete. You should make sure that you fully swing through the ball and extend it to about chin height. If you’re giving the ball some topspin then the follow through should finish with the racquet facing the ground.

• Your follow through should be just perfect and after hitting the forehand you should react quickly. You should get your racquet back and be prepared for the next shot.

• You should drive the racquet forward with your shoulders. You should not allow your arm to change position and avoid exerting more pressure on the swing. You should grip the racquet firmly but at the same time avoid clutching the racquet too hard.

In tennis, the backhand shot is considered as one of the most difficult shots and many top players have a lot of trouble with it. Backhand shot is tougher to hit than forehand. Backhand shot for left-handers is on the right hand side of the body and vice-versa. Thus, the players struggle not only with their arm and hand but there is also difficulty in judging distances and arm co-ordination. That’s why mastering the backhand shot is tough and requires a lot of practice. Here are a few tips for a better tennis backhand.

• First and foremost, you should accept the fact that the backhand is on the non-dominant side of your body and therefore you will feel less comfortable while hitting this shot.

• You should have the right grip i.e. your grip should place the “V”, which is the space between your thumb and forefinger. The thumb should be pointing up the back and it will be the source of grip and power.

• You should avoid the straightening of arm to swing or swinging with straightening arm, which will degrade your backhand. Hence, you should keep your elbow still and move the forearm as if making an arc, parallel to the hip line.

• You should rotate your trunk so that the shoulders are at least perpendicular to the net. This will enable sighting-up the ball over your lead shoulder.

• Working out the timing on the backhand can be a bit tricky. Hence, you should focus on hitting the ball from the center of the racquet. The contact with the ball should be made about a foot in front of your body. You should attack the ball a bit quickly, as the backhand speed tends to be slower than the forehand speed.

• The power generated by the backhand is less than the forehand shot. To generate extra power you need to use both the hands, but make sure that your dominant hand is closer to the butt of the racquet than your weaker hand.

• After hitting the backhand, immediately move towards the area of the court that is now vulnerable. Thus, keep moving all the time since a smart opponent will sense the resting moment and will definitely take the advantage.

• The reason why the backhand is mysterious is because of too many tips and visual imagery. Hence, you should try and follow these tips but at the same time trust your instincts, which are almost always correct.