Relish

Timing the bounce

When you hit a ball after it bounces changes your time, your options and your opponent’s time. Learn the four windows and why the top of the bounce is the one to aim for.

Aim for the top of the bounce. Hit earlier or later on purpose, not because you ran out of time.

Builds your control

When you hit changes what you can do

Timing is judging when to move and when to hit. It comes in three kinds: when you make contact, when you move, and when you commit to a shot. This lesson is about the first kind, and only for balls you take after they bounce: when you dink (a soft shot over the net from near the kitchen), or play from the baseline.

Where you meet the ball in its bounce changes five things:

  • how much of the ball’s energy comes into your paddle
  • how high you can make contact
  • how much time you have
  • how much time your opponent loses
  • which shots you can play

Four windows after the bounce

Picture the ball’s path after it bounces: it rises, reaches its highest point, then falls. You can hit it in four windows along the way. Here they are, from earliest to latest.

  1. 1

    Short hop (half-volley)

    You hit the ball very soon after it bounces. You have the least time to react and prepare, the ball still carries the most energy, and you have the smallest margin to change its direction, height or speed. It is usually the window with the least control, especially when you are jammed or under pressure. At the kitchen, a pop-up (a ball you float up for your opponent to attack) is much more likely.

  2. 2

    On the rise

    The ball has bounced and is still going up. It carries real energy and spin. You have less time to prepare than if you waited, but more options than with a short hop. You take time away from your opponent. It needs good timing and control of the paddle face.

  3. 3

    At or near the apex

    The ball is around the highest point of its bounce. Your contact point is high, the ball is hardly moving up or down, its energy has dropped and you have had time to prepare. When the bounce sits high, your attacking window is the biggest: the lower the ball, the less aggressive your shot can be. For most situations it is the window you can control and attack best.

  4. 4

    On the descent

    The ball is falling. You have more time to read it and prepare, and less energy comes in, which can help your touch. But your contact point drops. Wait too long and you have fewer ways to attack, you have to lift the ball, and you risk popping it up near the kitchen.

Aim for the top of the bounce

Make the apex your default: set up early, let the ball come up, and hit it near its highest point. Cue: Aim for the top of the bounce.

At the apex the ball is high and has lost energy, and you have had time to get ready. That makes it a good place to start from, whether you want to play safe or to attack.

Waiting for the apex takes time, and time comes from the earlier lessons: Prepare early and Space and footwork.

Earlier or later is a trade

The four windows are not a line from defensive to attacking. Several things change at once, so think of it as a trade.

Hit it earlier, and you:

  • take more time away from your opponent
  • have less time to prepare
  • use more of the ball’s energy
  • need more precision

Hit it later, and you:

  • have more time to prepare
  • let the ball’s energy fade
  • give your opponent more time to recover
  • eventually lower your contact point

So the apex is a good middle point, not always the best one. This is a way to think about each ball, not a set of rules. Pick the window on purpose.

A short hop you didn’t choose

Don’t think of the short hop as a defensive shot. A forced short hop usually means you lost time or space: the ball arrived before you were ready, or too close to you.

The fix starts before the ball bounces: prepare sooner and use your feet to make room. It is not a reason to fear the short hop. Advanced players short-hop on purpose, giving up a little of their own control to put time pressure on their opponent.

Cue: A forced short hop means I ran out of time or space.

Taking it earlier or later on purpose

Taking a dink on the rise can be the more aggressive choice. You accept a harder contact in exchange for pressure on your opponent.

Taking a ball on the descent can give you more control over its pace, at the cost of contact height and of your opponent’s recovery time.

Either one is a choice you make with your eyes open. Start from the apex, then move earlier or later when you have a reason.

A few things you might wonder

Is the short hop a bad shot?

No. Don’t think of a short hop as defensive. A short hop you didn’t choose usually means you lost time or space. Advanced players short-hop on purpose, giving up some control to put time pressure on their opponent.

Should I hit every ball at the apex?

No. The apex is the default to start from, because it balances your time, the height of contact and the ball’s energy. It is a good middle point, not always the best one. Taking a ball earlier or later can be the right choice.

Why not just wait until the ball is falling?

Waiting gives you more time, but the ball keeps dropping. Your contact point gets lower, so you have fewer ways to attack, you have to lift the ball, and you risk popping it up near the kitchen. Your opponent also gets more time to recover.

What if the ball doesn’t bounce high?

Your attacking window is smaller. The lower the ball when you hit it, the less aggressive the shot can be. Take the top of that bounce and play the shot the height allows.