man, i suck at S&V

[BkK_b0y14]

just played a set tonight against a guy that I ALWAYS beat 0 and 0. But tonight we only had time for a set, so I was like what the hay I should try S&Ving.

Not a great strategy.

I served first and he broke me and won his service game. Then I broke back to 2-2 then he broke me again and led 4-2. My coach in Thailand(was on vacation for a month with private lessons everyday, just got back a couple days ago) told me that if I'm up 40-30 or 40-15 in my service game to just S&V. But tonight I just wanted to see what it was like because a lot of kids these days don't really come up to net.

anyways, whenever it was my service game and was 40-15 or 40-30 I would try S&V and it never worked. I noticed that I would hesitate a little while coming to net which caused my opponent to hit return winners. Also, I tend to stop right at the service line just waiting there for the ball. And these were off of good hard first serves. And once I lost points like that I just got mad and it really hurt my game.

I tied it up to 5-5 by going back to my all court game and then I was leading 6-5. 40-0 match pt. Volley into the net. I said just shake it off. this happened again and the next two times he hit return winners. Deuce. My opponent broke me and we went to tiebreak. I was winning 5-4. Match pt again. Volley into the net. My opponent serves a lucky ace (barely over the net hitting the outside line about 6 inches from the net. Next point I hit it out. Lost the match 7-6 (7-5)

any suggestions, especially from you S&V masters? unless I pretty much answer my questions up there ^^

 

[Mick]

i am not a S&V master but my observation is most of the pros and ex-pros who are great S&V all have a great service. If you don't have a great service, it will be mighty tough to S&V successfully.

 

[Mad iX]

Your serve only sets up the point. You have to plan a reaction from your opponent and how you'll respond to that. Obviously you're not used to doing this. You can't afford to hesitate when you're running to the net.

 

[The Gorilla]

if you can't force a weak return with a flat serve, then you'll just have to hit a kick serve like edberg or rafter which will give you plenty of time to come into the net, try and hit a winner immediately, remember, (pace x angle=effectiveness), not necessarily depth.Start with the racquet head slightly above the ball and drive straight through, don't slice or chop the ball.Stand inbetween the centre of the service line and the ball and you will be able to reach the ball no matter where it's placed.That is, keep your back to the T centre line.

 

[dave333]

Having a good serve you can place, spin, or blast is the most essential part of s&v.

 

[ChocolatePie]

When approaching the net, that is the ideal time to hit a passing shot. It's so easy, so if you don't hit a good serve which all they need to do is aim decently to win the point...you're screwed.

 

[BkK_b0y14]

so mostly just good serves that force weak returns?

 

[The Gorilla]

exactly

I like these novelty equations btw

(time to get into proper position for first volley x slowness of ball x lack of spin on ball x pace of your volley x angle of your volley) = effectiveness at net

 

[North]

You don't need a blaster type serve. Just a respectable one that you can place well. S&V is just harder and takes longer (on the order of months to years rather than weeks to months) to get good at than baseline play. This is just what I have found - my experience and observations.

You have to develop the right timing on the splitstep when you come in on a serve or approach shot. Once you have come in, you then have a much shorter time to read and react to the ball. You have to learn to pick up the ball and react to it much earlier (I guess that is a sort of court sense). The focus and intensity to do this is harder to maintain over a whole match then being at the baseline.

If you are going to come in behind a shot, you have to be committed to it with no hesitation or you will get caught in no-man's-land. If you are going to go up to the net, just GO. Don't let being passed repeatedly discourage you because the only way you learn to S&V is to keep at it and you have to be willing to tolerate that. I lost for a long time before I started winning matches with S&V.

I can tell you, though, that when you beat an opponent by playing S&V it is a very satisfying win. Good luck!

 

[Steady Eddy]

Serve and volley is hard all right. But everyone would rather be a S&Ver than a baseliner. Baseliners, (like me), have 'nice' games, and it is expected that one will always find lots of them in recreational tennis. But the world's #1 should always be an offensive player, not a pusher. That's why it was good when McEnroe upended Borg. Why it was so good to see someone who plays the "big gime" like Sampras restore it to the pinnacle, where it should be.

Years ago I saw an unknown S&Ver lose to Tracy Austin. Even though she was beaten 1 and 1, her game was so much more impressive than Austin's, her athleticism was so apparent. So I salute you for trying to learn to play tennis the correct way for serious players. Salute!

 

[BkK_b0y14]

thx guys for the help. i'm an all courter rather than baseliner cuz points are so much easier to finish off at net.

 

[ChocolatePie]

Yep, I'm the same as you. I like to hit big shots from the baseline with the opponent and hear my strings sing, but then again I love to volley because it is so much fun.

 

[Rickson]

just played a set tonight against a guy that I ALWAYS beat 0 and 0. But tonight we only had time for a set, so I was like what the hay I should try S&Ving.

Not a great strategy.

Serve and volley can be tough if you're not used to it and taking a loss in the process can make you more discouraged. I almost always s/v to the bh side unless he has a good bh in which case, I go up the middle to either fh or bh. Don't come in on weak serves and focus on placement because a weak volley to the middle of the court won't do you much good.