The most difficult aspect of the game, may be the ability to play in “open” areasMeaning, closed skills are repetitive – the serve, bowling, movements that are repeatedly similar
Open skills are totally random, each event may be different from the previous – and for sure when learning how to follow your shot to the net players are challenged by the unpredictabilit
You can serve and volley, you can come in on the short ball, or for sure you can take the net off your opponent’s second serve
Within the skill set of “moving to and thru”
- Take your “approach” shot from inside the baseline
- Glide to your split
- Time the split just a hair after the opponents contact
- Glide to and thru the volley
- And monitor your posture throughout
The video demo is of a pretty good player
He does time his splits a moment after the opponents contact
But mostly, and similar to videos of Sampras, it is the smoothness of the movement that matters most
6 Comments
Ty Phan
June 4, 2020This is a practice so the ball does not come back fast and you have time for gliding.
Jim McLennan
June 4, 2020Ty – yes but there is more, the art is to time a “neutral” split a moment after the opponent hits the ball, and to use that split to continue to and thru the ball – and the term “gliding” was to call attention to balanced movement – best Jim
Walt
June 3, 2020Yuck. You shouldn’t use this as an example. His approach shot couldn’t have put a semi-skilled player in jeopardy. His footwork appears lazy beyond relaxed. He curls his volley so any pace would produce a weak volley. Would love to play against this. Would hope he won the point on his first volley.
Always Hopeful
June 3, 2020Please keep in mind the reason for the video. First, they are practicing. Second, the skills of moving forward, split stepping, changing directions while moving forward, and volleying are being demonstrated. Again, practice can be cooperative because one or both players may be working on a skill; not trying to win a point outright. This is not match play video.
Jim McLennan
June 4, 2020Always Hopeful – thanks for staying involved in our comment streams
best
Jim
Jim McLennan
June 4, 2020Walt – Walt
I appreciate your input
We had tried to show something about movement when approaching
And the approach was something from a drill we use – called the second shot pass
The idea is that the approach is up the middle
In most instances tthe baseliner either goes for a pass, or blasts the ball at the volleyer and there is no subsequent play
In this drill the concept is to give the volleyer genuine practice, but equally if not more importantly, to train the baseliner to be able to react to the volley
I can and will shoot something this week that shows a much more competitive situation
That said I do have similar footage of Sampras gliding to the net, and in exhibitions John McEnroe has sometimes strolled to the net
You sound like a player – where do you live?
best
Jim,
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