What's better for the game? Part 2

Which would you rather have?


  • Total voters
    47

Rickson

G.O.A.T.
A really hard serve with decent placement or excellent groundstrokes? If you could keep your current serve and have very good groundstrokes from both sides would you pick that or would you rather have a super fast serve with decent but not excellent placement and keep your current groundstrokes?
 
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Ferrari1190

Rookie
i have to with ground strokes as well because with a big serve ull end up like roddick, great groundstrokes ull end up like federer
 

THSBOI

Rookie
I rather have groundstrokes because what if you dont ace them? and anyways when is your turn to return you have to use groundstrokes so yea.. =P
 

Voltron

Hall of Fame
I've got the groundstrokes, but I'd love to add some speed to my serve, although my shoulder would probably fall off if I tried. :lol:
 
Big serve for sure. It's the most important shot in the game, and the most difficult to learn to hit well.

If you were to somehow absorb one shot from a pro player, the most essential would be serve. Look at Roddick, his serve gets him in the top ten.
 

Andres

G.O.A.T.
Groundstrokes. With great groundstrokes I have equally chances of holding my serve than just a serve with average groundstrokes, plus I have a better chance to break my opponent's serve.
 

Rickson

G.O.A.T.
I'll take the serve because if I play doubles and I have a weak partner, I know that at least 1 game out of 4 will be won by my team.
 

pow

Hall of Fame
I know a guy who is young and he has great groundstrokes but a shame that he has a poor serve and serve return so often times, cannot get past the beginning of the point to get to his groundstrokes.
 

goober

Legend
This has to be put into context-

If you are just going to be playing Raul et al and that is not going to change any time soon- Take the big serve since it is all about humiliating your "tennis buds" :)

If you actually plan on playing anybody better than you- a hard serve with ok placement probably is not going to win you as many matches as solid ground strokes assuming that very good ground strokes also means having a good return of serve.
 

WBF

Hall of Fame
Eh. Unless you play to admire your serve, groundstrokes are far, far more important.

My game includes solid groundstrokes and a phenomenal serve. If I have an off day for my serve, I simply make up for it with groundstrokes. I've won matches where I have double faulted 3+ times in each service game. I have never won a match where my groundstrokes weren't working properly. Unless you can serve well enough to force an ace or service win every single time, theres a chance you will be broken, and you will have *no* chance to break the other guy with so so groundies, unless he/she really sucks.
 

fastdunn

Legend
Ground strokes: simply because I increasingly encounter younger players with this very strong modern baseline game. They are all horrible at the net but all have these nasty topspin heavy groundies.
 

BeHappy

Hall of Fame
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WBF

Hall of Fame
Does your game include humility?

In the vast scheme of things, I'm a so-so player. I was making a point that regardless of how well you serve, the groundstroke is a more important aspect of the game. To highlight this, I pointed out that while I have a high level serve, the difference in matches comes down to groundstrokes.

BeHappy: How many people with average groundstrokes and the best serves around do you see? They come and go every once in a while, but they are rarely at the very top, and they are few and far between compared to folks with average serves (for a pro) and better groundstrokes. It's like you're pasting an article on a crashed airplane and saying DONT FKING FLY, YOU WILL DIE IN A CRASH!
 

CAM178

Hall of Fame
Good groundies, all day long. Groundies are the foundation. You've got to have that. Serve is much easier to work on (basket of balls, targets, and some time) versus groundies.
 

Rickson

G.O.A.T.
In the vast scheme of things, I'm a so-so player. I was making a point that regardless of how well you serve, the groundstroke is a more important aspect of the game. To highlight this, I pointed out that while I have a high level serve, the difference in matches comes down to groundstrokes.

I was just messing with you, wbf.
 
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