Learn the approach shot in tennis: a deep ball from mid-court, then follow it in and volley – with milestones, mistakes, safety tips and FAQ.
The approach shot is a stroke from mid-court after which you move forward to the net. You play it when the opponent gives you a short ball and you want to use it to build pressure at the net. It is a bridge shot: not the end of the rally but the way to the net point.
The honest answer to "do I have to go to the net at all?": not always. But you should know how to do it safely. The LTA uses a school drill in which students, after a return that lands in the service box, play an approach shot and move forward to volley position; the teaching point is to stop before the shot where possible [2]. And there are signs that the approach shot can be trained: in a study with 35 recreational players (age about 44), four weeks of variability training (wrist weights, seven sessions of 15 minutes) improved the accuracy of the forehand approach shot by 51.4 %, while shot speed stayed the same [1].
The price: whoever goes to the net must be fast. A study on serve and volley with 15 expert players showed a trade-off: with the back foot on the ground ("foot-back") players reached the net faster, with the front foot ("foot-up") they hit the serve faster [3]. That is a serve study, not one on the approach shot – we use it only as evidence that pace and running time to the net compete for resources.
How long does it take? You learn the principle in one or two sessions. Until you bring the ball deep into the court under pressure, expect weeks to months (practical experience, not a study).
A short ball that bounces in or in front of the service box is the invitation. The LTA drill describes exactly that: if the ball lands in the service box, an approach shot is played and the player moves forward to volley [2].
Milestone: On 8 of 10 short balls you immediately recognise that you can move in.
The approach shot should land deep and allow the opponent only a poor pass. Slice (backhand) keeps the ball flat; topspin (forehand) gives safety. A review on backhand strokes points out that a player with a two-handed backhand should learn the one-handed slice backhand early because the coordination is different [4]. Practical standard: the target is the line or the open side.
Milestone: 6 of 10 approach shots land behind the service line.
After the shot you go forward, but not at a full sprint. The LTA teaching point: move forward and, where possible, stop before the next shot [2]. A split step when the opponent swings helps (practical experience; tennis players hopped in 82.9 % of the analysed cases [5]). Movements at the net or on the way there ran at about 0.8 to 1.9 m/s in a video analysis [5] – controlled pace is enough.
Milestone: On 8 of 10 approaches you stop with a split step before the opponent hits.
Once at the net you are ready for the volley. Mind the rules: if you touch the net or net post while the ball is in play you lose the point; you may only hit the ball after it has passed the net [6].
Milestone: You win 5 of 10 approach rallies or stay in the rally.
If the opponent passes, you are in the worse position. Then knowledge about the passing shot (next guide) helps. Do not always go to the net but choose situations with an advantage.
Milestone: You use the approach shot only on short balls.
Train with variability: do not always play your approach shots the same in a series but change target, pace and spin. In the study with 35 recreational players exactly that (with wrist weights) brought an improvement in accuracy [1]. Do it for 15 minutes per session, no longer.
A stroke from mid-court after which you move forward to the net. It should land deep so the opponent cannot pass.
On a short ball that bounces in or in front of the service box [2].
Both work. The slice backhand keeps the ball flat; a review recommends that players with a two-handed backhand learn the one-handed slice early [4].
As far as you can still stop in a controlled way before you play the next ball – the LTA gives as a teaching point to stop before the shot where possible [2]. There is no fixed number of metres (practical experience).
Yes. In one study four weeks of variability training improved accuracy by 51.4 % [1].
Half Volley in Tennis: The Ball Right After the Bounce