For the S&V crowd

[coupergear]

Got it. I just wouldn't characterize that as "getting caught in NML", which has negative connotations. You're getting a shot that you can be offensive with, which is great! You just need more practice on how to deal with it.

i guess. but since my plan is to be further up when i hit the volley..feels like getting caught...and yes its negative because i miss those high ones! but agree, good to spin it as opportunity for imorovement. work the weaknesses.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

any good video examples on this move? i can't visualize.

I haven't been able to find one specifically on the stutter. Here's an explanation:

Look at Sampras' S&V plays; he was quite good at it.

The basic idea is that, instead of coming to a full or near-full stop with a split step, you "flow" through the split by doing the stutter step and you keep moving forward. It's ideal on the first volley because your chances of getting lobbed are low and even if you do, you have time to arrest your forward momentum and reverse. The advantage is getting that much closer to the net.

However, I disagree with @J011yroger in that, for me, the stutter vs split step is not the key for me handling these high volleys but rather, getting good balance and not overhitting [I tend to overhit the FH more than the BH because I feel like I "should" put away the FH whereas I'm more accepting of not being able to put away the BH].

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

i guess. but since my plan is to be further up when i hit the volley..feels like getting caught...and yes its negative because i miss those high ones! but agree, good to spin it as opportunity for imorovement. work the weaknesses.

Just keep in mind that you don't fully control where you are relative to the net when you split step - that's determined by when your opponent is making contact. So while it's nice to be closer to the net, you have to accept that you're not there on this particular play and to optimize your shot for where you are standing.

So again, IMO it's a mental mistake to "feel like you're getting caught" because it will negatively affect your resultant shot. I would view it as an opportunity to hit an offensive volley.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

i guess. but since my plan is to be further up when i hit the volley..feels like getting caught...and yes its negative because i miss those high ones! but agree, good to spin it as opportunity for imorovement. work the weaknesses.

Do slow-mo on Sampras when he S&V: when he stutters, he doesn't land on both feet simultaneously but one after the other. And the touchdown is lighter, IMO, than on a traditional split.

Some call this the "flow" step.

 

[navigator]

Interested to hear from those who play S&V as a core strategy. I may end up taking just to @S&V-not_dead_yet here, but maybe some stalwarts out there still like to play this way.

What percentage of the time do you approach on your serve, both first and second? What type of serve works best - for you - to improve your volley game? What things does your opponent do that tend to change your tactics?

Also curious about your level and how successful S&V is for you. I’m reasonably successful playing S&V at the 4.0 level, but if my serve is off at all guys will make my life difficult. Do you ever have to abandon S&V and what are your prospects when you do?

When returning serve, do you chip & charge often, or if not do you tend to approach as soon as you can, whether the opportunity is good or not?

Anything else you’d like to share about how you play this style - if it’s your bread and butter - I’d be interested to hear.

4.5 here. Personally, I've never seen a 4.0 player that was good at S&V in singles; doubles, occasionally (due to decent tennis skills but poor movement), but singles... never. But I guess they're out there.

These days I S&V about once a service game, or maybe once every other service game, in singles if I'm playing someone at my level or better. I might S&V half the time, for the sake of practice, if I'm playing someone who's not as good. I would S&V more but I play mostly on clay which makes it a bit dangerous in this day of modern racquet technology. I very rarely S&V on a second serve.

I don't like coming in after a serve unless my opponent's serve is really bad. Even a mediocre serve is generally not optimal for approaching on because your opponent is (physically) fresh (early in the point). I prefer to give my opponent several opportunities to grant me the point via UE and then, if he's not cooperating, approach the net on the first short ball after, say, the first 5 balls he's hit. By that time he's generally a touch tired and it's easier to get a decent ball to volley and you don't have to do as much with it to win the point.

That's just me, though. Everyone's got their own strategy.

 

[J011yroger]

any good video examples on this move? i can't visualize.

I think I had a few in my video.

If not I'll try to do a volley drill video.

For me personally the hardest high volley is when my partner gets lobbed and I have to cut over to cover but the ball is too low to overhead.

J

 

[J011yroger]

I haven't been able to find one specifically on the stutter. Here's an explanation:

Look at Sampras' S&V plays; he was quite good at it.

The basic idea is that, instead of coming to a full or near-full stop with a split step, you "flow" through the split by doing the stutter step and you keep moving forward. It's ideal on the first volley because your chances of getting lobbed are low and even if you do, you have time to arrest your forward momentum and reverse. The advantage is getting that much closer to the net.

However, I disagree with @J011yroger in that, for me, the stutter vs split step is not the key for me handling these high volleys but rather, getting good balance and not overhitting [I tend to overhit the FH more than the BH because I feel like I "should" put away the FH whereas I'm more accepting of not being able to put away the BH].

Ok, so from my POV I hit the serve, take my two steps in, see the weak high return, want to close as much as possible to get the ball as high and close to the net as I can. If I just run through the ball the only thing I can do is push it and it will possibly go long, but I don't want to be stopped either, I want to be slowing down.

So I close and as I approach the ball I chirp my sneakers a bit to slow myself down and get my forward momentum going towards the racquet so I can snap the ball (hopefully) away then take off the brakes and continue to close just in case.

J

 

[J011yroger]

4.5 here. Personally, I've never seen a 4.0 player that was good at S&V in singles; doubles, occasionally (due to decent tennis skills but poor movement), but singles... never. But I guess they're out there.

These days I S&V about once a service game, or maybe once every other service game, in singles if I'm playing someone at my level or better. I might S&V half the time, for the sake of practice, if I'm playing someone who's not as good. I would S&V more but I play mostly on clay which makes it a bit dangerous in this day of modern racquet technology. I very rarely S&V on a second serve.

I don't like coming in after a serve unless my opponent's serve is really bad. Even a mediocre serve is generally not optimal for approaching on because your opponent is (physically) fresh (early in the point). I prefer to give my opponent several opportunities to grant me the point via UE and then, if he's not cooperating, approach the net on the first short ball after, say, the first 5 balls he's hit. By that time he's generally a touch tired and it's easier to get a decent ball to volley and you don't have to do as much with it to win the point.

That's just me, though. Everyone's got their own strategy.

Is it weird that I feel more comfortable S&V on clay?

J

 

[Nashvegas]

4.5 here. Personally, I've never seen a 4.0 player that was good at S&V in singles; doubles, occasionally (due to decent tennis skills but poor movement), but singles... never. But I guess they're out there.

These days I S&V about once a service game, or maybe once every other service game, in singles if I'm playing someone at my level or better. I might S&V half the time, for the sake of practice, if I'm playing someone who's not as good. I would S&V more but I play mostly on clay which makes it a bit dangerous in this day of modern racquet technology. I very rarely S&V on a second serve.

I don't like coming in after a serve unless my opponent's serve is really bad. Even a mediocre serve is generally not optimal for approaching on because your opponent is (physically) fresh (early in the point). I prefer to give my opponent several opportunities to grant me the point via UE and then, if he's not cooperating, approach the net on the first short ball after, say, the first 5 balls he's hit. By that time he's generally a touch tired and it's easier to get a decent ball to volley and you don't have to do as much with it to win the point.

That's just me, though. Everyone's got their own strategy.

I like the game plan. I would steal that from you but I typically don’t want to take too long to make my way in, since I’m usually the one more likely to make an error from the baseline.

I wouldn’t say I’m a great S&V player at 4.0, but I’d put myself in the good category. It’s the only way I’ve ever played and my deficiencies from the baseline are what keep me at this level.

 

[WestboroChe]

Is it weird that I feel more comfortable S&V on clay?

J

Yes but it’s understable. There’s nothing more satisfying then hitting a winner while sliding across the court.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

...the stutter vs split step is not the key for me handling these high volleys but rather, getting good balance...

the stutter step or the split step IS the way i maintain good balance while still moving...

 

[Deleted member 23235]

Is it weird that I feel more comfortable S&V on clay?

J

maybe because you have more time to get to net (ie. serve is slower?)
or because it's easier on the body to do the shuffle (ie. feels more like gliding vs. squeaking?)

 

[J011yroger]

maybe because you have more time to get to net (ie. serve is slower?)
or because it's easier on the body to do the shuffle (ie. feels more like gliding vs. squeaking?)

Probably because of familiarity, I play so much doubles on clay. 2-5 doubles matches per week depending on what time of year it is.

Everybody thinks I'm a fast court player but I have an excellent record on outdoor clay.

J