Question: Who should take balls up the middle at the net?
Answer: The player who will be closer to the net upon meeting the ball should take balls up the middle. Sometimes this is the player who is slightly farther back but already moving forward at the time the opponent strikes the ball. If you are both equally close to the net, then if the ball is angling toward your side, it's yours. The idea that the forehand should always take volleys up the middle is only valid when both players are almost equally close to the net and the ball is a high floater that can be thumped by a forehand. If the ball is a lob, the player who is best positioned to hit a forehand overhead should it.
