Volley Drill #4 – Wall Ball 1

As traditional as it sounds, you can improve a lot hitting against the wall. Some of the best tennis players ever, including Novak Djokovic, say they started their successful careers against the wall when they were kids. Though I’m not the biggest fan of hitting against the wall for groundstrokes, it has worked wonders for my volleys. Volleying against the wall helps strengthen your forearm, sharpen accuracy and precision, and keeps your swing compact. The first drill you can do against the wall is simple repetition on each side. Start with 100 forehand volleys without a break, followed by 100 backhand volleys. They don’t have to be in a row, if you miss just keep going. The closer you get to the wall, the more challenging it will be.

Key Points to Remember:

1. Keep your wrist firm. We are training strength in this drill, it is counterproductive to do this with a broken wrist.
2. Keep your weight on your front leg.
3. Move your feet. You will have to make small adjustments as you go.
4. Stay low. Feel a burn in your legs and don’t pop up as the drill goes on.
5. Keep your swing compact. If you can’t keep the ball going and it feels rushed, it is likely because your swing is too big.
6. Keep your head still, but keep your eyes locked on the ball the entire time.