Shots & strokes
Roll volley
A volley with topspin brushed over the ball — used to dip the ball at an opponent's feet from the kitchen line.
Roll volleys add topspin to a volley by brushing up the back of the ball at contact. The result: a ball that dips sharply over the net and lands at an opponent's feet — much harder to attack than a flat volley.
Modern paddles with high-spin surfaces have made the roll volley a standard weapon at the 4.0+ level. JOOLA's Gen 4 face in particular set the bar for what's possible.
Related terms
Volley
Hitting the ball out of the air before it bounces. Legal everywhere except inside the non-volley zone.
Punch volley
A short, compact volley — no swing, just a punch through the ball. Used to redirect attacks and end exchanges at the kitchen line.
Topspin
Forward rotation imparted to the ball by brushing up the back at contact — makes the ball dip and accelerate after the bounce.