The world No. 2 hits ground strokes with the best of them. But volleys? Yes, he has those, too. His backhand drop volley is a beauty.

  1. The drop volley—I prefer “stop” volley—is a shot that isn’t used often. But when executed correctly and at the right time, it can win a point outright. It starts with the grip. Nadal holds the racquet with an Eastern fore-hand grip (to do this, place your hand ? at against the strings and slide it down to the grip). This allows him to keep the head of his racquet slightly above his wrist and to make ? rm contact. Nadal’s elbows and knees are bent and his stance is closed, which isn’t necessary for every volley but helps you control a drop volley. Also notice Nadal’s short backswing. This will allow him to punch the ball rather than swing at it.
  1. Nadal keeps the same racquet position in this photo, with his arms slightly bent. But at this point he steps (and slides) into the ball with his left foot. His eyes concentrate on the target and his balance is excellent. People tend to lean over as they move in for a volley, but notice how Nadal doesn’t bend at the waist; he bends at the knees. You can tell he will meet the ball early and out in front of his body.
  1. The ball is low to the ground, so Nadal lowers himself along with it. Although his knees bend even more than in the last photo, his back remains relatively straight. He shows good posture here. A player with a two-handed backhand will often drop the racquet head below his or her wrist when hitting a one-handed backhand volley. Nadal doesn’t make that mistake. He takes his right hand off the racquet and extends his left arm to an almost-straight position so he can hit the ball out in front. Keep this picture in mind so you can try to copy Nadal’s form later. It’s perfect.
  1. Nadal drops his racquet so he can carve under the ball, generating backspin and sidespin. He can slide the racquet under the ball like this because of his grip. He’s stretched out at this point and hitting the ball well in front of his body, but he maintains his balance. His right arm moves backward to counterbalance his forward movement and straighten his chest, which will allow him to stay balanced as he ? nishes the shot.
  1. Nadal is at his lowest point here, and his right arm—his balancing arm—is behind his body. His right foot begins to slide forward toward his left foot. Take a close look at the racquet to understand how Nadal puts spin on the ball. As he carves under and across the bottom of the ball, he turns his wrist ever so slightly, like he’s turning a key. His eyes remain glued to the ball.
  1. The right leg now makes a dramatic move forward as Nadal recovers from the shot and prepares for the next one (if there is one). At this point, he probably can’t believe his eyes. The ball barely passes over the net and—I’m willing to bet—falls in for a winner. Bravo!