Better Volleyer: Sampras vs. Federer?

hoodjem · 12-13-2009, 06:43 AM

Lots of threads on here lately about the best volleyers in the game: McEnroe or Edberg or Rafter or Laver, etc.

I was wondering how one ranks Sampras in this list. Also, I noticed that Most Versatile Player thread where Fed's volleys seem to be well-thought of.

So I am wondering, how you would rate these two in terms of their volleying abilities, most particularly against each other, who has the better volleys?

abmk · 12-13-2009, 06:52 AM

sampras > fed as far as volleying is concerned.

If they played against each other, it'd pretty much level out as fed's return + passing shots > pete's return + passing shots

yemenmocha · 12-13-2009, 07:05 AM

This shows the level of fanyboy-ism with Federer that exists on these forums - that anyone would actually compare his volleys to one of the world's best S&V players.

Simply amazing. :facepalm:

pc1 · 12-13-2009, 07:28 AM

No brainer. Sampras by a good margin. Pete was always serve and volleying and that's not a part of Federer's game.

matchmaker · 12-13-2009, 08:24 AM

Sampras by a huge margin.

borg number one · 12-13-2009, 08:43 AM

Sampras was a much better volleyer than Federer is, although Federer can get by with his volleys. Sampras used volleying as a big weapon, whereas Federer uses volleys to try and end points quickly when he HAS to. Volleying is not a primary part of Federer's arsenal.

scootad. · 12-13-2009, 08:47 AM

Sampras certainly was capable at the net, but I think people overestimate him in that regard.

He didn't need a great volley because his serve was so amazing.

Stefan Edberg had a great volley and was more of a serve and volleyer in the true sense of the term - as his game was centered on a well placed serve allowing for an offensive 1st volley setting up a put away 2nd volley. Rafter was another truer serve and volleyer. By the end of the '90s serve and volley was extinct.

Sampras game was centered on a huge serve -purpose was either to end the point with an ace right away or set up a put away 1st volley with no need for a 2nd volley.

Michael Bluth · 12-13-2009, 09:01 AM

In their 01 Wimbledon match Fed showed that he could volley with the best of them, but overall I'd give it to Pete.

Maybe if Fed played in the 90s he would have serve-volleyed a lot more and as such have a better serve-volley game, but no one will know.

hoosierbr · 12-13-2009, 11:57 AM

Sampras. Fed is a good volleyer but he often misses volleys on pressure points which is why he doesn't serve and volley a lot. He used to s&v on every point at Wimbledon, his match with Sampras is 2001 is a good example, but stopped doing that because it wasn't his best game.

Sampras could make the pressure volleys 8 times out of 10. Only an Edberg/McEnroe/Rafter made them 9 times out 10. No one is perfect.

Fedace · 12-13-2009, 12:07 PM

Sampras, cause he can hit the half volley for clean winners from the service line. never seen any other pro that hits the half volley harder than him.

egn · 12-13-2009, 12:12 PM

????? Is this a trick/serious question.

Sampras. Case end and point.

yemenmocha · 12-13-2009, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by egn

????? Is this a trick/serious question.

Sampras. Case end and point.

No kidding. With some of these Fed fanboys you could have the same thread comparing Fed's serve to Sampras, Becker, etc. and they would still say Federer.

akv89 · 12-13-2009, 01:03 PM

It has to be Sampras. Federer has good volleys and has shown that he can win tournaments with S&V but volleying isn't as integral to his game as it was to Sampras'.

Polaris · 12-13-2009, 03:07 PM

Sampras was clearly the better serve-and-volleyer. As to volleying alone, I can't really say.

darthpwner · 12-13-2009, 04:58 PM

Sampras obviously

President of Serve/Volley · 12-13-2009, 05:21 PM

Sampras would own Federer in this field....

You do not be Edberg, Rafter, Becker with poor volleys.

Federer would struggle to beat them...

jazzyfunkybluesy · 12-13-2009, 05:27 PM

Sampras. I wish they would show some Sampras matches on Tennis Channel.

abmk · 12-13-2009, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by President of Serve/Volley

You do not be Edberg, Rafter, Becker with poor volleys.

Federer would struggle to beat them...

so agassi was a great volleyer, nice to know

thalivest · 12-13-2009, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abmk

so agassi was a great volleyer, nice to know

haha Agassi was a horrible volleyer. The gap between Federer and Agassi in volleying is even much better than the one between Sampras and Federer, and that despite that Sampras is IMO a clearly better volleyer than Sampras.

thalivest · 12-13-2009, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yemenmocha

No kidding. With some of these Fed fanboys you could have the same thread comparing Fed's serve to Sampras, Becker, etc. and they would still say Federer.

Becker's serve is not even close to on par with someone like Sampras's, and Federer's serve could definitely be compared to Becker's. In the mid 80s Becker's serve might have seemed revolutionary but it was eclipsed completely by guys like Sampras, Ivanivisec, and Krajicek in the 90s.

12-13-2009, 06:43 AM	#1
hoodjem Legend Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Bierlandt Posts: 9,964	Better Volleyer: Sampras vs. Federer? Lots of threads on here lately about the best volleyers in the game: McEnroe or Edberg or Rafter or Laver, etc. I was wondering how one ranks Sampras in this list. Also, I noticed that Most Versatile Player thread where Fed's volleys seem to be well-thought of. So I am wondering, how you would rate these two in terms of their volleying abilities, most particularly against each other, who has the better volleys? __________________ The smart man thinks he knows a lot; the wise man is aware that he knows little.

12-13-2009, 08:24 AM	#5
matchmaker Hall Of Fame Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 4,024	Sampras by a huge margin. __________________ "Most of us believe in trying to make other people happy only if they can be happy in ways which we approve." Robert S. Lynd

12-13-2009, 08:43 AM	#6
borg number one Legend Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,043	Sampras was a much better volleyer than Federer is, although Federer can get by with his volleys. Sampras used volleying as a big weapon, whereas Federer uses volleys to try and end points quickly when he HAS to. Volleying is not a primary part of Federer's arsenal. __________________ Borg never pointed to himself. He never even seemed to care if anyone read the advertisements. — Tom Callahan Last edited by borg number one : 12-13-2009 at 06:15 PM.

12-13-2009, 08:47 AM	#7
scootad. Semi-Pro Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 457	Sampras certainly was capable at the net, but I think people overestimate him in that regard. He didn't need a great volley because his serve was so amazing. Stefan Edberg had a great volley and was more of a serve and volleyer in the true sense of the term - as his game was centered on a well placed serve allowing for an offensive 1st volley setting up a put away 2nd volley. Rafter was another truer serve and volleyer. By the end of the '90s serve and volley was extinct. Sampras game was centered on a huge serve -purpose was either to end the point with an ace right away or set up a put away 1st volley with no need for a 2nd volley. Last edited by scootad. : 12-13-2009 at 09:05 AM.

12-13-2009, 11:57 AM	#9
hoosierbr Hall Of Fame Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,831	Sampras. Fed is a good volleyer but he often misses volleys on pressure points which is why he doesn't serve and volley a lot. He used to s&v on every point at Wimbledon, his match with Sampras is 2001 is a good example, but stopped doing that because it wasn't his best game. Sampras could make the pressure volleys 8 times out of 10. Only an Edberg/McEnroe/Rafter made them 9 times out 10. No one is perfect. __________________ twitter.com/ramjamvan