Best serve and volley player?

[dgold44]

Borg had average volleys but they were ok on Grass.

Lendl would eventually develop a decent net game.

 

[dgold44]

Edberg and Rafter are the 2 best volleyers on that list by far.

 

[Gary Duane]

They were at Wimbledon.....

Not in comparison to the people they played against.

 

[Gary Duane]

Most people here don't understand the evolution of rackets and strings.

The equipment was pretty much standard through the end of the 60s. You can talk about the best in the game coming to net, and probably Gonzales would be a great example, also Laver and Newcombe.

Not much changed by the time JMac was #1. Definitely the best S/V player of his time. When Lendl took over, rackets also started to change. Tennis got faster, and soon you are in the era of Becker and Edberg, surely the best S/V players of their time.

Then into the 90s. I think to be a great S/V player you have to be good at that and also rule the world. There are always a few players with shot-guns for serves and pretty good volleys, but weak return games. I'd pick Sampras in the 90s.

Federer for sure in this generation. The kind of S/V in earlier times is no longer possible.

It remains to be seen who is next.

 

[dgold44]

Gary, my tennis knowledge only goes to the late 70's!!!

 

[KG1965]

1) Mac
2) Edberg
3) Cash
4) Rafter

 

[dgold44]

Cash was money at the net!!!!

Rafter was utterly beyond amazing at the net too.

Mac had the best touch shots but I am not sure he was as dominating or consistent as Edberg

 

[NatF]

Pancho Gonzalez did deal with peak Laver, Rosewall, Borg, Connors, Kovacs, Riggs, Segura, Hoad, Trabert over of the course of his career. He didn't face Borg and Connors at their best however. The others he met at their peak. Laver, Rosewall, Riggs, Hoad and Trabert had excellent passing shots and Segura's forehand was deadly.

I'm not sure if anyone Edberg faced had the passing shots of Laver. Connors was passed his best when Edberg reached his peak.

I would think either Kramer or Gonzalez because they combined the huge first and second serves plus a top volley.

Frank Sedgman was a great serve and volleyer also as was Tony Roche. Stan Smith at his best for a little while was excellent and also Arthur Ashe, although Ashe could net his forehand volley.

Edit-Edberg faced Lendl, Wilander and Mecir who were super on the return and had super passing shots.

My point was more on the average power of passing shots in Edberg's day requiring better reaction times. In absolute terms I would think Edberg proved his volleys against the more dangerous field.

Relative to era's though the likes of Kramer or Gonzalez were far more dominant and thus better.

I'm looking at it from an absolute versus relative angle. A modern pro with a modern frame will hit a better forehand than Pancho Segura with wood but relative to their era Segura would be faaaar superior. That's what I was getting at.

Edit: Edberg also faced Agassi as well.

 

[pc1]

My point was more on the average power of passing shots in Edberg's day requiring better reaction times. In absolute terms I would think Edberg proved his volleys against the more dangerous field.

Relative to era's though the likes of Kramer or Gonzalez were far more dominant and thus better.

I'm looking at it from an absolute versus relative angle. A modern pro with a modern frame will hit a better forehand than Pancho Segura with wood but relative to their era Segura would be faaaar superior. That's what I was getting at.

Edit: Edberg also faced Agassi as well.

Understandable.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Well, since you're asking "of all time", I think you left out a lot of players.

For example, Kramer, Gonzales, Ashe, Newcombe, Laver, Roche, Hoad, Emerson, Smith, etc.

The OP appears to have no respect for tennis prior to the advent of high-tech rackets and strings.
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