The mad volley drill is an engaging tennis game designed to test players’ quick reactions and agility. For maximum fun and fitness benefits, this drill should be undertaken with an experienced partner.
One person stands halfway between the service line and baseline on one side of the court while another serves, then both players alternate hitting volleys and lobs back and forth between themselves.
1. Overhead Volley Drill
An essential aspect of tennis for both newcomers and experienced players alike is the ability to close the net quickly, and move in and out of the court quickly and smoothly. To hone this skill set, try this simple volley drill that works equally well for beginners as for more experienced players.
Start this drill by standing about three feet behind the service line, having someone feed you quick volleys from across the net and hitting them before your opponent can return to the net and field a groundstroke. Quickly move forward five or six feet closer to the net until no longer fielding balls before your opponent arrives at the net – this drill provides both fun and challenge! Plus it makes an excellent warmup before matches!
The Bryan Brothers made this drill one of their signature drills during their rise to fame, as it helps develop both hand speed and rhythm through their volleys. Furthermore, it builds forearm strength – key for creating powerful volleys – as well as hand speed. This drill can be performed either solo or with multiple players of differing levels.
This volley drill is similar to the Overhead Volley Drill, but offers additional benefits by honing your ability to hit deep lobs. This drill helps build arm strength necessary for hitting powerful lobs while honing “scooping” technique to increase power output.
Starting in the center of the court, this drill allows two players to hit volleys towards one another before rotating left or right and continuing volleying alternately. If successful in keeping going without missing, try increasing your target volley count gradually until your partner misses more often than planned.
2. Touch Volley Drill
Volleying can be one of the more challenging aspects of tennis for novice players, yet one of the most essential skills to acquire in order to improve overall game. Volleying allows you to score net points by returning the ball into play or closing out points against an opponent; therefore it is imperative that beginners practice appropriate volley drills such as Touch Volley Drill to increase speed, accuracy and power when approaching the net. It teaches students how to absorb momentum of opposing shots effectively.
The 3-Ball Drill is another effective volley drill to help players stay focused and close out points at the net. This drill forces you to use backspin on your racquet for low ball placement while giving you practice attacking both forehand and backhand shots. Both drills can help any tennis player improve their game overall.
This drill is a straightforward and straightforward volley practice without needing a partner. Stand about one foot away from a wall and hit ten forehand volleys and ten backhand volleys without stopping or taking breaks; keep each shot short, making sure each shot strikes cleanly!
For an advanced version of this volley drill, try moving closer to the wall. Begin around three feet behind the service line and have someone feed you balls from their baseline; hit forehand and backhand volleys as well as lobs – each should be hit cleanly and powerful enough to move you toward the net.
This volley drill is similar to the previous one, except you use a hopper instead of using just two players. Position one player along the service line near the middle of the court and have them only hit volleys; another should remain backcourt and only use groundstrokes as groundstrokers. After hitting a forehand towards them from behind the net, have the feeder hit another forehand from above which should hit directly towards their target; before its reach they must call out left, right, or center so that their target can either volley or groundstroke it effectively.
3. Target Volley Drill
Target Volley Drill is an ideal drill to develop touch and control in players. The drill entails one player standing on the service line around the middle of the court while another stands on the opposite side but only allowed to hit groundstrokes; their coach then feeds each ball to them while signaling whether it should be volleyed or hit back with groundstrokes; this forces volleiers to use touch as they learn faster reaction times, while hitting groundstrokes back can prevent opponents from winning over.
Playing 1-on-1 games with a partner is another effective way of working on closing the net, whether in warm-ups or during regular practice sessions. The goal of these 1-on-1 matches is to score points before your opponent receives two faults from their serve; it can be both fun and challenging! This drill can benefit beginner as well as advanced players alike.
In this drill, the player starts one or two feet behind the service line with their partner providing balls from the baseline. Once moving forward, they should hit three quick volleys each time within 5-6 feet of the net in order to improve their ability to quickly close down and pass over the ball.
This volley drill is tailored specifically for players who struggle to keep their volleys low, whether one-on-one or in groups of three players. The aim of the drill is for participants to hit both forehand and backhand volleys while remaining as low as possible on their forehand and backhand sides – an effective drill to do with beginners as it helps them learn how to keep their body weight down while volleying and prevent missing the ball!
Staying low when hitting your volleys is essential to effectively defending your zone, and this volley drill provides an excellent way to improve your stance and ensure you remain low throughout each volley.
4. Crosscourt Volley Drill
This drill can help players develop footwork and the ability to cover more ground quickly. Additionally, it helps develop their volleying at the net by placing two players diagonally opposite one another on either side of the net and hitting crosscourt shots one after the other without letting it bounce more than once. Each pair attempts to increase speed as they become better at this drill while competing against one another for fastest player status.
One great volleying drill involves having one player stand three feet behind the service line while someone feeds them balls, then having them use both their forehand and backhand to volley each shot back using only their feet rather than arms. This drill helps players improve reaction times as well as ensure they move into position correctly for every volley they hit.
Advanced players may opt to add short angled shots into their repertoire as an additional way of challenging opponents and forcing them back towards the baseline and out of the way of your shot. By doing this, players will be able to vary their tactics and force opponents into making errors in defending themselves.
To make this drill more match-like, it can be helpful to set aside an area on the court where players should aim to recover after each shot. This will ensure they return consistently to that spot – something which may help them when playing real matches. Adding competition can keep players motivated and focussed – simply setting out to beat their previous highest score!