First volley tactics: control and placement
Key takeaway from our Guru
Where should I place my first volley after the serve?
Play a soft, slice volley to the center when the return is low to keep your opponent pinned. If the return is high, you can attack with more pace to the center or down the line to force movement.
What this lesson covers
The first volley after the serve dictates the rhythm of the point. When the return is low, play a soft, slice volley to the center to keep the opponent pinned at the back glass. Avoid hitting deep to the corners on a low ball, as the rebound allows the opponent to attack with a chiquita or a lob. When the return is higher, take the ball with an aggressive slice to the center or down the line to force the opponent to run and open up the court for the next shot.
Footwork is essential to maintain control. Move to the side of the ball to create space, then recover toward the center to cover the court. If the return comes to the body, step to the side to clear the ball and accelerate down the line. A common mistake is volleying toward the side wall, which makes the ball bounce back toward the net player. Instead, aim for the center so the ball dies, forcing the opponent to cover more distance. The choice of shot depends on the score and the height of the contact point.
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Original video
Added on Apr 2, 2026
21 Pro Serve and Volley Tips By Fede Vives AND Legends PRO AM TORNEO!
Description
Please subscribe and hit the notification bell, let's get 40K subscribers this year! Ladies and gentleman, this might be our biggest video yet! We had a great trip to Barcelona! You will see great ex football players in this video like Totti and Puyol. Fede Vives will give great tips about serve and volley, but also the return. He will show his club, real club de tennis Barcelona. Which is wonderful club! To many things in one video! Just watch it. Vamooooo ~ 10% discount if you visit my online padel shop. Go to www.racketteam.com and use code: otronivel ~ Would you like to learn more? Become a Otro Nivel channel member or special member, support us and become better! 👊🏼 Click & join ➠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrMuJTshdLiaUmbYJy8lSkA/join ~ Also find us on: Our Facebook group ➠https://www.facebook.com/groups/padeltips Our Facebook page ➠https://www.facebook.com/0tronivel 👊🏼 Become a supporter ➠https://www.facebook.com/becomesupporter/0tronivel ~ Our instagram page ➠https://www.instagram.com/0tronivel/ Sven's instagram page ➠https://www.instagram.com/svenboele/ Sven's tiktok➠ https://vm.tiktok.com/ZScj6vNr/
Good for
Skill level
Intermediate, High Intermediate, Advanced, High Advanced
Court position
Net
Play style
Tactical
Secondary shot
Slice
Keywords
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