Another arti­cle in a series by guest con­trib­u­tor, Oscar Wegner.

Back­hand Volley

The notion that you can vol­ley effec­tively with­out chang­ing your grip at all between your fore­hand and back­hand vol­leys is some­what inaccurate. Although many pro­fes­sion­als vol­ley with­out rotat­ing the grip between the thumb and fore­fin­ger, there is some change at the heel of the hand. On the fore­hand vol­ley the racket grip is usu­ally aligned with the life line of your palm, while on the back­hand vol­ley the heel of the hand is a bit more mounted on the grip.

This rota­tion is instinc­tive and born from prac­tice, with the player adopt­ing, by feel, the most effi­cient way to hit the ball. The best back­hand vol­leys are hit across the body, rather than for­ward, slic­ing the ball quite a bit. They are a very short motion, and they firm up at the impact with the ball. Read more