The answer is - S&F - Serve and Forehand lol.
Good answer, but I'd narrow it to Serve.
And to answer the OP, baseline for sure and that includes dealing with short balls or coming to the net.
You don't have to S&V, except maybe as a surprise factor.
Yeah, but that doesn't really answer my question. I'm asking which style is more difficult to learn.
The answer is - S&F - Serve and Forehand lol.
Serve and volleying requires a go-hard attitude and willingness to take risk. Not everyone is cut out for that though which is why there are few good S&V players.
However, in terms of difficulty, I think serve and volleying is a little easier than baseline play. You serve and follow it up to the net to win the point in 1-2 shots. There are less things that you have to worry about I feel.
Baseline play requires you to worry about directionals/short balls/net clearance. There is a lot more strategizing here. This is all my opinion of course, it'll vary from person to person.
I think if the person is an athlete, willing to learn,
and willing to take some risk I think S&V can be taught successfully up to the very highest of levels
I think to serve and volley you need to have a reasonable half volley and I think this is the hardest shot to learn.
I think to serve and volley you need to have a reasonable half volley and I think this is the hardest shot to learn.
I agree. I think transitional play is the most difficult aspect of tennis, especially against today's fast dipping topspin shots. Even being up at the net, volleying is difficult against heavy topspin.
most people can't even serve (and by serve I don't mean just get it in the box), even less can volley, 90% of the tennis population can't hit overheads, about 2% can hit half volleys.
Also this is a ridiculously trivial question.
Yeah, but that doesn't really answer my question. I'm asking which style is more difficult to learn.
that is the easiest style out there. most americans do use that style (roddick, isner, Harrison, blake, raonic, sock).
however with today's slow Courts that style more and more gets into a disadvantage. Players like fed do have great serves and FHs but also great movement and BHs.
I think the time when big slugging serve and FH Bombers can win is over. the last of them was probably Fernando gonzalez, although his BH got better in the end too. but in the 00s that was a really common style.
I think there's a lot of strategy involved in serve and volley play. The placement of the serve is all the more important, along with the decision you face every point of where to go with the first volley. Just because the points are shorter doesn't mean there is less strategy.
If S&V was easier to learn, then why does no one do it anymore?
I think it's more difficult to learn WHEN to come in, and WHEN to stay the f*** back and just chill.
Simple actually: when your oppoent is forced off the court, when you get a floating return off your serve, or when you get a short ball - you can elect to come in to the net on the approach.
This is all basic strategy dude.
There is a ton more to it than you suggest here.
Well the difficulty in serve and volley is obviously not the srategy, just purely the high level of touch, reflex and skill it takes to hit effective half-volleys, volleys and overheads.
Well the difficulty in serve and volley is obviously not the srategy, just purely the high level of touch, reflex and skill it takes to hit effective half-volleys, volleys and overheads.
Yeah that's exactly what I'm saying. I think if your hitting too many half-volleys you're doing something wrong though. But yes I agree that half-volleys aren't easy at all
S&V you are going to get quite a few half volleys, but they are not that bad for someone accustomed to slice and volley,....especially given the practice you will get doing it, lol. Imo those skills are all very related and feed off one another.
I'd say that serve and volley is more easy to learn for a good athlete and with less coaching imo. It benefits from being unusual as well these days.
A good solid baseline game is quite unusual to see as it requires excellent movement, good TS on both sides, good slice on both sides and the ability to attack mid court balls as well.
Coming to net does require slice, volley and overhead, but you can use the easier kick serve. The slice and volley are virtually the same stroke and the overhead is just a modified, easier serve. Just my thoughts on it.
Serve and forehand is not a 'style'!!!! Its simply putting away the short return from their massive serves either by hitting to the open court or hitting behind their opponent - this is basic tennis strategy!!!!
Serve & Volley is more difficult to "learn" in my view. In order to become successful at S & V, you have to not only learn the various skills required to succeed in that style...but you have to acquire anticipation of where the opponent's return is going and move forward to intersect the ball. Learning to anticipate where an opponent's ball is going involves a lot of trial and error. You can't learn to anticipate simply from being taught..you have to learn from experience...and that means getting passed...often. It's a learning process that is humiliating and discouraging for any player as you are being essentially being relegated to doing something that will inevitably result in failure more often than not...but is part of the learning process.
Most junior players I know have developed strong baseline games and can succeed reasonably well amongst their peers by exchanging ground-strokes. However, the moment you try to teach them how to S & V to introduce more versatility into their game...they inevitably falter and balk at being relegated to a losing proposition. Only a few have the skill, mind-set, and determination to persevere in learning a new style. From my experience and observation, S & V is definitely more difficult to learn for the simple fact that it is a skill that is typically taught AFTER someone has already developed a baseline game and players are less inclined to learn a new skill that has a high learning curve.
Just speaking from my own experience, serve and volley has been harder for me, both in terms of learning it and playing it. Not that I can actually do it (or anything else in tennis) very well yet with any consistency. But, you know, 'my version' of S&V vs 'my version' of baseline play.Which do you find more difficult to learn and play?