Quick Tip: Keep your hitting elbow in front of your body on a forehand volley

For such a short stroke, it’s very easy to complicate the volley. The shot is all about efficiency—a steady racquet face, simplified technique and precise targeting. Yet the slightest bit of sloppiness can often create mishits, errors and shaky confidence at net.

Take the position of the hitting elbow. It’s an overlooked detail that separates solid volleyers from those who struggle. If the elbow is pinned to your side or drifts behind your body, the stroke loses structure, timing and reliability. It’s a particular issue on the forehand volley where elbow has more freedom to roam.

By keeping the elbow in front at a proper distance, you create a strong, balanced hitting platform that promotes cleaner contact and better command. This positioning helps maintain a firm, laid-back wrist, which allows you to put underspin on the ball to control the shot. Additionally, it improves your ability to absorb or redirect pace from your opponent’s shot with an economy of motion.

However, if the elbow is stapled to your ribs, the hitting wrist is forced to snap forward to produce a swing. The tip of the frame leads the way, creating an unstable racquet face and unpredictable volleys.

On the other hand, if the elbow wanders behind the body, the short volley stroke often becomes too much of a swing. The contact point can follow suit and move too far back, resulting in late hits. You’re more likely to “swat” at the ball instead of directing it cleanly, compromising direction, depth and consistency.

Follow these steps to make proper use of the hitting elbow on the forehand volley:

• Hold the racquet with a Continental grip with your off-hand cradling the throat. The racquet face should be around head height and the hitting elbow about a fist-width away from your body.
• Take the racquet back by letting go with your off-hand and simply rotating your shoulders and torso. The elbow should keep just about the same distance in front of your body, as the racquet more or less forms an "L" shape with your arm.
• As the ball approaches, step forward with the opposite foot to transfer weight into the shot. Keep the bend in the wrist as you extend the arm through contact, coming just short of straightening the elbow.
• Finish the stroke with the racquet head just in front of the hand. The forehand volley is a compact, controlled punch—think jab, not haymaker.

Keeping your hitting elbow in front of your body is a deceptively simple checkpoint that will pay huge dividends when it comes to the effectiveness of your forehand volley.