Straight Volley Long

1. Approach: The crucial aspect of the approach is to keep my eye on the ball the second it leaves my opponent's racquet. As you can see I have not moved towards the ball. I have kept a good space between myself and the position where the ball will become playable. By doing this I am still able to transfer my weight through the shot. A common error on this type of shot is to move too early and to get too close to the ball before impact.

2. Delivery: The first thing you will notice is how high my racquet is, which means the delivery will be very aggressive. It would not make sense to be in the "correct position" (i.e. right leg forward) to hit this ball. However my weight is still transferring through during the delivery and my base is still solid and strong.

3. Impact: On impact my racquet, arm and shoulder are fully extended. I am hitting the ball way out in front of me. My weight is transferring perfectly into the shot which ensures solid contact with the ball. In this clip the racquet face is shut on impact. In this specific example it is more important to take the ball early and maintain the T, than to fade and cut the ball.

4. Follow Through: The follow through continues down the same path as the delivery. This ensures that the racquet and ball follow the required path to the back corner. The trajectory of the ball off the front wall ensures a second bounce back wall nick.

1. Approach: My opponent has tried to hit the ball deep from the backhand and is trying to regain his territorial advantage on the court. Although he has not quite managed to get the ball right into the corner, he has still forced me wide and deep to volley this ball. On the approach I am trying to get into a good position but also trying again to hold a good court position, keeping my opponent of the T.

2. Delivery: I am in complete control of my position and I am now choosing when to strike. Because of my position my opponent is still very close to the back wall but is being forced to come forward quickly to cover all eventualities.

3. Impact: Once I have decided to hit the ball, the racquet head comes through quickly punching the ball back into the same corner. I am still holding my space and making it awkward for my opponent to choose a path to his next shot. Again my arm is fully extended and the racquet head is forward of my front knee.

4. Follow Through: With the follow through continuing on its path, my body weight naturally comes forward and then back towards the T. There is only one direction for my opponent to go because the early impact committed him to come right forward on the court. He has to head back to the same corner the long way and he is too close to the ball.

1. Approach: In this clip I am waiting for the ball to come down to a playable height. It is a shot where I know the most important factor is to get the ball deep and maintain my position on the court. My opponent is already at the T, adding extra importance to the accuracy of this shot. My racquet is back, my position strong and I am ready to hit the shot.

2. Delivery: I am trying to take the ball early so my body is getting ready to reach up to the ball. My racquet head is over my shoulder and on an upward trajectory to ensure I hit the ball at the highest point possible. Although I am not in a traditional position, the same principles of balance and transfer of weight apply.

3. Impact: At impact I take the ball way out in front of me and high above my head. This is one of the hardest shots to hit in a game. I am in a solid position. My arm is fully extended and the racquet face is fully open.

4. Follow Through: To generate enough pace to force my opponent into the corner, I really extend the follow through to propel the ball off the front wall into the back corner. I hold onto my position to ensure the ball does not get pulled back towards me in the middle of the court or hits the front and the side wall early, stopping short of a good length. I do not play a winner in this clip but that was not the intention. The aim of this particular shot was to maintain my position, hit the back wall and force my opponent behind me.

1. Approach: The important aspect of my approach to the shot is to make sure my position and timing at the point of impact is perfect. My opponent has hit a good wide cross court and I need to hit the ball before it dies in the back corner. From the T I have moved a step backwards and I am preparing to take one step across to hit the volley.

2. Delivery: I am fully outstretched with the racquet prepared. I am focused on the ball, which is coming off the wall at a very difficult angle. It is also falling. There is no harder volley than off the side wall with a falling ball. The secret is to be incredibly disciplined with every aspect of the shot: racquet position, movement, and concentration.

3. Impact: I am probably reaching slightly too much at impact. However the important factor here is not to allow the ball into the back corner and give my opponent control of the court. You can see how low I am and how stable my position is.

4. Follow Through: My follow through really lets me down here. Although I have managed to straighten the ball, I do not get the ball deep enough back into the deep corner. My racquet head should have followed the path of the ball but instead stops almost immediately, dropping towards the floor. This shows how important every aspect of every shot truly is.