It's time for drop shot serves on clay!

[davced1]

I know this has been up for discussion many times in different threads but I think it needs a thread for proper discussion. The return positions on clay are getting more and more extreme for every year now. Nadal and Thiem standing 5 meters behind the baseline to return and doing so with interest. No regular serve gains an advantage against such return position.

In the past when players had more neutral return positions I understand that a drop shot serve would just have been considered poor sportmanship but now it should be considered a good oppurtunity to hit a drop shot against a player standing 5 meters behind the baseline.

In regular play if a player is standing that far back a drop shot from the baseline would be almost a certain point if executed correctly. The same should be true for a drop shot serve.

 

[Deon Sanders]

Bad sportsmanship would be cheating on every single service point

Something Ned does

 

[Deon Sanders]

Double post

 

[The Green Mile]

It's just not going to happen. Don't think many would cope that well with majority of a crowd against them.

 

[EloQuent]

You need some maniac to do it, like a journeyman who DGAF and wins, then it will become an acceptable strategy.

 

[Bukowski]

I think to disguise it and hit it with enough spin for it to be a winner- is actually hard. But yes i agree with the concept.

 

[davced1]

I think to disguise it and hit it with enough spin for it to be a winner- is actually hard. But yes i agree with the concept.

It doesn't have to be an outright winner. I envision it like hitting a drop shot but of a dead ball, it should be easier compared to in normal play. They are pros and with some practice they should be able to make it perfect almost every time.

 

[Searah]

just need a pro to start it. if federer did it then it's suddenly "federer does what nobody has ever thought of doing!" "still creating new serve tactics this far into his career"

 

[davced1]

Nadal just now vs del Potro. No way he would get to a drop shot serve!

 

[davced1]

Just hit that damn drop serve already and exploit the cheap return position tactics!

 

[texasleaguer]

most pros can't do it well. if there was one that could, and did, every tennis academy would start teaching it. as for poor sportsmanship, good or bad sportsmanship has no place in money tennis.

 

[big ted]

i dont think its going to make any difference in winning or losing a match unless its done only once or twice in a close tiebreaker or something...
if it actually would help them win they'd do it all the time i think..

 

[Deleted member 756514]

Sportsmanship is an overused term in this context.
I see no reason why drop serve or underhand serve should be considered poor sportsmanship. If that is poor sportsmanship then wrong footing your opponent is also poor sportsmanship; pretending to go down the line and going cross court at the last moment is also poor sportsmanship; serve and volley is poor sportsmanship, drop shot when your opponent is miles behind the baseline is poor sportsmanship. Guess what? Hitting a winner is poor sportsmanship too.

 

[jaggy]

I think you could disguise it enough to make it work

 

[ibbi]

You know the first guy to try it probably dumps it in the net

 

[davced1]

Sportsmanship is an overused term in this context.
I see no reason why drop serve or underhand serve should be considered poor sportsmanship. If that is poor sportsmanship then wrong footing your opponent is also poor sportsmanship; pretending to go down the line and going cross court at the last moment is also poor sportsmanship; serve and volley is poor sportsmanship, drop shot when your opponent is miles behind the baseline is poor sportsmanship. Guess what? Hitting a winner is poor sportsmanship too.

I agree but there must be a reason why players don't use it more. They analyze every part of their opponents game but for some reason overlook this detail? No there must be something more to it.

Moratoglou explains it very well here in this video from Eurosport.

Nadal has moved back his return position on 1st serves from 3.24m RG 2015 to 4.29m RG 2017 to 4.59m Clay season 2018 before RG.
He made 89% of 1st serve returns RG 2017.

 

[Bukowski]

most pros can't do it well. if there was one that could, and did, every tennis academy would start teaching it. as for poor sportsmanship, good or bad sportsmanship has no place in money tennis.

Disagree. Certainly a top pro can. I think the opposing player has to be SUPER far back or be used very sparingly/ with heavy backspin for it to be effective.
Or hit very flat when injured or cramping.
Played D1, no (insert USTA rating here) hacker
No offense fellas

 

[The Green Mile]

Sportsmanship is an overused term in this context.
I see no reason why drop serve or underhand serve should be considered poor sportsmanship. If that is poor sportsmanship then wrong footing your opponent is also poor sportsmanship; pretending to go down the line and going cross court at the last moment is also poor sportsmanship; serve and volley is poor sportsmanship, drop shot when your opponent is miles behind the baseline is poor sportsmanship. Guess what? Hitting a winner is poor sportsmanship too.

Majority of people in a crowd won't see it like that at all, your casual (if even that) tennis fan in attendence won't see it as a tactical change up, rather just a cheap ploy.

Crowd support is a big factor IMO, and to have them really against you, well, I just don't think there are many who could play under those sort of conditions. Much different than just having an opponent who has overwhelming crowd support from the beginning.

Though I do wish to see it done against someone with a deep return position, it'll be interesting to see the adjustments made. I don't think it'll be greatly effective tbh..

 

[Technology Ruined Tennis]

If the roles were reversed we all know that Nadal would have no hesitation doing this. Written rules don't bother him, why should unwritten ones...

 

[Bukowski]

I agree but there must be a reason why players don't use it more. They analyze every part of their opponents game but for some reason overlook this detail? No there must be something more to it.

Moratoglou explains it very well here in this video from Eurosport.

Nadal has moved back his return position on 1st serves from 3.24m RG 2015 to 4.29m RG 2017 to 4.59m Clay season 2018 before RG.
He made 89% of 1st serve returns RG 2017.

Jeez i wonder how many women that guy has been with, a real looker and smarty pants
Whatre the stats on 1st serve returns in play 2018? Didnt watch the video, sorry.
Damn office .

 

[Deleted member 688153]

Reduce the space at the back of the court.

 

[Ray Mercer]

It should be used as Nadal’s return position is ridiculous. The serve is supposed to be a weapon in tennis. Someone should also start hitting a super short slice serve with no pace on it.

 

[dnguyen]

Nadal just now vs del Potro. No way he would get to a drop shot serve!

Holy **** that’s way too far to make a drop shot I saw on tv! Wow!