A half volley in
tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
is a shot that is hit immediately after the ball bounces but before it reaches the apex of its bounce. It is sometimes called an "on the rise shot", or "short hop".
Technique
The player who is hitting the half volley should not take a full backswing, but should still follow through. The
grip for this shot is a standard continental. Also, staying down when hitting the shot is very important, or else it will go long. This is the basic form for the
volley, hence the name: half volley. The two parts of the
tennis court
A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both Types of tennis match, doubles and singles matches. A variet ...
where this shot is generally used are on the baseline and the service line.
Strategy
A half volley is a difficult shot to make. Often a player hits a half volley only when forced by the opponent or caught out of position.
The half-volley came to prominence in the hands of
George Caridia and
Ernest Lewis in the early 1900s.
[The Times, ''Borora's Record'', 23 Oct. 1935]
Arguably the greatest half-volleyer in history is
John McEnroe
John Patrick McEnroe Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional tennis player. He was known for his shot-making and volleying skills, his rivalries with Björn Borg and Jimmy Connors, and his confrontational on-court beha ...
; other professionals such as
Stefan Edberg,
Pete Sampras and
Roger Federer
Roger Federer (; born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss former professional tennis player. He was ranked world No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 310 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks, and finished as the year-e ...
had excellent half volleys that were used as weapons.
In his 1979 autobiography
Jack Kramer devotes a page to the best tennis strokes he had ever seen. He writes: "HALF-VOLLEY—
Gonzales and
Rosewall. Kenny had to learn to hit a half-volley because his serve was so weak that he had to pick up shots at his feet as he came to the net. With his great serve, I don't know why Gorgo had to hit so many half-volleys, but he sure learned how."
External links
Video: Half volley
References
Tennis shots
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