What is a pickleball volley?

Whether you're new to the sport or have been playing for a while, you've likely heard of volleys. Hit correctly, this shot can be a strategic weapon. So, exactly what is a pickleball volley?

In this article, I'll walk you through everything you need to know about volleying in pickleball. I'll cover the different types, how to hit them correctly, and which volleys are best for various scenarios. Let's dive in.

Put simply, a pickleball volley is any shot that you hit out of the air before it bounces. Most times, you'll hit volleys at the NVZ line (or "kitchen). However, you can hit a volley from anywhere on the court, including in the mid-court, and even from the baseline.

Learn the basics of pickleball volleying:

Mastering the pickleball volley is critical if you want to improve your game because the majority of points are won at the net. Your ability to hit accurate volleys and dinks has a direct impact on how many games you win. Done right, volleys can help you control rallies and dictate the speed of play.

The non-volley zone (or "kitchen") is the section of the court measuring 7' from the net, and 20' across to the sidelines. There's a lot of confusion about what you can and can't do in the kitchen, but it's very simple.

Like the name suggests, the main rule is that you aren't allowed to volley while in the NVZ. In other words, it's against the rules to hit the ball out of the air (or volley) when you're standing in the kitchen.

You can jump in and out of the kitchen all you like, so long as you don't volley. If you do, it's a fault and you lose the rally. Once the ball bounces in the kitchen, you can step in and hit it.

While your paddle can cross the NVZ line to hit a ball out of the air, your feet must stay behind the line. However, if your momentum carries you into the NVZ after your shot, it's still a violation. If you drop your paddle into the kitchen after you hit a volley, or your hat flies off your head and lands in the NVZ, it's also a fault.

First, you need to know when to volley a ball and when to let it bounce. When you're at the kitchen line, lean forward to extend your paddle over the line to see how far you can reach. This is your outer limit for hitting volleys. You don't want to lunge or leap for the balls, or affect the quality of your shot.

Once you know your volley comfort zone, mark that limit on the ground with cones or tape. Then, have your partner hit balls to you. Any that travel past the line toward you are ones you can comfortably volley. If it drops before the target line, that's one to take on the bounce.

Learning to hit a proper volley starts with your stance. Get into an athletic stance, with your feet shoulder-width apart, leaning forward on the balls of your feet. This way, you are ready to move left, right, forward, or back to hit the next shot.

Next, keep your paddle out in front of you. This is the ready position. The paddle angle should also be slightly open to make the best contact with the ball.

Adjust your paddle grip so it's tight enough to control the paddle but loose enough to allow for the right amount of touch and control. The "continental grip" is ideal for hitting volleys because you can easily switch from a backhand to a forehand grip without adjusting your hand.

You can either hit a volley forehand or backhand, but the backhand is often more comfortable. It also allows you to reach most shots. Next time you're on the court, try to hit most of your volleys with a backhand and only switch to the forehand if the ball is on the outside of your forehand hip.

To hit a backhand volley, shift your weight to the non-dominant foot. Move the paddle so the face matches the height of the ball and support the paddle with your non-dominant hand.

You can also place your other hand on the grip if you hit a two-handed backhand. Push off your non-dominant foot and rotate your hip as you strike the ball. Angle your swing slightly down to keep the ball in the court. Remember to use a short follow-through and get back to the ready position for the next shot.

To hit the forehand volley, keep your paddle out in front of you. Slightly cock your wrist back so your palm faces the net and hit the ball in front of your body. Remember to limit your backswing and follow-through for better control.

There are several types of volleys – some more useful than others. Here are several of the more popular volleys, how to hit them, and the best times to use them.

This is the most common in pickleball. As a defensive volley, it's used to continue a rally and keep you in the point. The goal is to absorb the speed of your opponent's drive and neutralize the power. It's a great option when you want to reset the rally.

This is the opposite of a block volley. Instead of absorbing your opponent's power shot, the punch volley is used when you want to go on the offensive. It's a great way to redirect a drive and end the point fast.

This is a topspin volley and is great for keeping your opponents in the backcourt. Topspin causes the ball to drop quickly, and a roll volley can give opponents trouble, especially when they're racing to the NVZ and now have to jump to reach the ball.

Roll volleys require practice, but once you get the topspin down, you'll have a powerful shot in your arsenal.

The drop volley is similar to a block volley in that it takes the pace off your opponent's shot. However, instead of blocking the ball deep in the court, the drop volley puts the ball softly over the net into the kitchen.

A well-executed drop volley can change the speed of a rally and keep your opponents off balance. It's also an effective shot when your opponents are in the backcourt and have to sprint to the kitchen before the ball bounces twice.

A dink volley is just like it sounds: a volley that dinks over the net into the kitchen. Use dink volleys to stay in the point and wait for your opponents to hit an attackable ball.

The flick volley takes a lot of practice to master. It involves a quick flick of the wrist that fires the ball back at your opponents.

These can be used to great effect during a dink rally to surprise your opponent when they are expecting a soft dink shot. This deceptive volley can also be used to quickly go from defense to offense and seize control of a rally.

The only way to perfect your volleys is to practice them. There are several easy pickleball drills you can do with a partner or alone until your volleys become second nature.

You and your partner stand at each kitchen line and volley the ball to each other. After each successful volley, take a step back until you reach the baseline. Then step forward with each volley to the kitchen line.

This drill trains you to know how hard to grip the paddle and how much backswing you need to hit accurate volleys from anywhere on the court.

Set up cones at different spots in the kitchen and mid-court. You and your partner then take turns volleying to the different targets to learn to confidently hit your volleys to specific places on the court.

Practicing on your own? The wall drill is a great way to work on your volleys and hand speed without the need for a partner.

Start by standing close to the wall (five or six feet away). Volley the ball higher off the wall to give yourself more time to track the ball. Once you get more comfortable, hit the ball lower and step closer, and the ball will bounce back to you faster.

You can start out by hitting only backhand volleys, then switch to the forehand. Eventually, try alternating between forehand and backhand volleys. This is a great drill to practice returning volleys at different speeds and angles.

Volleying is fundamental to winning more pickleball games. They'll help you catch opponents off guard, change the pace of the rally, quickly from defense to offense, and use your opponents' power shots against them.

So, next time you're on the court, try working on your volleys and watch your game go to the next level.