THE 3AM THEORY

The Volley is the most misunderstood shot in tennis. Here are my steps to master and understand the volley better.

THE LOST ART OF UNDERSPIN: Rediscovering The Most Undervalued Tennis Skill By Paul Dale | The 3AM Method IS UNDERSPIN MAKING A COME-BACK? Is there a resurgence in the use of underspin in tennis today? Having witnessed years of topspin domination and underspin neglect, we're finally seeing underspin getting the recognition it deserves from top male and female players. Here's what most tennis players need to understand: Every failed volley, every floating approach shot, every defensive slice that sits up for easy winners stems from fundamental underspin technique errors that have been ignored for decades. We're approaching underspin training all wrong. Players don't need more slice practice—they need systematic technical foundations that create consistent underspin under match pressure. Your next breakthrough in net play and defensive skills doesn't come from hitting more slice shots. It comes from mastering the underspin fundamentals that separate recreational p...

The art of playing at the net has almost disappeared.   This is due to several factors.   Players are hitting much better groundstrokes today, with more power, spin, and accuracy. This has put much more pressure on any player who comes to the net. Courts today have also become more similar: faster courts are being slowed down, while traditional, slower courts, such as clay, are playing faster because of the type of tennis balls being used. This is best illustrated by Wimbledon and the French Open. The grass surface at Wimbledon has been changed to slow the game and encourage longer rallies. The authorities have done the opposite at the French Open.   To eliminate long boring rallies, they have introduced tennis balls that reward players who like to attack the point. Modern doubles exponents have also departed from traditional volley technique. When you get a chance to poach the ball at the net in doubles, you have the luxury of taking a full swing because y...