Serve and volley placement (tactics?)

[Drewwonu]

Could someone explain to me what tactic is most effective when placing a serve when you are going to serve and volley. IE: place out wide, down the T, middle of the service box? I am a righty and i would also like to know in what situations the placement might vary.

Thanks!
~Andrew

 

[namui]

I s&v on both serves.

The most effective tactic for serving (for volleying) is to force the returner to take the most amount of time to judge the ball flight and the timing to hit. In other words, the one that make it the hardest for him/her to make a clean hit. Heavily spun serve placed to his/her weaker wing is normally my basic choice when I face a break-point.

 

[masterxfob]

there is no one 'best' place to serve, but generally speaking, i'd say out wide if your opponent isn't expecting it. however, your opponent will eat you alive if he knows you're going to serve out wide every time. more than anything, you need to mix up your placement and keep your opponent guessing. if you don't hit a great serve, then be patient and pick the right shot to come in on.

 

[Solat]

when u serve T, you follow the ball slightly R of centre and have roughly equal distance to cover each side of the return.
+ves : lesser angle = harder to get passed, serves to BH
-ves : must hit set up volley and finish volley, takes less time so further back on first volley

when u serve wide, you follow the ball more toward the sideline, you commit to covering the line as the c/c return takes longer to get by.
+ves : moves opponent on return, opens court for easy volley, usually slower so allows closer movement
-ves : opens angles = more width to cover, serves to FH

 

[nfor304]

Agree with Solat. I serve and Volley most first serves and you need to follow the path of the ball to the net, so when you hit wide you need to be coming in slightly wider etc

Personally I serve most balls out wide, and then use the body serve and T serve as a change up, to keep the opponent guessing. I find the wide serve is the most successful for me because if I can get my racket to the return and place it to the opposite side of the court my opponent will be on the run on the next shot, and I will have a better play on the next volley.

 

[Nellie]

Classically, you have two basic plays - (1) serve down the middle/into the body with a first volley behind the returner; (2) serve wide with the first volley wide to the other side of the court

Myself, I tend to pump serves down the middle because I am looking to set up the first volley and not the hit aces. I only go wide to keep the opponent honest. Going the middle gives the least angles to my opponent for passing shots.

You need to change up once in a while because of the opponent's movement, but S&V is one of those things where you do your thing, regardless of the opponent. You are trying to control the point and the rally and should not give up control. If you play timidly, you will lose. If your opponent makes great running passes, then you can wave an acknowledgment and be happy that you made the opponent work hard on the shot. IF your opponent controls the shot (e.g., you hit a weak floater volley that allows the opponent to come forward with time to whack a shot) you almost certainly lose the point.

 

[Tennis Dunce]

Just bisect the angle you give to your opponent to pass. Sometimes I give him a little more room to try to make a backhand pass down the line...since that's the hardest thing to do in tennis with consistency. Most of the time it'll go wide or hit net.

 

[fuzz nation]

Great advice already...

Just wondering - what's troubling you with your serve and volley right now? Are you planning your points before you start them? Are too many opponents giving you trouble with their returns? Are you getting up to net in too defensive of a posture and reacting too often?

It takes a few different skills to S&V productively, including solid transition shots like half-volleys and penetrating deep volleys that you hit from back around the service line. These shots need to pin opponents deep in their own end or stretch them out of position so that you can arrive at net and continue to press the issue.

 

[Solat]

Great advice already...

Just wondering - what's troubling you with your serve and volley right now? Are you planning your points before you start them? Are too many opponents giving you trouble with their returns? Are you getting up to net in too defensive of a posture and reacting too often?

It takes a few different skills to S&V productively, including solid transition shots like half-volleys and penetrating deep volleys that you hit from back around the service line. These shots need to pin opponents deep in their own end or stretch them out of position so that you can arrive at net and continue to press the issue.

you must absolutely plan your strategy on s&v due to the restricted time you have to execute. If you think about it; if you have a plan and it doesnt pan out then you have to think on your feet, if you had no plan you would have to think on your feet anyway. However if you have a plan and it does work then its clear and easy to execute.

 

[LeeD]

I don't believe a set plan works more than 50% of the time.
What works is using YOUR best serves against your opponent's weakest returns. Always try to match your strength with your opponent's weakness.

 

[Tennis Dunce]

Having a really potent flat first-serve can be a double-edged sword when you are a s&v'er. On one hand your opponent has to respect the heat, but OTOH, you don't get to the service line before that return comes back at you.

But if opponent can only BLOCK the heater back at you...charge the net like Napoleon.

 

[Kick_It]

Good advice above. My additions:

1) You should be able to nail multiple serve targets/placements on demand. Preferably with both a fast serve and a kick or slice serve. Kicks that are hard to return work well for S&V.

2) Day of match - figure out what is/not working primarily for you, but secondarily for your opponent. Serve placements, returns, different volleys (high, low, fh side better than bh side, all good, or bh weak?). Significantly - identify your opponent's strike zone on serve returns (where they hit good returns from). Avoid their strike zone.

3) If your opponent is good at hitting returns that are hard to volley - have a plan B. If they're nailing returns of your first serve down the line on both wings - time to consider a different game plan. I like to use S&V when it works to my advantage - not to go down in flames in 40 mins ;-)

4) Like others have said - mix up serve placement and keep your opponent wondering. Maybe 10% of time mix up something like a Kick instead of a bomb on a 1st serve.

I don't always serve to their weak wing; I might instead serve it right at them 30 to 40% of the time and up to 20% of the time to their strong wing. Don't always serve wide - even though it might give you an easier 1st volley. After a while it becomes predictable, and a good opponent will adapt.

5) Once you have a good idea of viable serve targets for this opponent/match - the patterns are pretty easy as spelled out above. Mix up hitting volleys away from the opponent with occasionally hitting behind them.

6) A subtle point - improve your overheads too, cause if you're really good at S & V - they're going to start lobbing you.

Good Luck! K_I

 

[Orly?yarly!nowai!]

Well from my exp...

I use to have a 120 flat bomb serve and volley attack, however, as other poster have said its a double edged sword, and as you play better players it becomes a one edge sword, at you!! I found my self 1.5 steps behind the service line (where I like to hit the first set up volley)
I found that a topspin or a really fast kick works well because it will give you time to get into the net.

Always.... hit a kick or a topspin serve. I find that the bounce of a flat serve is easier to read than the bounce that a topspin or kick serve gives.

Against.... skilled players serve and volley takes about 3-4 shots on most points.

Serve - to get into the best area to return baised on where you hit your serve
1st volley - your not at the optimal place at the net yet, so hitting a angle shot is alot tougher to do from here.
2nd volley - this is the volley that you should be looking to put away

as solat has pointed out, always follow where you hit the ball ( your body should be turning and moving in this direction)

 

[tudwell]

Use the body serve! It'll jam up the returner, keep them from getting into position to hit a scorching return. You'll get lots of short, weak replies to volley away as you see fit.

Of course, don't use the body serve exclusively. I think a good plan to follow would be to his this ratio of serves: 40% up the middle, 40% into the body, and 20% out wide.

 

[NamRanger]

1. Vary your spins and speeds

2. Place it to your opponent's weakness the majority of the time, however go to his strengths when he doesn't expect it (such as BP down)

3. Going out wide and into the body hard are the most common and effective ways to S&V, as they generally give you a weak and short reply for you to put away. You can go up the middle also, but you have less angles to work with from this position.