I find that I'm better off transitioning to the net in 2 or 3 shots, rather than rushing through no man's land only to get a volley at my feet or have to ball go over my head and going to fast to turn around . What are your thoughts? What's worked and what hasn't?
A key element of S&V or just approaching the net is you must never be "going too fast to turn around". You must train yourself to split/stutter step at your opponents contact so you are balanced and ready to move in any direction based on where your opponent hits the ball. Even if you are a few feet behind the service line when you S&V or approach, you must split step at your opponents contact. After your split step, you will move toward the ball - either forward to a volley/half-volley or back for a smash. Your split step doesn't have to be a huge hop. Simply pausing and getting your weight on the balls of your feet ready to move in any direction is sufficient. This is counter intuitive to many as I've seen many players that simply run through their opponents contact. You must believe in this technique, commit to it and practice it.