Player practice guide
Forehand Volley Touch + Defence
15 min PartnerIntermediateForehand
Develop touch and defensive control on the forehand volley.
Best for: net players who need a softer forehand volley and a reliable response to faster incoming balls.
Goal
Absorb pace on the forehand volley and control either a short touch target or a deeper defensive target.
Success today
Land 10 of 16 forehand volleys in the called target, including at least 4 touch volleys and 4 defensive deep volleys.
Watch before court
Technique reference
Develop TOUCH Like a Pro with These Drills! · 8:01
Technique reference—not the full drill. Watch the quiet racket face, soft hands and controlled contact used for touch volleys.
Open video on YouTubeArrive ready
Before you go
- One hitting partner who can feed from the baseline
- 16+ tennis balls
- 4 flat cones
- Approximately 15 minutes of court time
Court blueprint
Set up the court
Receive forehand volleys near the service line and direct each called ball either into the short service-box target or the deeper defensive target.
- Ball direction
- Recovery
- Target zone
- 01Mark one short target inside the service box and one deep target beyond the service line.
- 02Start near the centre service line.
- 03Ask your partner to call touch or deep immediately before each forehand feed.
Step by step
Your 15-minute practice
0–3 min
Soften the contact
- Catch the first four feeds with a quiet racket face.
- Keep your hand in front of the body.
6 touch feeds · 4 min
Find the short target
- Ask for six comfortable forehand feeds.
- Let the ball leave softly into the service box.
6 defensive feeds · 4 min
Absorb faster feeds
- Ask for six firmer balls and send them deep.
- Use the partner’s pace instead of swinging.
16 mixed feeds · 4 min
React to the call
- Let your partner mix touch and deep calls.
- Aim for ten correct targets from sixteen.
Remember
Three player cues
- Quiet hand, stable face.
- Use the incoming pace.
- Recover to the middle after contact.
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Swinging at the defensive volley
- Opening the racket face too early on touch shots
- Leaning sideways instead of moving the feet
Keep the same purpose
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Use slower feeds and allow the full service box for touch volleys and the full back court for deep volleys.
Make it harder
Hide the target call until the ball crosses the net and reduce both target zones.
Keep it safe
The partner should feed from behind the baseline and pause whenever a ball remains near the volleyer’s feet.
Continue later