Okay, so let’s talk about this thing I started calling ‘neel tennis’. It’s not official or anything, just a name I gave to this drill I’ve been messing around with. I saw some old timer doing something similar down at the courts, looked kinda weird but effective, so I thought, why not give it a try myself?
So, the whole idea started because my low volleys were just… garbage. Always popping them up, easy put-aways for the other guy. I needed to get lower, stay lower, and punch through the ball better. This old dude, he was almost kneeling to hit these super low, controlled volleys. Looked tough.
Getting Started – Awkward is an Understatement
First day I tried it, it was a mess. I actually started by literally kneeling. Grabbed a bucket of balls, went to the service line. My partner just fed me balls nice and easy, right around knee height. Man, balance was the first big problem. I kept tipping over trying to reach or move even slightly. Didn’t even feel like tennis at first.
Key things I focused on initially:
- Just making contact while kneeling.
- Keeping my head still.
- Trying not to fall on my face.
Honestly, maybe hit 1 out of 5 balls over the net cleanly. Most went straight down or flew way out. Felt pretty dumb doing it, not gonna lie.
Making it a Bit More Real
After a few sessions of just kneeling static, I realized that wasn’t really the point. The old guy I saw wasn’t actually kneeling during points, he just got incredibly low. So, I modified it. Instead of full kneeling, I started in a super deep squat, almost like a catcher in baseball. My coach buddy called it the ‘deep knee bend volley drill’, but ‘neel tennis’ stuck in my head.
So, the routine became:
- Start in a very low squat near the net.
- Partner feeds balls low and to either side (not too far at first).
- Focus on staying low through the entire volley motion. Punch, don’t swing.
- Try to recover the low position quickly for the next ball.
This felt more practical. My legs were burning after just 10 minutes though. Seriously, it’s a workout. But I started feeling the benefit. By forcing myself to stay that low, I had no choice but to keep the racket face stable and punch forward, not upward.
Hitting Walls (Sometimes Literally the Net)
It wasn’t smooth sailing. There were days I just couldn’t get it. Felt sluggish, couldn’t get low enough, or I’d cheat and stand up too early on the volley. Consistency was tough. Some days felt great, others felt like day one all over again. And yeah, plenty of balls slammed right into the net tape. Frustrating.
I also noticed I wasn’t moving my feet much at first, just reaching. Bad habit. So I had to consciously add small adjustment steps, even while staying super low. Shuffle, punch, recover low. Shuffle, punch, recover low. Felt robotic for a while.
Where I’m At Now
Been doing this ‘neel tennis’ drill, or variations of it, for a couple of months now as part of my warm-up or specific practice sessions. My regular low volleys? Definitely better. Not perfect, still shank a few, but way more consistent. I feel more balanced when I have to get down low in actual points now.
I don’t actually kneel anymore, obviously. It was just a starting point to force the body position. Now it’s all about that deep squat and stability. It’s become a solid tool in my practice toolkit. Still looks a bit weird when I’m drilling it, probably, but hey, if it works, it works. It definitely helped me fix a big hole in my net game.
