The video stops after the first point!
In my experience, the hardest part of serve-and-volleying on clay is that I can't cut as a sharply off of my split step like I am used to doing on hard court. It's actually easier to serve a really effective spin serve on clay, because the clay grabs the ball so much that most of the topspin remains post-bounce, making the serve heavier when it hits the returner's racquet. If you have a good twist serve, S-&-V is a great tactic on clay. It's easy to see how Pat Rafter made a FO semi with a crummy topspin forehand and a crummy backhand.
Disagree. The difference is huuuuge.
How do you figure the footing on a slippery dry clay court is similar to a hard court where you have positive traction? Are you talking about a hard court that is wet?
My not so humble opinion is based on many years experience serving and volleying on both hard and soft courts in all types of conditions.
For many years I played hard courts and would only play soft courts every now and then for some tournaments. I would complain about trying to adapt to the different surface and would usually manage to slip and fall at least once or twice during each match. Clay court players would tell me that it was harder to switch from clay courts to hard courts than vice versa but I didn't believe them. After I became a steady clay court player I changed my mind. Now when I sometimes go back to the hard courts, and particularly a sticky hard court, I think the transition from soft to hard is more difficult. Going hard to soft I might fall on my butt some but not hurt myself. Going soft to hard I feel that if I'm not careful I can easily roll an ankle and really get hurt. Seems that I remember a couple of years ago at the Aus. Open when the courts were being described as really grainy and sticky they had a rash of ankle injuries.
I played a few matches on clay when I was in the Volvo league. 3 of the 5 clubs were clay. The state finals were clay. My first point i served ran up and split. And fell on my knee giving a big rasberry. i hated clay ever since.
I am reporting this! Its not a fail because clearly the net is too high.
Never. Thats why this instance needs reported. The vid is not indicative of your perfect play and should be thrown out
Perfect. I like you you even gave him a glint of short lived hope
Yeah. I see what you're saying now. The dry clay can be just as fast as hard court plus a couple of negatives. Each summer I go round with our club management because they don't want to water the courts enough to keep them from going too dry. You can still play on them but don't try to make any quick starts.
Being an old S&Ver myself the same thing used to happen to me in clay court tourneys. As far as playing problems switching back and forth I'd guess they would be roughly equal - hard to soft or soft to hard. Now when I rarely play on hard court the main problem seems to be the speed. I know and tell myself that the ball is going to come quicker but my muscles don't seem to get the message. If it's a court with a new surface it's not nearly as bad. Now I do switch to a lighter racket and that helps some.
