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Technique 02

The Backhand Volley

The body moves to the ball; the racket stays simple.

The backhand volley uses many of the same ideas as the forehand volley. We make a compact turn, load the inside leg, establish the racket position early, and then move toward the ball. The difference is how the arms organize and move through the shot.

Illustrated overview of the backhand volley in five parts. One, ready position — begin balanced and athletic, facing forward with the racket comfortably in front of the body, prepared to recognize the backhand and immediately begin the turn. Two, turn and set — compact turn and shift weight onto the left leg so the right leg becomes light and free to move; make yourself big, elbows moving outward while the left hand supports the racket at the throat; the racket stays in front, face slightly open, head above the hand. Three, step to the ball — don't step across the body, step toward the actual location of the ball, and the right leg is free to move wherever the ball requires. Four, separate and move through — hands separate in a smooth even action, the racket hand moving through the volley while the opposite hand moves away in the other direction, and the movement travels slightly inward rather than simply straight ahead. Five, keep the structure — maintain the same racket-to-arm relationship, elbow bent, racket head above and slightly behind the hand, racket face remaining slightly open.
Five positions, and the racket keeps the same relationship to the arm in all of them.

How We Work On It

01

Ready position

Begin balanced and athletic, facing forward with the racket comfortably in front of the body.

From here, we're prepared to recognize the backhand and immediately begin the turn.

Illustration of a player at the net in the ready position for a backhand volley, facing forward in a balanced athletic stance with both hands on the racket held comfortably in front of the body. Labelled: ready position.
Facing forward and committed to nothing yet. The recognition happens from here.

02

Turn and set

As soon as we recognize the backhand volley, we make a compact turn and shift our weight onto the left leg for a right-handed player. The right leg becomes light and free to move toward the ball.

At the same time, we set the upper body. The elbows move outward — almost as though we're making ourselves big — while the left hand supports the racket around the throat or bottom of the racket head.

The racket stays in front of us, with the racket face slightly open and the head above the hand.

Illustration of a player turned side-on for a backhand volley, weight shifted onto the left leg, both hands on the racket with the elbows moved outward and the racket held in front with the face slightly open and the head above the hand. Labelled: turn and set.
Make yourself big. The elbows go outward and the racket is placed, not pulled back.

03

Step to the ball

Just as with the forehand volley, we don't automatically step across the body. We step toward the actual location of the ball.

Because the weight has been loaded onto the left leg, the right leg is now free to move wherever the incoming ball requires.

04

Separate and move through

As we move toward the ball, the hands begin to separate in a smooth, even action.

The racket hand moves through the volley while the opposite hand moves away in the other direction. That separation helps the shoulders and arms remain organized and prevents the stroke from becoming a large swing.

The movement travels slightly inward rather than simply straight ahead.

Illustration of a player moving through a backhand volley, the racket hand carrying the racket forward and slightly inward while the opposite arm extends away in the other direction, keeping the shoulders organised. Labelled: separate and move through.
The hands going opposite ways is what stops this becoming a swing.

05

Keep the structure

Through contact and into the end of the movement, the racket maintains essentially the same relationship to the arm that we established during preparation.

The elbow remains bent, the racket head stays above and slightly behind the hand, and the racket face remains slightly open. We're moving the structure through the ball rather than dramatically changing it during the stroke.

The shape set in step two is still the shape at the end. Nothing about it is rebuilt mid-stroke.

A short silent loop of a backhand volley at the net: a compact turn onto the left leg, a step toward the ball, the hands separating through contact, and the racket keeping the same relationship to the arm from preparation to finish.

← PreviousThe Forehand Volley

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R1RallyWonDerek Kedigh · Dallas, TX