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
Grip(s) or The Grip may refer to:
Common uses
* Grip (job), a job in the film industry
* Grip strength, a measure of hand strength
Music
* Grip (percussion), a method for holding a drum stick or mallet
* ''The Grip'', a 1977 album by Arthur Bl ...
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
Volley or Volly may refer to:
People
* Volly De Faut (1904–1973), American jazz reed player
* Paul Volley (born 1971), English rugby union player
Sports
* Volley (association football), an air-borne strike in association football
*In some rack ...
, 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 doubles and singles matches. A variety of surfaces can be u ...
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
George Aristides Caridia ( el, Γεώργιος Αριστείδης Καρυδιάς; 20 February 1869 – 21 April 1937) was a male tennis player from Great Britain and a two-time Olympic silver medalist.
Career
At the 1908 London Olympics ...
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
Stefan Bengt Edberg (; born 19 January 1966) is a Swedish former professional tennis player. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles between 1985 ...
,
Pete Sampras
Petros "Pete" Sampras ( el, Πέτρος Σάμπρας; born August 12, 1971) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. His professional career began in 1988 and ended at the 2002 US Open, which he won, defeating longtime rival Andre ...
and
Roger Federer had excellent half volleys that were used as weapons.
In his 1979 autobiography
Jack Kramer
John Albert Kramer (August 1, 1921 – September 12, 2009) was an American tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s. He won three Grand Slam tournaments (the U.S. Championships in 1946 and 1947, Wimbledon in 1947). He led the U.S. Davis Cup tennis ...
devotes a page to the best tennis strokes he had ever seen. He writes: "HALF-VOLLEY—
Gonzales Gonzales may refer to:
Places
* Gonzales, California, U.S.
* Gonzales, Louisiana, U.S.
* Gonzales, Texas, U.S.
* Gonzales County, Texas
Other uses
* Battle of Gonzales, 1835
* Gonzales (horse) (1977 – after 1996), an American-bred Thoroughbred ...
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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