Volley in Pickleball | 5 Types and Tips

In Pickleball, you don’t let your ball bounce on your side in Court even once it’s allowed. You need to learn about Volley because it’s a very effective tactic. What is the accurate time to perform the Volley, what execution, and about its benefits? 

Significance of a Volley in Pickleball

It’s because you’re taking advantage of an upright flying ball with more valuable time for receiving your shot than your opponents. Often you achieve the higher contact points that enable you to make the down hit onto your opponent’s court. 

We have explained the major parts of Pickleball Court.

Types of Volley in Pickleball Games

There are five major types of volley in Pickleball game that can assist in mastering your skills and gameplay. You may know about advanced and intermediate volleys other than traditional volleys. These volleys can help you in gaining the best scores while playing. 

Roll Volley

It is also referred to as the topspin volley. Roll-Volley is performed when your opponent players’ contact point is below the height, and they stay in their backcourt. This topspin half-swinging volley occurs after your opponent’s drop shot. You must apply the roll volley to keep your opponent players pinned to their baseline. 

Pickleball Court Lines

Dink Volley

When all four players are up to the NVZ line in the dinking exchange position, then this soft volley is executed. Though it’s the same as a regular dink is played, its shape, target and purpose of shot are similar. Your target is near or in the kitchen. Your purpose is to attack, prevent and go for your attack. 

Moreover, you can play the dink volley to reach your opponent player’s incoming dink out of the air. Sometimes you want to avoid your foe’s dink from landing behind you. Thus, you don’t need to back up quickly and hit the shot awkwardly.

Punch Volley

While playing the Punch Volley, your paddle face is almost parallel to the net, slightly open and a punch shot. You have to play this shot using your elbow as a hinge and by forward punching movement. Players’ bodies will remain calm, and wrists must remain firm with punch volleys.

It’s a highly common sort of volley that is used in quick net exchange shots. Moreover, it’s best shot while aiming toward the medium-height opening or moving toward your opponent’s feet.

Underspin (Backspin/ Slice) Volley

Underspin volley hits with a slight low-to-high motion. In this way, you can impart a few underspin on your ball. This volley keeps your ball low after its bounce. It’s always very effective to force your opponent’s players to make the up-hit.

Drop Volley

This kind of Volley is also known as a catch volley in Pickleball. When your opponent player is back on the court, it’s the perfect change-up volley in Pickleball. It looks like they are firing the shot back at you, and you’re pushing it back deep. It’s a soft gripping shot that absorbs your ball’s incoming pace. It causes the ball to land over the net.

Types of Volley	Features
Roll Volley	Force opponents to pin on their baseline
Punch Volley	It’s an excellent option to hit Volley on your Opponent’s feet.
Dink Volley	Executed by pushing, lifting and blocking your ball before bouncing the ball back
Underspin Volley	Play a slightly open racquet face, and move your arm down from the shoulder.
Drop Volley	Demands the soft grip and proficiency to absorb the ball’s upcoming pace

Stay out of the Kitchen – Avoid the NVZ

It looks pretty funny while accidentally hitting the volley when staying in the Kitchen region. All players will shout ‘Kitchen, Kitchen’ then you can admire your mistake. It’s quite an easy rule for all experts and beginners to find themselves stumbling in this NVZ from time to time. 

We’re informing you about the official rules about staying in the Kitchen because the purpose of these rules is to prevent the Pickleball players from staying right up against the net, hitting volleys, and smashing as it would end the rally on each point.

NVZ Rules

To better understand this rule, remember that you can’t step into the NVZ or on its line with your feet. It happens when you try to contact your ball out of the air (Volley position). 

Sometimes, players extend their arms in the air and try to contact the ball in NVZ. It occurs as long as players’ feet aren’t in contact with the kitchen parts. If you’re doing it, you’re making the fault. Pay attention; don’t hit the volley and step into the NVZ. It’s easy to understand and stay safe from the fault. 

In another case, the NVZ violation occurs if players swing their paddle to contact their ball out of the air. The volley motion keeps them stepping into the NVZ after hitting the ball. 

However, if you hit your ball with both of your feet outside the NVZ, by hitting, your momentum will not keep you in the kitchen region even after your contact. Regardless of how often your ball has been bounced on your other side.

Therefore, the Pickleball volley Rules of the International Federation states:

Furthermore, you can play the Volley anywhere on your court of Pickleball other than the NVZ. These basic rules are essential to note when you have the intense volley moment in gameplay and stay out of the NVZ. 

Ways to Hit the Volley in Pickleball

For recreational as well as tournament gameplay, you must start your match with fundamental tips for hitting the volleys. Therefore, you have two basic ways to hit the Volley:

Forehand Volley

These volleys are played softly or with immense force. This shot may result in unbalancing your Opponent.

Therefore, your paddle stroke is similar to your dominant hand. For instant, a right-handed player shows his paddle face on the right side.

Traditional volley is the compact stroke, so never overdo it by more swinging. It would help to stay careful; it’s also a common trap. 

Backhand Volley

It’s an easy and common way to accomplish the volley with an open paddle face while connecting to the ball. You are making the shot where you hit your ball opposite to your dominant forehand. If a shot comes towards your body, you must hit it as a volley. 

Meanwhile, players lead with knuckles instead of their palms on the backhand.

There is no in-between way to gain points in volley other than these two points. 

7 Basic Hitting Rules of Volley in Pickleball

The rules for placing a volley in Pickleball and hitting it depend on the rally and situation. There are some basic rules for targeting and hitting the volley. It will help if you hit the volley whenever you get the opportunity to do so. It gives you less time to react to your Opponent. 

Volley in Pickleball Strategy (Drills to Practice)

Pickleball players must know about the major volley strategies for an intense match. Though, these ways are adopted by advanced Pickleball players. 

The key strategy is keeping your volley hard when contact is high and soft when contact is low.

If you’ve got the high contact point of volley, it’s the ideal situation to attack down into your opponent’s court. You can create a hard shot for them. You are proficient in leading that point at this stage. 

In another situation, make sense of a soft dinking volley while contacting your volley low. It would help to keep your ball bouncing low on the opponent’s side. You must stay safe if you make high-hit from your low contact point. You are clearing the net and need to hit up. It provides a high contact point to your foe players and your own punishing moment.

How to improve the Volley in Pickleball drilling?

Practice makes perfect	All players must expand their capabilities to make volley in Pickleball. It’s perfect to learn about the movements of volleying in Pickleball. Moreover, you should learn and practice the Pickleball volley rules as well.
When playing doubles match, players can play any volley	When playing a doubles match, you can perform any sort of volley between the opponent players. It forces the players to decide (before the match) which ball they will play.
Must know the difference of heavy and light hit	Heavy hit > Launches the ball. Light hit > keeps your opponent closer to the net (makes the chances of catch).
Must control you  ball’s direction	Suppose you hit the ball far, right, left or near whenever you make a volley. You must perform your best to control the route and make a reactive volley.
Don’t over-extend your arms	When it’s easy to stretch without locking your elbow, the best practice is to stop swinging your arms. You must not overextend your arm. This act will restrict your control.
Make perfect practice by taking pace-off your ball	It’s reliable while returning hard hotshots at you.
Must keep your feet before volleying	The player’s feet are the main point of motion. So, making a volley on one leg is quite difficult. You must plant your feet and then make the volley in Pickleball.

FAQs

Conclusion

There are some key takeaways about Volley in Pickleball. 

You can learn more about the action-packed Pickleball game just by staying here.