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Cross-court has been working. When do you volley down the line?
The line volley is on when the cross-court defender cheats toward the middle. Hit it firmly to the feet, once, and the cheating stops.
You have been volleying cross-court all set and they have started covering it. When is the down-the-line volley on?
The line volley is on when the cross-court defender cheats toward the middle. Hit it firmly to the feet, once, and the cheating stops.
Why
Volleying cross-court by default is correct, and good opponents respond by shading toward the middle to cover it. That is the moment for the line: a firm volley down the line, aimed at the feet of the defender who has drifted central, lands in the space they left. It should be hit low and deep rather than as an angle, so the side glass does not rescue it. One good line volley sends the defender back to their side, and then the cross-court is open again. It is a corrective shot, played a few times a set: enough to keep them honest, not enough to become the pattern.
What this means at your level
Beginner
If they keep getting to your cross-court volleys, try one down the line, firmly, at the feet.
Intermediate
Watch the defender's position as you set up. If their body is toward the middle, the line is open.
Advanced
Disguise the line with the same preparation as the cross-court. The change is in the contact point, slightly earlier, in front, not the backswing.
Common questions
You have been volleying cross-court all set and they have started covering it. When is the down-the-line volley on?
When the cross-court defender has shifted to the middle. The line volley is on when the cross-court defender cheats toward the middle. Hit it firmly to the feet, once, and the cheating stops. Volleying cross-court by default is correct, and good opponents respond by shading toward the middle to cover it. That is the moment for the line: a firm volley down the line, aimed at the feet of the defender who has drifted central, lands in the space they left. It should be hit low and deep rather than as an angle, so the side glass does not rescue it. One good line volley sends the defender back to their side, and then the cross-court is open again. It is a corrective shot, played a few times a set: enough to keep them honest, not enough to become the pattern.
Why not every other volley, to keep them guessing?
Alternating is a pattern too. The line is played when the geometry offers it, not by rotation.
What should a beginner do here?
If they keep getting to your cross-court volleys, try one down the line, firmly, at the feet.
How does this change for an advanced player?
Disguise the line with the same preparation as the cross-court. The change is in the contact point, slightly earlier, in front, not the backswing.
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