The player stands at the net, and the coach feeds balls to the backhand's side. The player then hits 6 backhand volleys in cross court direction. First 2 balls are played deep; next 2 balls have medium depth; last 2 balls are hit short.
Ability to play volleys with different depths is an important aspect for any player who wants to dominate at the net. Different situations on the court and various positions of the opponent force the net player to vary the depths to achieve success with volleys. Wimbledon is the best example of a tournament where short volleys are more important than deep ones because the ball bounces low so it is really hard to get to the ball while standing on the baseline.
In this drill, the player works on different depths with backhand volleys in cross court direction. By hitting into different zones, the coach can see the player's ability to control the ball and speed of the shot. For more advanced players, the coach can modify the drill (the player can only switch the depth (zone) if he/she hits the cone).
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