An Erne is a volley hit from beside the kitchen, by jumping over its corner or stepping around it outside the sideline. It is legal because you are not touching the non-volley zone when you hit the volley.
The setup matters more than the shot: you need a dink that is travelling down the line toward the sideline, and you need to move early, before your opponent sees you coming.
Key cues
- 1Read the dink early, commit fully
- 2Land outside the kitchen and sideline
- 3Volley down, at an angle
- 4Have your partner cover the middle
Common mistakes
- Touching the kitchen line on the way through
- Going for it on cross-court dinks
- Leaving the middle open