Player practice guide
Forehand Volley Fundamentals
15 min PartnerBeginner–IntermediateForehand
Build the contact, racket-face and recovery fundamentals of the forehand volley.
Best for: players building a compact forehand volley before adding pace or forward movement.
Goal
Keep the racket face stable, contact in front and direct the forehand volley deep through the middle.
Success today
Land 12 of 16 forehand volleys beyond the service line with a balanced forward step.
Watch before court
Drill demonstration
Video guide
Watch this video before you practise on court.
Open video on YouTubeArrive ready
Before you go
- One hitting partner who can feed gently
- 16+ tennis balls
- 2 flat cones
- Approximately 15 minutes of court time
Court blueprint
Set up the court
Receive gentle forehand feeds near the service line, step through a compact contact and send each volley into the deep-middle target.
- Ball direction
- Recovery
- Target zone
- 01Mark a wide deep-middle target.
- 02Start at the centre service line with the racket in front.
- 03Ask your partner to feed comfortable forehand volleys from behind the opposite service line.
Step by step
Your 15-minute practice
0–3 min
Quiet the racket
- Catch four feeds softly on the strings.
- Keep the hand in front of the body.
8 feeds · 4 min
Step through contact
- Volley eight feeds into the deep target.
- Use the incoming pace instead of a backswing.
7–11 min
Add small movement
- Ask the partner to vary the ball one step either side.
- Recover to centre after every volley.
16 feeds · 4 min
Score sixteen volleys
- Count deep placement and balanced finish together.
- Aim for twelve successes.
Remember
Three player cues
- Hand stays in front.
- Step towards the target.
- No backswing needed.
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Swinging from behind the body
- Opening the racket face at contact
- Crossing the feet while reaching
Keep the same purpose
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Feed from closer range and use the whole deep half as the target.
Make it harder
Increase pace and alternate a deep volley with a called short target.
Keep it safe
Keep feeds controlled and clear any ball that stops near the player’s split-step position.
Continue later