Serve and Volley: Tactical Components

[lobndropshot]

I played a serve and vollyer Tuesday night and won 6-4; 6-2;. I played an all court style of play where I mixed up chipping and driving my returns. Also, I served and volleyed along with staying back.

I think the key to the match was when I realized that making him lots of first volleys was the key to getting good looks at passing shots and offensive lobs. Sometimes the answer in tennis is too simple and can be easily over thought.

Do you guys feel that the margins for serve and volley are too small?

[klacr]

lobndropshot,

This is a very nice post and congratulations on your win. Glad you have an all-court game that allows you options. Your decision to mix up the returns was a good one.

I would love to have seen your match. Serve and volley when executed properly shouldn't have any less margins than any other type of game. I feel that with any style or tactic, margins are a big result of shot selection and execution. I know many "baseliners" that make a large amount of errors because they don't have a set pattern or try to go for too much at the wrong time. I also know a few attacking style players that never seemed to miss.

Hard to know exactly what occurred in your match point by point or what level your opponent was. Give us a brief overview of what your opponent executed well and what they did not. Also, what percentage of the time did your opponent serve and volley? 75%, 90%, 100% of the time. First and second serves or just first? Did he have four serve locations and what was his first serve percentage? There are many answers I'd love to know. Inquiring minds...

Thanks for contributing to this thread and to the forum.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Well done to Klacr for servicing his thread so well...tending it like a good gardener.

To answer lobndropshot and the issue of margins: Klacr is there are margins in all styles of play. But with serve and volley you must be prepared that a fair number of balls are going to sail past you and there is not a darn thing you can do about it. It's the nature of the game-style. So long as you are cutting off more balls than are sailing by you, you'll be fine. It's a hard game to learn...takes years actually...and you'll lose a lot before you master it. I think this is what puts most youngsters off these days.

[gzhpcu]

With the serve and volley game, the statistics are different. While in today's baseline game the statistics are mostly forced/unforced errors, in the serve and volley game it is mostly hitting a winning volley or getting passed or making an error on the volley.

[klacr]

Keep in mind, playing a more aggressive and attacking style, you may make more errors, but you will also have an opportunity to make many winners or forced errors. The percentages and/or ratio may be the same as a baseliner's game, but the frequency and total numbers may be higher due to more opportunities that presented themselves.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[GeoffWilliams]

Well done to Klacr for servicing his thread so well...tending it like a good gardener.

To answer lobndropshot and the issue of margins: Klacr is there are margins in all styles of play. But with serve and volley you must be prepared that a fair number of balls are going to sail past you and there is not a darn thing you can do about it. It's the nature of the game-style. So long as you are cutting off more balls than are sailing by you, you'll be fine. It's a hard game to learn...takes years actually...and you'll lose a lot before you master it. I think this is what puts most youngsters off these days.

Sampras lost 19 times in a row learning it as a junior. Who could withstand that now? If I lost 19 x in a row, I'd quit the game. Let alone believe. He does not get the credit for that delusional belief.

[gzhpcu]

I am sure that if some upcoming junior concentrated on a serve and volley game, accepting the fact it is harder to learn and he/she will have many losses initially, I think that tactic would disrupt the rhythm of today's baseliners and force them to play different shots, not allowing them to get into a tedious baseline exchange waiting for a short ball.

The unknown factor here though is the role of today's polystrings and the heavy topspin they generate. The old generation of serve and volleyers did not have to cope with such heavy spin...

[klacr]

Dealing with heavy spin in the old generation was a rarity and would of had the ability to upend an opponents game simply because it was a different look. Reverse that today and perhaps the new generation of baseliners would have a tizzy dealing with an athletic serve and volley player. Can tennis sustain all these baseliners? What player will emerge from the flock of sheep and claim himself as a serve and volley breed?

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[bottle]

When I come in against most of the players in my club and get a backhand volley to hit I most often make the point (well, after an initial miss or two).

But when it is the USPTA pro on the other side-- Jay-- I muff it. Have only had this experience a few times but it has made indelible impression.

At first I thought this a matter of confidence but now believe it's a matter of spin-- Jay simply hits more rpm's of backspin than the other players.

Intellectually, I say to myself, "Well, open the racket more. Lead with the wrist more. The added spin is dragging the ball down the strings and into the net."

Correct thought? If so, got to get from that to correct act.

[klacr]

Bottle,

It does make sense. Correct thought? Sure. But when you are in the moment its going to be hard to think about opening up the racquet a few degrees. If a little off on your split second calculations then that ball is flying up up and away for either an easy sitter for your opponent or sail long.

I I were you, I'd try to firm up my grip a little more and really try to push that hand and shoulder through the volley. Some spin will be negated if it can hit a surface that is firm enough to absorb the impact. Gotta be careful when you start trying to manipulate racquet/wrist /hand on volleys. Many moving pieces just complicates things. Try to keep the grip firm and push through that volley with a purpose. Tell me how you do.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton