The Open Stance Volley

Cris Bacharach

The open stance allows me to see the ball better and by saving a step, I can recover more quickly.

Many times I hear my students complain about being too slow to react at the net or volleying too many balls off the frame. The open stance volley may be the answer to both of these problems.

Open stance is a simple solution for quicker footwork on wide volleys. So many of us are taught to step across with the opposite foot for better volleys. This may work well when you only have to move a half or full step to reach the ball. However, when your opponent hits a wide volley and you have to take two or more steps, you are better off volleying with an open stance and saving the cross step as a last resort. And with out the cross step, you can recover and reload for the next ball more quickly.

Make sure to start with the outside foot first (right-hander going for a wide forehand starts with his right foot first) and shuffle to the ball.

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