Pickleball Strategies "Volley"

Volley

When volleying, keep elbow in tight in front of your hip with paddle head above wrist for better ball control. Never drop the head of the paddle on low shots. You must keep skin wrinkles on your wrist at point of contact.
Try and keep your head and eyes behind ball at ball height when hitting a volley.
Bend your knees on all low shots. Your back knee should almost be touching the ground. Stay down all the way through your shot and keep your head down and eyes looking at ball contact point long after ball has been hit.
Do not swing at your volleys unless you are an advanced player and feel you can make more than half your swinging volleys. Punch them unless your opponent hits a very fast volley or overhead at close range at you. Then just set the height and angle of your paddle and block the shot low to your opponent’s feet. Beginner pickleball players have a tendency to swing at their volleys and punch the ground strokes which should be just the opposite. There is not enough time to swing at most volleys and you lose your consistency when you swing and not punch the shot by extending your arm from the elbow.
When you punch your ground strokes, you lose power and control. Stroke your ground strokes for better placement and power.
When you are waiting for the ball, you should be in the "ready position." Your elbows should be out in front of your body, your feet should be shoulder width apart, and you should be on your toes. The head of your paddle should be higher than your wrist. You should see wrinkles on your wrist. Never drop the head of your paddle and let those wrinkles disappear. The angle of the face of the paddle should be slightly open (1 o’clock to 7 o’clock).
When you strike the ball, you should point your front shoulder in the direction you want the ball to go and open or close the face of the paddle to set the angle of the paddle. Keep a firm wrist and extend your arm from only the elbow joint, using a jab motion. Setting the angle of the paddle and the jab motion are two completely separate motions. First aim the paddle early. Then jab from the elbow joint.
Keep the butt of the paddle level to the ground all the way through the jab. (Adjust only the angle of the face of the paddle).
Always make contact with the ball as far out in front of your body as you possibly can for more power and more control of placement.
At the exact point of contact with the ball make a sound to yourself. This will help prevent you from making one of the biggest mistakes made while playing pickleball, not watching the ball hit the paddle.
After the point of contact, keep your eyes focused on the contact point during your follow through.
Return to the ready position quickly after each volley.
The harder you hit your volley the faster you must return to the ready position.
Never let the face of the paddle of your paddle drop below your wrist on low volleys. Bend your knees so that your back knee is almost touching the ground. Your fist or the butt of the paddle must almost touch the ground. Keep you head and body down all the way through the follow through. Stay down; don’t come up too soon.
If you don’t have time to step to the ball, at least turn your upper body and point your front shoulder in the direction you want the ball to go. If you don’t have time to turn your shoulders, then from the ready position keep a stationary wrist with paddle parallel to the net and block the fast shot over the net.
Keep your volley low to your opponent’s feet or bounce the ball on the court exactly beside him.
Hitting your right handed opponent’s right hip pocket is not as good as hitting his feet or hitting exactly beside him, but it is very effective.
After each volley move forward one step toward the no volley zone. Stay about 12 inches from the no volley zone line so that you have space to step to the ball when volleying.
On the back hand volley keep your knuckles lined up with the paddle face in the direction you want the ball to go and keep the handle slightly ahead of the paddle.
You must use an aggressive jab when volleying a ball with a heavy spin.
The difference between an overhead and a volley the height at which the ball is when you make contact with it. If the ball is below the highest point at which you can reach it with the center of your paddle, you should use a volley shot. If it is above that point, you should hit an overhead shot. On too low a shot you will not be able to fully extend your arm and will probably put the ball in the net.
When at the net, turn toward your opponent before he hits the ball. When the ball travels straight toward your paddle it is easier to hit the ball.

Coach Mo

Content from the Pickleball Strategy Guide by Coach "Mo"
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