Unlock Your Roll

3 tips for hitting offensive volleys...

Author

Shea Underwood
July 06, 2025

Week 54

Welcome back to the Road to Pro Newsletter! Just by opening this issue, you are now automatically eligible for this week’s paddle giveaway. Last week’s winner was Emma from Minnesota!

Here’s what I’ve got for you this week:

  • How to attack from below the net

  • Two quick drills for practicing the roll

If you’re reading this, you now have a chance to win this week’s paddle giveaway!

Now, let's get to it!

Big shoutout to Selkirk for sponsoring this newsletter and making all the paddle giveaways I do possible! I personally have been using a Selkirk paddle for over five years now, and every paddle I’ve used has been better than the last one. I recently started using their newest paddle — the Project 008, and it’s giving me more power and spin than I’ve ever had before. You can pick yours up on their website here and use code INF-Shea for a gift card on a future purchase.

Learn to Be Offensive

When you're up at the kitchen, it’s almost always better to take the ball out of the air when you can, instead of stepping back and letting it bounce. The more volleys you attack, even if the ball is below the net, the more often you can take time away from your opponent and keep them on defense.

Now, attacking volleys at net height or slightly lower takes more advanced skill. Usually, beginner and intermediate players should step back and let the ball bounce to give themselves more time to hit a safer shot. But, if you want to start developing the roll, I’ll give you three tips this week so you can establish the basic technique for hitting rolls.

  1. The tip of your paddle needs to be pointing down. And, make sure your paddle face stays consistent through contact. Don’t flip or twist your wrist mid-shot. Instead, keep the paddle face pointed in the direction you want the ball to go, and let your paddle naturally finish high after you’ve made contact.

    Remember that the ball goes where the surface of your paddle is facing, so make sure you don’t change your paddle angle as you make contact with the ball on your rolls.

  2. Your shoulder is your powerhouse for generating the perfect roll. The majority of movement comes from your shoulder as you brush up on the ball, not your elbow or your wrist. Once you’re comfortable with that movement, you can then add small adjustments from your forearm and wrist for extra speed or spin. But if you’re just starting to learn this shot, don’t worry about adding any wrist in. That’ll come later once you’ve solidified the basics.

  3. You want a really pronounced upward brush on the ball—really exaggerate that low-to-high motion. However, be mindful that when you’re using a roll as a speedup, the ball often comes back fast, so if you make a huge, sweeping motion, you’ll have a hard time resetting your paddle for the next shot. Keep your stroke compact, brush up quick and hard for topspin, and snap back into a ready position as soon as you can.

Go check out this video below 👇️ for a visual and more detailed breakdown of the roll.

When in Doubt, Roll it Out

This week, I’ve got two quick and simple roll drills for you. They’ll give you practice hitting rolls in two super common situations you’ll run into in a game. Just grab one other player and crank them out.

Rolls Off drops

Objective:

  • Position yourself at the net while your drilling partner remains straight ahead of you, either at the baseline or in midcourt.

  • Your partner feeds you a ball that you can hit a roll off of.

  • Start by feeding one ball at a time, then work your way up to a rally of drops and rolls if you feel comfortable.

  • Switch roles after several reps if your partner wants practice too.

Why this helps:

This drill helps you recognize which drops you can attack with a roll. The more you can attack, the better you can keep your opponent back in the court by not giving them any time to approach the net.

Dink Roll Reps

Objective:

  • Stand at the kitchen line, crosscourt from a partner.

  • Your partner feeds soft, slightly higher dinks.

  • Hit a roll off each dink when possible, aiming for midcourt straight ahead of you.

  • Note: It’ll help to have a bucket of balls ready for quicker reps.

OR

  • Try the same thing, but with your partner straight ahead of you at the net.

  • When you see an attackable dink, hit a roll as a speedup.

  • Your partner should be ready to counterattack.

  • Be ready for the ensuing hands battle if your partner successfully counterattacks.

Why this helps:

You’ll be more prepared to attack dinks out of the air to catch your opponents off guard. And it’ll also help you improve your recovery time after the attack. Never expect you’ve hit a winner – instead always assume the ball is coming back, so be ready.

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