How to Overcome Your Fear of the Net

You may know that you “should” come to the net more often to finish the point, but somehow you resist the urge and stick to the comfort of the baseline. Why is that?

A volley shot in tennis is a shot in which the ball is struck before it bounces on the ground. Generally a player hits a volley while standing near the net, although it can be executed farther back, in the middle of the tennis court or even near the baseline.

Pete Sampras, backhand volley

The primary objective of the volley is to go on the offensive and cut the amount of time for the opponent to react. Also, if near the net, a player has a wider choice of angles to hit into the opponent's court. However, quick reflexes and hand–eye coordination are required to execute this shot. The primary means of countering a volley are the passing shot and the lob.

A lot of players don’t trust their volley and overhead skills. It means that their net skills are really not that good and they make too many mistakes or their net skills are actually good but their opinion about them is negative. In order to get an accurate evaluation of your real net skills you’ll need to ask some friends and pros to evaluate your game and then make the conclusion.

And in case your net skills are really not good, just practice more.

Whether your net skills are good or not so good, you will make mistakes at the net. One common problem with mistakes at the net is that we look funny when we make them. There is one thing to miss a backhand from the baseline, but it’s a completely different thing missing a backhand volley at the net feeling clumsy and embarrassed.

Skills like reactions, balance, coordination, ball judgment and so on need to be at a much higher level to play successfully at the net as compared to the skills needed to play successfully from the baseline. That’s why most women pros don’t approach the net. It’s not that they don’t have good volley technique; it’s because they are too slow and not coordinated enough to make tough shots at the net.

Tennis Video:  http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-play-the-net

Maybe you resist coming to the net because you feel uncomfortable there. So you need to dig even deeper and ask yourself why you feel uncomfortable at the net?

Tips from Timur:

1. You don’t need a great shot just make it.
2. Remember, the net is a reward for good ground strokes.
3. The volley is a simple stroke, keep a firm wrist and hit the ball early.
4. Be ready, the ball is coming fast.
5. Use all the court, hit angles.
6. Once at the net you are no longer trying to keep the ball in play- end the point.
7. Split step before each volley.
8. Follow the fight of the approach shot.
9. Cover the ‘down the line’ passing shot.