Singles Play: How to stop worrying about your volleys and start loving the net

Volleying well and feeling confident coming to the net can be a real game changer for maximising your potential and enjoying your tennis more. But it’s common to have some anxieties.

Here’s how you can begin to overcome those fears and start bossing that three-foot obstacle in the middle of the court…  

Ahhh, the net. If I had a pound coin for every time I heard someone tell me they didn’t like it up there I would be a very rich lady. 

It’s a funny one because most club players know all the advantages behind coming to the net. It’s an attacking game plan; you’re moving forward, taking time away from your opponent; you’re dominating the point. And volleys generally have less margin for error than a groundstroke, so you’re giving yourself a higher percentage shot to play. 

So what’s the problem? Why do so many club players feel uncomfortable playing this way, have little success, and at times end up avoiding coming to the net entirely?

I’ve put together the top reasons why we dislike coming to the net so much, with tips to help you change your mindset and improve your chances when coming forward.

1. You think you aren’t good at volleys 

This is very common. If you feel you can’t hit a good volley then why would you take the risk, when you’re perfectly happy relying on your baseline game instead? I totally get it. But you know what… I think you can hit a volley.

How to fix it….

Technically volleys are the easiest shot in the book.

With the racket upright an arm’s length out in front, never taking it back further than your peripheral vision, all you need is a short, block punch when you go forward to meet the ball. Simplicity is key. But if you’re still unsure and struggling with the technical side then certainly invest in some lessons to help you learn and practice the right way to do it – I promise you it’s worth it.

And then it’s just like everything in tennis – practice practice practice. Repeat that volley over and over and you’ll gain the confidence you need to feel good about hitting it.

2. You’re coming in off the wrong ball 

This is something I see pretty often. Positive club players have the mindset to come in as soon as possible to execute their attacking game plan, which of course is great, but once they’re in they’re beaten. It’s easy to give kudos to the booming forehand winner hit straight past them, or a lack of volleying ability they feel they have when they push their punch shot wide, and yes sometimes this is all a fair assessment of what just happened. 

But sometimes it isn’t. 

How to fix it…

Often I tell players, take a step back and look at your approach shot, was it strong or was it weak?

Hitting an effective approach shot that immediately puts your opponent on the defence is key to finding success at the net because it puts them under pressure and allows for a simpler, put away volley to follow. Without that strong approach shot, you are rushing to the net without much purpose and putting your volleys under huge pressure to deal with an attacking opponent.

Bottom line, coming to the net off the wrong ball puts you in a very vulnerable position which can easily cost you the point. So practice those approach shots!

3. You’re standing in the wrong place 

This point ties nicely with the one above - being stood in the right place at the net is just as important as knowing what ball to come forward off in the first place so you can be as effective as possible once you’re in. 

How to fix it…

So you’ve hit that fierce approach shot and you decide to follow it in - brilliant - but make sure you get in quickly to an area roughly between the service line and net itself. 

That way you’ll be in a good position to either move forward onto the volley or back slightly when reaching for that defensive lob they give you. Any further forward will be too close which will leave a lot of open and easily accessible space behind you. And any further back will leave you in the infamous No Man’s Land where it is very tough to field off the inevitable low, off-the-ground shots and force you to hit longer volleys. 

Plus, being stuck there gives your opponent a lot more angles to hit with which when coming forward you are trying to eliminate. 

4. You’re scared of getting hit 

This one makes me smile because we’ve all been there! You find yourself at the net, feeling like a sitting duck as your opponent loads themselves up to strike their huge forehand right at you. It can be horrible.

Putting into practice my points above should really help with minimising the number of times you find yourself in this position and enable you to feel more confident that you aren’t about to be hit. 

But of course there are times when it simply can’t be helped, like when you have to scramble for a tricky drop shot and all you can do is scrape it back. 

Sometimes, other than just legging it out the way, your only option is to stick your racket up, try to protect yourself and hope for some kind of miracle shot. 

But we can’t do this every time and you can’t play good tennis at the net when you’re worried about being hit.  

How to fix it…

A great way to help grow your confidence with this is to have someone throw balls at you in practice to hit back – slowly to begin with so you effectively practice a responsive shot. (This shot I would recommend being a one handed backhand which is far quicker and easier than hitting a forehand - if you can imagine hitting a backhand with your strings covering your upper body, and your elbow raised up high to get your arm out of the way - this is much easier and quicker than trying to defend with a forehand to cover your body or face).

The sharper you get responding to a ball coming directly at you, the faster pace the balls can be thrown and then eventually hit towards you. This will build up your reactions and your confidence to deal with this unwelcome situation of being your opponents’ target!

So get practising those volleys, push yourself in practice and in matches to move forward and start dominating your points - before you know it you’ll be all over that net wondering what on earth it ever was that held you back before!

See also:

The joy (and etiquette) of mixed doubles

Adult Players: How to find the right tennis coach

Lizzie Flint is a writer and a practicing level 3 LTA professional tennis coach.

She has been in love with the game since picking up a racquet at the age of four – and she has seen it from every possible angle: playing, analysing and reporting on tennis all over the world. Read more about Lizzie here.