Volley Drops help speed up the game by giving your opponent less time to recover and think. As they are an essential component of volleyball, practice them regularly!
Some players excel at using height to dominate the T and hit winners into the front corners, so to counter this you need to volley well and use boasts effectively.
Hit the Ball Early
As soon as a player attempts to hit a drop shot, their first mistake should be raising both arm and shoulder simultaneously to hit it. This causes an ineffective swing with little power or momentum that may also result in shoulder injuries. To achieve maximum momentum while hitting drops properly, drop shoulder backwards while forward swinging racket with maximum momentum forward and upward.
Volleyball players understand the importance of finding an optimal contact point when dropping the ball close to the ground, which makes proper contactpoint identification vitally important. Many players make the mistake of “hitting it hard” or using excessive upper body power when they spike resulting in lack of control over spiking over the net.
Beginners often make the mistake of trying to jump so the ball will land directly in front of their hitting shoulder when volleying, hoping that will enable them to volley more accurately and with greater control than attempting a direct approach. While this might work sometimes – particularly with strong verticals – often it results in them having to choose between hitting line area shots or cross court area shots with limited options available to them.
One of the best ways for players to increase their vertical is through jump training drills such as jumping rope, jump squats and calf raises. This will allow them to gain more control of their jumping and increase the quality of their volleys.
An effective way of practicing a spike is for players to approach the net with a three-step runup and then glance quickly at the ball before taking their three steps back up and spiking. This technique helps maximize players’ volley timing while simultaneously decreasing errors caused by taking too long deciding if and when it is appropriate to jump and spike.
Additionally, it can assist the player by keeping both feet on the ground and not moving too rapidly so he can maintain his balance and create maximum power when spiking – this may prove especially helpful for younger players who may rely more heavily on leg power than arms for spiking.
Get Down to the Ball
Players at all levels of the game often encounter opponents who consistently send the ball close to the sidewall, which tends to occur more frequently in professional matches but can also occur at club level. Even top players sometimes struggle when facing such opponents who can become real headaches for playing against.
To be effective at controlling a match, it’s necessary to return all shots played close to the side wall, including those played close in. In order to do this, volleying (hitting the ball before it bounces once on the front wall) becomes key; there are different types of volleys including drop shot, boast shot, and kill-shot that all require skill and finesse; these shots will each be covered separately within this site.
Learning how to volley requires keeping one thing in mind: accuracy must come before speed. Simply hitting hard would waste energy without supporting it with consistent volleying; top players always prioritize accuracy before using extra energy on hitting harder shots.
Before beginning to hit a volley, it is essential that the first step be getting down low with feet and shoulders in an appropriate position. This will increase your chance of successfully retrieving any shots close to walls as well as being prepared to hit volleys when necessary.
Reaching low can also be useful in developing one’s high volley game, as this tactic allows them to prevent their opponent from reaching the back corner with their volleys. This technique may prove particularly useful against an opponent who tends to hunt crosscourts and leave themselves vulnerable against these types of attacks.
Open the Racket Face
When volleying it is vitally important that players use an open racket face. This enables players to use acceleration during the swing to quickly hit the ball into the air. This is especially true when performing drop shots as these shots often return very quickly without enough force from their player being available to hit through them again.
Many players tend to tighten their wrist at racket ball impact, which reduces power generation and can lead to missed shots or theft by opponents. When practising, it can be beneficial to play drills where players hit balls both off walls and the floor to experience what it feels like when hitting balls off both surfaces, how different speeds impact reaction times and shot force requirements, and to provide practice on hitting off different speeds from wall and floor impacts.
Volleys can be an effective way of speeding up the game and forcing opponents to make quick decisions on the fly. Skilful volleying also aids players who do not possess sufficient strength for full driving drives.
If an opponent hits high-flying lobs, it’s critical for players to volley accurately and intercept these balls before they land in the back corners. Doing this effectively allows for more time on defense while giving opponents less opportunities to score points off their own service.
Preparation drills designed for forehand volley can also work wonders with backhand drops. Remembering to play off of the correct foot and use only left hands to volley is often easier but this should only be attempted after mastering forehand technique first.
Maintain Control
To keep control during a volley, keep the arm relaxed and moving smoothly – this will allow you to hit the ball with enough force without expending excessive energy, becoming more efficient as an overall player by using minimal effort for maximum results.
As a general guideline, try volleying the ball at roughly the same speed it is coming toward you. This will maximize your chance of reaching it before it hits the back wall and will also reduce the possibility that an opponent snatches it from under you and wins a point.
Volleying requires more than simply hitting straight up the walls; variety in your volleys makes it harder for opponents to predict your shots and read your shots, as is evidenced by using Drop Volley during both serve returns and rallies; it forces them to run around more and retrieve balls more often! This shot should make playing tennis much more exciting!
An effective strategy when playing drop volley is hitting your ball to an open space, forcing your opponent to cover more court and giving you more chances to unbalance them and potentially cause them to hit a weak return shot.
Reading an opponent is just as critical in volleying as being able to predict your own shots, especially for strong servers who know how to read his or her returns and create opportunities for attacks. One method for practicing reading others’ volleys accurately is practicing with a partner and trying to anticipate each other’s volleys; another strategy would be hitting balls to yourself repeatedly so you can strengthen and adapt your swing over time.