A Cross-Court Volley Drive is a very aggressive shot which can be used to really attack your opponent, as it has the ability to push your opponent back and make them change direction simultaneously, which isn’t easy to do quickly.

As it’s a very aggressive shot, one of the main strategies behind it is to increase the pace of the game and apply more pressure to the opponent. It is also often played so a player can keep in front of their opponent and stay on the T-Position, as the players duel for the T.

As with all shots played at pace to the back of the court, we need to make sure we get the right length so that the shot bounces twice in the back corner and doesn’t come come off the back wall a lot.   Like a Cross-Court Drive, it can be risky if it is played loose and down the middle of the court, so we need to make sure we get the width.

A Cross-Court Volley requires many of the same steps as Straight Volley does, which are outlined below, except for one key difference:

Hit the ball very early – Make sure you are hitting the ball as early as you can as this will force the ball cross-court. To make it easier to hit the ball earlier, make sure you step forwards towards the corner.

Tips for hitting any volley drive:

Hunting the volley & showing intent – To play a Volley you have to show intent. You could have the best Volley in the world but if you are not ready or in position to execute it, it is useless. You have to make sure you are high up on the court, ideally on the T-position with your racket by your chest and ready.
Timing – You should aim to hit the ball early and in front of you so that you can get your whole body behind the swing and also hit the ball as soon as possible so as to further increase the pressure on your opponent. Also, make sure the ball is at a comfortable height for you to hit – usually around shoulder height.
Long swing – The swing on a Volley length is much like that of a Straight Drive. The swing should be long so that you can get good power and control.
High to Low swing – Make sure your swing goes from high to low so that the ball comes downwards enough to make it bounce twice just as it gets to the back wall

Back to Squash School

→ Recommended posts for those looking at Volleys:

Cross-Court Volleying as a Return of Serve, Changing the pace of the game, Five ways to improve your squash now, Controlling the T-Position