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A hard drive is coming straight at your chest. What is the shot?
Ball at the body: backhand block. Racket in front, firm wrist, let their pace do the work.
A flat, fast drive comes directly at your body at the net. Which volley do you play?
Ball at the body: backhand block. Racket in front, firm wrist, let their pace do the work.
Why
A fast ball straight at a net player is answered with the backhand block. The racket is already in front of the chest in the ready position; the backhand face covers the body naturally, and a firm wrist with no backswing returns the pace the opponent gave you. There is no time to turn for a forehand, and a swing at a ball you cannot see arriving is late. The block goes deep by itself. The aim is simply to keep it low and central, and to have the racket there. This is why the racket lives up in front of the chest at the net, not down by the side.
What this means at your level
Beginner
Keep the racket up in front of your chest between shots. When the ball comes at you, the racket is already there, just firm your wrist.
Intermediate
Angle the block toward the deeper opponent's feet. You cannot aim much, but you can choose which side of centre.
Advanced
The block at the body is a target for good opponents. When you have blocked two in a row, the next ball is the angle away from you: read it from the racket face and move.
Common questions
A flat, fast drive comes directly at your body at the net. Which volley do you play?
A backhand block, no swing. Ball at the body: backhand block. Racket in front, firm wrist, let their pace do the work. A fast ball straight at a net player is answered with the backhand block. The racket is already in front of the chest in the ready position; the backhand face covers the body naturally, and a firm wrist with no backswing returns the pace the opponent gave you. There is no time to turn for a forehand, and a swing at a ball you cannot see arriving is late. The block goes deep by itself. The aim is simply to keep it low and central, and to have the racket there. This is why the racket lives up in front of the chest at the net, not down by the side.
Why not a forehand: turn the shoulders and swing through?
There is no room to turn for a forehand on a ball at the chest. The backhand block is the shot.
What should a beginner do here?
Keep the racket up in front of your chest between shots. When the ball comes at you, the racket is already there, just firm your wrist.
How does this change for an advanced player?
The block at the body is a target for good opponents. When you have blocked two in a row, the next ball is the angle away from you: read it from the racket face and move.
Puzzles like this one
They lobbed you deep. Smash it or play the bandeja?
Deep ball, high hands: bandeja. The shot exists to keep you at the net, not to win the point.
beginnerThe ball is at your feet at the net. What now?
A ball below the net cannot be attacked. Block it deep and wait for one above the tape.
beginnerThe ball is coming off the back glass. When do you hit it?
Move back with the ball, let it pass you, hit it in front of your body.