How does Mardy Fish serve and volley in today's game?

jdubbs · Aug 15, 2011

We all thought serve and volley was dead in today's game, but Fish (and guys like Raonic and Llodra) does it exceptionally well.

And not only serve and volley, but he's a master of the late approach. He really got Djoker out of his rhythm, and it almost worked. And he's been destroying the competition on hardcourts on his way to a #7 ranking.

How does he do it?

CDestroyer · Aug 15, 2011

BY serving the ball and running to the net and then hitting it.

tacou · Aug 15, 2011

not being a wuss

FedExpress 333 · Aug 15, 2011

Pretty much, but getting a great serve that can can pull the opponent verrrrry wide, and mixing with B play to eep unpredictable.

jibinhe · Aug 15, 2011

he has a very short and fast serve motion, and often hits the ball before it reaches highest point. It's harder to read and predict. And seems to me that he was not rushing to net, he mostly went to net when a return come back to center. Don't how he knows through, maybe just instinct?

tata · Aug 16, 2011

It probably has something to do with his serve. By serving in a way where you force the opponent to play into a resonably predictable area of the court and be there to put it away. He probably doesn't give them much time to look for options to hit a good return. Probably just waiting for a reflex shot to keep it in play somewhere in the middle of the court.

Big_Dangerous · Aug 16, 2011

jdubbs said:
We all thought serve and volley was dead in today's game, but Fish (and guys like Raonic and Llodra) does it exceptionally well.

And not only serve and volley, but he's a master of the late approach. He really got Djoker out of his rhythm, and it almost worked. And he's been destroying the competition on hardcourts on his way to a #7 ranking.

How does he do it?

Fortune favors the bold/brave.

If you want to serve and volley you not only have to have a decent serve with some deception, but you also just have to almost not give a **** about getting passed every now and then.

Kaz00 · Aug 16, 2011

Big_Dangerous said:
Fortune favors the bold/brave.

If you want to serve and volley you not only have to have a decent serve with some deception, but you also just have to almost not give a **** about getting passed every now and then.

Basically you gotta have a large one to do it. And be able to accept giving free points.

Marius_Hancu · Aug 16, 2011

jibinhe said:
he has a very short and fast serve motion, and often hits the ball before it reaches highest point. It's harder to read and predict.

that
..............

still has cojones in a rarefied field in that respect

Marius_Hancu · Aug 16, 2011

Stepanek and Llodra are doing it too

M. Youzhny 5 1
M. Llodra 7 3

R. Stepanek 4
J. Isner 3

That S-V is not viable is a myth spread by lazy, impotent, and stupid coaches (all three essential ingredients) who ogled Agassi playing the workmanlike Borg style, but lost the great train of talent of Sampras who whooshed by them before they awoke to him from their dumbness.

Kaz00 · Aug 16, 2011

Marius_Hancu said:
Stepanek and Llodra are doing it too

M. Youzhny 5 1
M. Llodra 7 3

R. Stepanek 4
J. Isner 3

That S-V is not viable is a myth spread by lazy, impotent, and stupid coaches (all three essential ingredients) who oggled Agassi playing the workmanlike Borg style, but lost the great train of talent of Sampras.

Is it because teaching someone how to hit a big forehand and backhand is much easier than actually putting together and teaching a student an entire game?

Marius_Hancu · Aug 16, 2011

Kaz00 said:
Is it because teaching someone how to hit a big forehand and backhand is much easier than actually putting together and teaching a student an entire game?

Absolutely, you just leave them in a corner shooting balls at each other, or bring in the ball machine.

Every damn coach and parent can do that.

Very few coaches know how to teach S-V because it's a much more difficult, truly athletic way of moving too.

They couldn't get Roddick to S-V in 20 years, (he's not doing his split steps even now) so ...

Marius_Hancu · Aug 16, 2011

Marius_Hancu said:
Stepanek and Llodra are doing it too

M. Youzhny 5 1
M. Llodra 7 3

R. Stepanek 4
J. Isner 3

That S-V is not viable is a myth spread by lazy, impotent, and stupid coaches (all three essential ingredients) who ogled Agassi playing the workmanlike Borg style, but lost the great train of talent of Sampras who whooshed by them before they awoke to him from their dumbness.

Let me add Dodig - Nadal to that (a large part of it).

FedExpress 333 · Aug 16, 2011

Kaz00 said:
Basically you gotta have a large one to do it.

Agreed.:twisted:

OK, OK, il escort myself out.

Kaz00 · Aug 16, 2011

FedExpress 333 said:
Agreed.:twisted:

OK, OK, il escort myself out.

Lmao hahaha!

Marius_Hancu said:
Absolutely, you just leave them in a corner shooting balls at each other, or bring in the ball machine.

Every damn coach and parent can do that.

Very few coaches know how to teach S-V because it's a much more difficult, truly athletic way of moving too.

They couldn't get Roddick to S-V in 20 years, (he's not doing his split steps even now) so ...

Ah I see I'm going to start looking into this I could use some help on my S&V my first volley is awful.

FedExpress 333 · Aug 16, 2011

bend your knees, wrist below the racket.

Kaz00 · Aug 16, 2011

What about the split step? I think I keep forgetting to do that because I am lunging for that first volley a lot or I'm in bad a position.

FedExpress 333 · Aug 16, 2011

Split step as your opponent makes contact with the ball.

BrooklynNY · Aug 16, 2011

Mardy Fish is the best Serve and Volleyer of all time to be able to compete in this tough era, against players of this caliber.

Marius_Hancu · Aug 16, 2011

Marius_Hancu said:
Let me add Dodig - Nadal to that (a large part of it).

All these S-Volleyers won today:
Stepanek, Dodig, Llodra
against tough players
Gulbis, Isner, Youzhnyi

Thus it's quite feasible
even if they are older than their counterparts

rfprse · Aug 16, 2011

The key is to keep the returner off-balance.
Fish has good enough serve and good enough volley to s&v successfully, as long as his serve is not predictable.

slice bh compliment · Aug 16, 2011

Marius_Hancu said:
...
That S-V is not viable is a myth spread by lazy, impotent, and stupid coaches (all three essential ingredients) who ogled Agassi playing the workmanlike Borg style, but lost the great train of talent of Sampras who whooshed by them before they awoke to him from their dumbness.

THis is one hell of a post.
Well spoken, Mariu.

OTMPut · Aug 16, 2011

Marius_Hancu said:
Absolutely, you just leave them in a corner shooting balls at each other, or bring in the ball machine.
Every damn coach and parent can do that.
Very few coaches know how to teach S-V because it's a much more difficult, truly athletic way of moving too.

I have always been intrigued why coaches don't initiate kids into the game by teaching them volleys. Simple mechanics, not complicated, easy for kids to latch on. I always consider the baseline groundstrokes more complicated to begin the game with. Too many things to worry about. Plus the kids will find it, from pure physical strength perspective, easier to start learning volleying than rallying from baseline.

BreakPoint · Aug 16, 2011

Stepanek doesn't have nearly as big of a serve as Fish but he still serves and volleys very effectively. It's about serve placement, making a good first volley that sets up the second putaway volley, and playing smart.

Playing smart will beat dumb baseline ball bashing almost every time.

How does Mardy Fish serve and volley in today's game?

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