The volley in pickleball is one of the keys to success in the sport. If you can hit a volley consistently, you’ll win a lot of games.
In this article, we will cover all things related to volleys.
- What is a volley in pickleball?
- Types of volleys
- How do you hit a pickleball volley?
- How to strategically use your volley in a game?
- What is the non-volley zone and how does it affect your volley game?
As we jump in, we have to cover the basics of the volley.
What is it?
What is a volley in pickleball?
If you’re just starting out in pickleball or other racquet sports, you probably hear people use the word, “volley,” all the time.
“Hey, nice volley shot, Paul!”
“Sarah, that was a heckuva volley!”
We’re playing pickleball not volleyball.
So what is a volley in pickleball?
A volley shot is when a pickleball player hits the ball out of the air before it bounces on the ground.
While you can hit a volley in many places the pickleball court (except the kitchen … more on that later), players use the volley shot most often while standing at the non-volley zone line.
Pickleball volleys can be fast-paced.
And in order to hit a good volley, you have to have quick reflexes to react to the incoming ball and hit it out of the air.
There are many different types of volley shots:
- Forehand Volley
- Backhand Volley
- Drop Volley
- Punch Volley and more
As you learn about the volley, you will want to practice each type of volley shot so you can use them in the game.
So let’s explore each type of volley…
Types of Volley in Pickleball
The volley is one of the most important shots in pickleball.
You will need to practice it a lot to get the touch and feel for the shot.
But before you practice, you should get familiar with each type of volley.
Each shot is unique and useful to different situations of a game.
Let’s look at some pickleball terms for volleys.
Forehand Volley
The forehand volley is a shot that you hit with the front paddle face (and your palm) facing the net.
Your tendency may be to hit your forehand volley with a big backswing. But that will make your shot harder to control. Instead, take a short and sweet backswing, keeping your paddle face square with the net, and hit the ball out in front of your body.
Backhand Volley
The backhand volley is a shot that you hit with the back portion of the paddle. When hit correctly, the back of your hand will be facing the net on a backhand stroke.
Punch Volley
The punch volley is a compact, forceful shot where you punch the ball back over the net. It can be used to defend against speed shots when you are standing at the net as long as you are standing behind the non-volley line.
To execute this paddle stroke, keep your wrist stable and keep your swing short, punching the ball with force to your opponent’s side of the court.
Roll Volley
Roll volleys are a shot hit with a rolling motion instead of a punching motion. If your opponent hits a low shot at you, you can use the rolling volley to defend and return the shot.
With a low shot, it’s way too easy to pop up a volley on a fast return. But the rolling volley adds topspin to the ball so that it rolls downward, causing the ball to drop as it travels to the other side of the net.
To hit a rolling volley, you will want to keep your paddle face square to the net. At impact, you will roll your wrist (and paddle) over the ball, creating downward spin. This allows you to hit a harder and faster return and keep your opponent pinned back in their court.
If your opponent, for example, hits a long drop shot, you can use this type of volley to keep them deep in their court at the baseline.
Dink Volley
A dink shot is a finesse shot near the net in the game of pickleball.
The dink is a soft shot that is hit with upward trajectory that peaks at the net and drops softly into your opponent’s kitchen area.
While many dinks are hit from the kitchen after the ball bounces, the dink volley is when a player hits a soft volley before the ball bounces on their side.
Remember, you have to keep your feet behind the NVZ line if you are going to hit a dink volley legally (more on this later).
To hit an effective dink volley, bend your knees and open your paddle face slightly to the sky. Use a compact backswing and follow-through to hit the ball with soft touch and drop it in. Your point of contact should always be out in front of you.
The dink volley is a great shot that allows you to maintain your position at the non-volley zone line instead of backing up to hit the ball off the bounce. You simply bend down and volley dink it out of the air back into their kitchen.
Drop Volley
The drop volley is a ball hit with backspin that drops just beyond the net of the opposing team.
If your opponent is deep in the court, you normally want to keep them deep, especially if you are at the non-volley line.
When you beat your opponent to non-volley zone line, you have the advantage. Most opponents will assume you want to keep that advantage by hitting shots deep into their court.
This is a great time to hit a drop volley and catch them off guard.
They are waiting in the back of their court anticipating a drive, and you drop a soft, dying drop shot into their kitchen.
Bam! Rally over.
The drop volley can take a lot of practice for a new player to learn. It takes a great amount of touch and feel to execute it properly.
In order to hit a quality a drop volley, get your paddle out in front of your body with the paddle face slightly open to the sky. You won’t take a backswing. Instead you will meet the ball out in front of your body, absorbing the contact of their shot with the paddle and, at the same time, rolling your wrist slightly under the ball to create backspin.
The ball will fall softly to your opponent’s NVZ court surface.
Block Volley
The block volley is a defensive shot used to block your opponent’s shot (it’s almost like a half volley).
In many cases, the block volley can be a great way to slow the pace of play back down when you are caught off guard by your opponent’s shot.
With a block volley, you’re just trying to keep the ball in play and avoid a dead ball.
To hit a good one, you should to keep your paddle face square or angle slightly upward and just meet the paddle to the ball, dropping it softly into the kitchen.
Swing Volley
A swing volley is a more dynamic, hard volley.
While most volleys have little or no backswing, the swing volley does what it’s name suggests.
You should hit this volley with a swinging motion, similar to what you would do on a groundstroke. As you prepare for this shot, get your feet set with a split-step, and then take a full swing–back and then forward–putting force behind the ball.
This can be a difficult shot to control, and if it is your first game, you should probably not attempt it.
But practice it regularly and you will be hitting it in a game setting very soon.
How Do You Hit a Volley in Pickleball?
Now that you know the types of volleys that you can use in a pickleball match, you will want to practice the techniques and fundamentals that set you up to hit consistent volleys.
Here are some quick tips to master your volley game:
Ready Position
As your opponent goes to hit their shot, you want to get ready to make a return.
Use a split-step to get into ready position with your feet shoulder-width apart and your weight on the balls of your feet.
If you do this, you’ll be ready to move any direction you need to hit the ball.
Track the Ball
Follow the ball with your eyes from your opponent’s paddle all the way to your paddle.
This will allow you to anticipate your opponent’s next move and choose the appropriate type of volley to hit.
I hear my little league baseball coach yelling at me right now: keep your eye on the ball!
It’s true in pickleball, too.
Paddle Face
Your paddle face should be at the correct angle to execute the type of volley you want to hit.
If you are hitting a drop volley, your paddle face will be slightly open to the sky in order to hit the ball on an arc that peaks at the net and drops into the kitchen.
If you are hitting a roll volley, you will want to keep your paddle face square until you make contact with the ball; then you will roll your paddle face over the top of the ball to create top spin.
You get the idea.
But you need to really work on paddle feel and angles.
This is hard to master, but it can improve your volley significantly as you learn it.
Continental Grip
The continental grip is the most commonly used grip in pickleball.
It involves holding the paddle like a hammer, with your index finger on the edge of the paddle and your thumb on the back of the handle.
From this position, you should be able to hit forehand and backhands with consistency.
It’s the grip that I use, but more importantly, it’s the grip that many pro pickleball players use as well.
Grip Pressure
Your grip pressure should match the shot you are taking.
If you are taking a soft volley, like a dink or drop volley, you should use a soft grip on the paddle so that you have soft hands. You will be able to hit the ball with more touch and finesse.
If you are hitting a hard volley, like a swing volley, you should grip the paddle tighter for more power.
Keep Your Paddle Out Front
As you make contact with the ball, keep your paddle head in front of your body so you see the ball and your contact point and hit the sweet spot of the paddle.
This is one of the main parts to a successful volley.
If your paddle lags behind you, you will have a tendency to hit the ball with little accuracy and end up out of bounds.
Hit It Low
You will want to keep your volley as low as possible returning to your opponent’s side. You can even aim toward your opponent’s feet or another part of a player in order to keep it low and move them out of position.
Your volley shot is only as effective as your placement. The better you place it, the better chance you have to win the point.
In fact, placement is more important than speed or spin on your volley.
How to Use A Volley in Pickleball Throughout The Game
Now that we know how to hit a pickleball volley, when should we use it throughout the game?
There are times that a good volley can really give you an advantage against your opponent.
And there are other moments when you should avoid the volley altogether.
Let’s work through some scenarios of a pickleball game together.
The Serve: The Start of the Rally
At the beginning of a rally, the serving team kicks it off with a deep serve into the opposite service court (remember to hit it with an underhand stroke below your waist).
The receiving team cannot volley the ball right away. They must let the ball bounce (following the double bounce rule).
But once the ball bounces, the receiving team can hit the ball back.
As the return comes back to the serving team, they must also allow the ball to bounce (re: double bounce rule) before returning it.
After the third shot of the rally (serve, return, return), players can begin to volley.
Transition Zone
After adhering to the double bounce rule, both teams should begin working their way through the transition area to the non-volley zone line.
The transition zone is the area between the non-volley zone (NVZ) and the baseline. Players also refer to it as no-man’s land because you won’t win a lot points there.
You won’t want to get stuck in no-man’s land because you won’t win a lot of point here–and you could end up like Tom Hanks in Castaway, growing a giant beard and talking to a pickleball with a face drawn on it.
Okay that’s dramatic, but just trust us: get out of the transition zone as soon as possible.
The first team to get to the kitchen line gains the advantage.
If your opponent keeps hitting an overhead smash or other quality shots to keep you back from the NVZ line, you can use your volley to play defense and slow the speed of the ball.
For example, if your opponent hits a smash, you could use a block volley to reset the pace of play.
You could also hit a third shot drop volley into their kitchen. This is one of the best ways to give you time to move up. Just try to avoid hitting the high ball too deep where the other team can put it away.
Are there times when I should not hit a volley in pickleball?
A volley can be hit anywhere on the court, except for one place.
There is an area on the pickleball court called the non-volley zone.
Think of it like a no-fly zone. In a no-fly zone, you should not fly.
And in a non-volley zone, you should not volley.
But where is this mysterious zone?
And how do I know if I’m in it?
Is it like the Bermuda triangle? Did I just see Amelia Earhart?! I’m so scared.
Before I lose my cool, let’s dive into one of life’s deepest questions: where is the non-volley zone?
The Non-Volley Zone
The non-volley zone can be confusing, especially for beginner players.
The non-volley zone (or kitchen) is a seven-foot section of the court on each side of the net.
When the game was founded, early players realized that taller players could stand at the net and smash the ball straight down. They dominated the game.
In order to level the playing field, they created the NVZ on both sides of the net to keep players back.
Kitchen Line
The kitchen line or non-volley zone line marks off the beginning of the non-volley zone.
During most rallies, you want to get to the NVZ line as quickly as possible, but you need to be aware of how close you are to the line. The kitchen line is part of the non-volley zone.
If the foot of the volleying player is on the kitchen line, they are standing in the kitchen.
This is okay as long as you are not hitting a volley.
But if you are hitting a volley…
The Kitchen Rule: Can you volley in pickleball in the kitchen?
You can’t hit the ball out of air (volley) while you are standing inside the kitchen.
This is the simplest rule of the kitchen. If you are going to step into the non-volley zone and hit the ball, you just have to let it bounce first.
And remember, the line is a part of the NVZ. If you are on the line, you are in the kitchen, and you have to let the ball bounce.
Pickleball Volley Rule Violations
There are other volley violations as well that can trip you up in a game.
If you do break one of the volley rules, you can be called for a fault.
Here are a few scenario that lead to a common mistake or rule violation when volleying:
Falling into the Kitchen
When you are standing at the kitchen line, you may do everything right.
You keep your feet behind the line and hit a perfect rolling volley.
But as you finish the act of volleying, your forward momentum carries you into the non-volley zone.
If the player’s momentum carries them in as they finish a volley, they will be called for a fault.
Hitting Out of Bounds
A volley can also be difficult to control.
And as you hit a volley and try to play the angle, you may hit it close to the sideline or backline.
If it goes outside the lines, the shot is out and is considered a fault.
But what if it lands on the line?
According to USA Pickleball, “The rule is that if you can see a gap between the ball and the line, the ball is ‘out’. If you do not see a gap and can’t determine if the ball is out, call it ‘in’.”
Who makes that line call in a recreation game?
These can be contentious moments in a game.
It’s always best to let the closest player make the call.
Hitting Into the Net
When hitting a volley, it also easy hit the ball into the net.
If your volley shot hits the net and drops on your side, you lose the rally.
If the ball hits the top of the net and still lands on the other side of the court, the ball is live and in play.
Double Hit
As you volley, you can mishit the ball and strike the ball twice with your paddle face in one swing motion.
This is called a double hit.
But shockingly, this is actually legal, as long as it is unintentional and occurs in one continuous, swinging motion.
If you want to get familiar with the volley rules, we have a great guide on What Are the Volley Rules?
We would also encourage you to get familiar with all of the pickleball rules, and we have a great guide that you can take with you to the court. Check out our article on Pickleball Rules 2023. (link)
Conclusion
A volley is a vital part of your pickleball game.
Dinking or smashing is not the only way to win a point. Learn to hit the ball out of the air.
You’ll want to practice each type of volley so that you can execute all of them consistently during a rally–aiming at a part of the player or intended target, like your opponents feet.
And remember: if you are going to volley the ball, keep your feet out of the non-volley zone. We really don’t want you to disappear.
But if you see Amelia, say hi for us.
So get out there and start volleying and make us proud.