How To Deal with High Balls in Tennis - 6 Ways

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

What is your go-to option for dealing with high balls?

[@kam_kirov]

I prefer to attack the ball at the apex (especially when I have time to step into the court) as my style is more aggressive. The bonus with the inside-in(out) forehand is actually really helpful (as being one-hander on the backhand), I plan to incorporate in my game more often. Thank you Simon, great lesson! 🙂

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Many thanks 🙏

[@robdavies4294]

On the rise leading to a powerful unforced error

[@rumitsomaiya753]

I like the slice (forehand or backhand) at it changes how the point is played

[@mauricioreginato]

I like to run around and execute a backhand rather than a forehand as you mentioned in the video, but I hit the ball on the drop. In my case, it is easier to produce topspin using a backhand against high balls. Do you see any problem with that?

[@loopdeloop7276]

My go-to option is usually hitting the ball into the net. Thanks Simon!

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

😂 that’s not great, time to use these options

[@lanlam879]

😂

[@davebeery_youtube]

😂

[@dip4fish]

Or in the fence😅

[@ankurperiwal9704]

ROFFLL 🤣

[@ape33-3]

amazing one hander, please use it more often. also great video, thanks for the insight.

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Thanks for the support 🙏 All the best Simon

[@anttitapio4145]

I love drive volley option although it's the hardest. When you manage to hit a winner from the first time your opponent hits a short high ball it's like a slap in the face and messes their tactic because they don't try it so many times any more. Thank you for a great video 🙏🏻

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

It’s a real mind destroyer for sure 😂

[@Mystprism]

​@@TopTennisTrainingOfficialJust want to be sure it is "drive volley", right? Your captions say "dry volley" which I don't think I've heard before.

[@anatolyzhitnikov7405]

Thank you, Simon. I started to play tennis a year ago and made quite a progress having watched your lessons.

[@rumitsomaiya753]

Awesome Simon great analysis on how to handle high balls! At my club any high moon ball with top spin is an almost certain as not much space behind the baseline to run back!

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

On the rise, half volleys or drive volleys it is then 😂

[@msk33]

Great video. I am often suffering from a high ball in the one handed back-hand when I am trying to slice it at the apex. Harder for me than the flat shot or even a topspin. A detailed video about this will be welcome.

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Many thanks 🙏 The key is in the preparation, as I discuss here. Higher than normal, and focus on the timing ⏱️

[@sdh2110]

thx for the detailed explanation. not only about the height of the ball but also about the stance, weight transfer, and fh bh so on. great video!

[@DianaS-eo7nc]

Really excellent! I especially like to half volley the high ball to take time away from pushers. I can see using the variety you show to disrupt their rythym. Great instruction! Thank you Simon!😊

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

My pleasure 🙏

[@shrutikumari-yx7xd]

Another excellent instructional video. Great list of options with perfect demonstrations. The puppies are too cute!

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Thank you for the support 🙏

[@weizheng2757]

Great ideas! Inspiring me a lot thanks! Lovely dog , it should come more often!

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Many thanks 🙏

[@cdfchung]

Time and time again I am referring to Simon's videos! Great lessons as always!

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Many thanks 🙏

[@АннаФ-с7д]

Great video as always Simon 👍 Thank you for your work !

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Always my pleasure 🙏

[@watersmoke1114]

There is another option on high bouncing balls: smashing them from behind the base line, like a serve with or without slice effect, and with more or less power according to the risk that you want to take 😊 tx a lot for the video

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

That’s another option for sure, you do need a very high ball for that though

[@dovahkiin6078]

Having a one handed backhand, one thing I found very easy to do to deal with those high balls on backhand side is to let it bounce and to hit it high above head level in a kind of slice fashion with racket head almost facing court. This gives a slow sliced return but I found it incredibly easy to hit as a backup shot when you're a beginner

[@DeltoidBeast]

Great video as always. A lot can be learned from your videos.

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Thank you for the support all these years. It’s greatly appreciated 🙏 All the best Simon

[@DeltoidBeast]

@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial My pleasure, you deserve it. Your technique is so good. You truly understand game of tennis well.

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

🙏

[@XxBeatexX]

My favorite is in apex , and turn around my backhand. In the case i don’t have the timing to do it, i do the same moonball and wait for the next one. Slicing is good too as you say to change the rhythm. For me the hardest moonball to deal are the ones really high without any consistency, but i will try as you say to get it sooner right after the bounce to see if i can get more confortable and avoid direct faults.

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Good luck 🤞

[@marcusbrsp]

Good advice! I feel that this is generally easier to deal with on a hardcourt. On clay, the ball is prone to deviate after bounce and this can be frustrating. Especially for someone with a one-handed backhand trying to take the ball early, on the rise.

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Taking the ball early on clay is like Russian roulette

[@jtanabodee]

Nice tips, very useful. Thanks.

[@monicagonzalez3490]

Great info, thank you!

[@mkim64]

Your slices are beautiful!

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Thank you so much 🙏

[@bijano7320]

it would be great to revisist this video and describe whether you're using a flat or topspin stroke. e.g. for the volley shots, what's the swing path?

[@Tennis_sisters_and_dog]

Very useful video!!!

[@FatherSonDaily]

I enjoy your lessons

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Thank you 🙏

[@HonkyMonky]

Great stuff as usual

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Many thanks 🙏

[@successunlimited5759]

Very useful tutorial thank you 😊

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

My pleasure 🙏 All the best Simon

[@successunlimited5759]

@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial Thank you simon 💓🙏

[@bora.colakoglu]

My go-to option is the slice on the forehand; in the backhand, I accept my fate and lose the point.

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

😂

[@shaunacole1]

Very good video 👍🏾

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Many thanks 🙏

[@thomasc4777]

Nicely done. What ball machine (make/model) are you using? It looks like a very good one. Thank you.

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

In this video it’s a slinger, a good video to use when I film content as it’s easy to set up on my side of the court but I wouldn’t use it for training, very basic features and only feeds with heavy topspin

[@thomasc4777]

Thank you, Simon. Do you have a ball machine recommendation other than Slinger?

[@patrickweston3293]

Personally, I love my Lobster elite liberty. Best feature: the housing is held together with ordinary screws. Easy to open up and repair, replace or add parts. Four years of use and I've never needed to do anything but vacuum out yellow fuzz!

[@Ilegator]

there is also the jumping one handed backhand option, mastered by shapovalov

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

And two hander as made famous by Rios then Safin

[@marcelinhov2]

thanks for the video, can you please share the slinger settings for this kind of balls? I'm really strugling with that, lost a game yesterday were the guy did this THE WHOLE GAME. Thank you.

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Speed set at 11 o’clock Trajectory set at 20% incline Tempo set at 12 o’clock

[@marcelinhov2]

@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial thank you so much

[@ahadmohammadi2137]

Greetings. Dear Simon, I follow you and thank you for the educational clips. In my opinion, the forehand or the backhand that is hit immediately after the jump is called off the bounce or off the bounce, not Half Volley. Because Half Volley grip is different, this hit should be distinguished. With special thanks❤

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

It can be called off the bounce, but a half volley is any shot hit just after the bounce, not only shots hit with a continental grip near the net. Hope that clears it up

[@rikachu571]

0:18 - me wanna see more puppy ❤

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

In my community group on Instagram, I’ve shared some pictures of my five puppies, coach_simon_ttt is the handle

[@andreaverzosa1101]

7:17!

[@quante99]

Cute dog😊

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

🙏

[@idokeren708]

for a forehand apex hit, is it best to go with a semi-western grip?

[@nachoEspinozanilsson]

Excelente 🎉🎉🎉

[@wundertuete72]

Love ur dog ❤

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

🙏

[@HomyakHamster]

hi Simon, i have bought Pure aero VS 2020 like yours, it has 16\20 string pattern, could you please share your thoughts about this racquet (control, spin, power and etc.) Thank you!

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

I loved it for the first year I had the rackets, but I’ve noticed the frames have stopped absorbing the vibrations in the past few months and I’m now suffering with serious elbow and arm issues after every session. I’ve changed the strings numerous times, changed tensions, nothing helped. Then I played a few days with one of my old rackets and the pain got better immediately. So I’m now looking to switch rackets

[@massimobertini915]

I am a lot on trouble with forehand on the apex, I am not able to center correctly the sweetspot. Which is the best grip for this kind of shot? Thank you!

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Use your normal grip but work on the timing. By the time bounces, you should have the racket set in the power position ready to swing forward

[@jaquevius]

I find option 2, stepping in and taking it on the rise, is best for doubles because it takes time away and it’s easier to come in. Option 1 is fine for singles if you don’t mind a grind match, but it’s too easy for the net man to pick it off in doubles, especially if it’s a backhand. A question about the half volley option. I intuitively do this on deep balls and actually hit with more pace than my regular forehands. Is that common?

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

You’re probably transferring your weight more effectively and hitting the ball cleaner as this is required, so the FH probably comes out better

[@jaquevius]

@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial thanks, that’s kind of what I suspected. Weird how it’s easier for me to transfer weight on a deep half volley than a routine forehand though. I thought it may be that there is more velocity on the ball since it just bounced so it returns with more. I think I should start moving in and taking balls on the rise more often because I feel like I get a lot more pace this way than waiting until the ball is descending, regardless of weight transfer, but idk 🤷‍♂️

[@dilipms7468]

Drive volley on the backhand side seems tough and pretty rare even at pro level.

[@EdmonBegoli]

@Simon - what is your preferred way for dealing with high balls, especially low pace-ones? I get these often on the return of my serve by the players who can barely put the “racket on it”.

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

I like to attack them, either going flat or aggressive topspin to push them back. Usually either a set up for the volley or one that allows me to establish myself inside the baseline

[@Dasato123]

The blue court has a weirdly small perimeter around it. Is it a singles tennis court or something else? Perhaps a practice wall in front of you?

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

It’s a practice wall court 👍

[@tennishill177]

Are you using the Pure Aero VS?

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

For the time being, looking to change though. Pure pain on my arm

[@tennishill177]

@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial I'm using this racket and It's the best I've ever owned.

[@DrTenma0811]

⁠@@tennishill177since when have you been using it?check out his reply in other comment about the racket

[@diegoyungh9697]

Came for the tips, stayed for the puppy!

[@gamingwithmahavir1922]

what's your utr?

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

I don’t have a UTR but from what I’ve read online, my highest LTA rating was a 1.2 in 2010. That converts into a 13+ UTR

[@JimmyVercellino]

What about a high ball to the backhand with no pace?

[@cjgaren]

The dog is so cute

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

🙏

[@MrPatrickbuit]

My problem is that taking balls high on my forehand is easy, but with my backhand I find it hard not to muscle the ball with my arms when taking it on the rise.

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

It takes a lot of practice but it’s definitely worth it

[@yunshenghuang3736]

狗狗很可愛！

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Many thanks 🙏

[@cesarfernandezlopez5063]

HOW WE DEAL WITH THE 🐶 SIMON ? 😂😂😂👍🏻❤️🎾 THANK YOU 😊

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Which one? There’s 5 little rascals hiding behind the camera in this video, two of them make a cameo appearance 😂

[@cesarfernandezlopez5063]

@@TopTennisTrainingOfficial 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@htainlindwa80]

You have little brown falla helping you hehe

[@lkl3701]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

🙏

[@serhatngd]

👍👍👏👏👏

[@panosbozopoulos5212]

Playing with wet, worn out and dead balls is the key to deal with these high shots: They are just never produced throughout the match.

[@tinamagi8444]

Well, I would not accept those balls....

[@hectorayub2594]

AWESOME!

[@IsaiahW16]

I wish I had this in my semi final match I lost in tiebreak 4-7 and he kept giving me high balls and I just kept giving him high balls back

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Next time you’ll destroy him

[@jamesm6377]

I never plan a half volley.. they are forced on me

[@sn1kzZe]

Please for the love of god next time, pet the doggy, you just can't have it make an appearance and not pet it!

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

😂 the problem is, if I start playing with one, there’s another four pups behind the camera all waiting for my attention. So I’d never get my filming done, and it was 39c that day, so I wasn’t sure how much more rambling I could take

[@Sea1tw]

just drink it

[@pkitatta]

I came for the views of the court on the cover. I got no views... 😢

[@TopTennisTrainingOfficial]

Sorry pal, I’ve used that footage in the previous lessons though