Though serve and volleying is less commonly employed in modern tennis, its use still exists as a means to disrupt an opponent’s rhythm quickly and end points more swiftly.
Additionally, it robs your opponent of time – both time on the ball and time to settle into their point – which may become very frustrating for him/her.
Serves
Serve and volley is a form of tennis that requires strong serving skills to succeed. In order to succeed at serve and volley, players need to possess an accurate serve that allows them to advance smoothly into the net without difficulty. A key aspect is using serves that don’t give opponents easy returns and serving in patterns which create discomfort among their rivals.
Many players employ the strategy of serve and volley by hitting flat first serves directly at their opponent in an attempt to jam or make them reach. Although this tactic can sometimes work, it can easily be defeated if their opponent possesses skilled hands that allow for effortless hitting of the ball.
Serve and volley is best achieved when blended in with your individual game style, which is particularly vital when faced with opponents who play defensively or who possess weaknesses on certain side of the court.
As an effective approach, having various ways of approaching the net can be extremely useful. These methods could include running into the net for quick volleys or charging in with short balls during points. A good way to determine which approach is the most successful is watching how your opponent reacts to different serves.
When running into the net for quick volleys, using a lob serve with some spin is often best. This allows you to slow down the ball and get nearer the net while taking advantage of most opponent’s tendency to lean forward on their returns.
Spending the time to practice this kind of serve will also enable you to become more unpredictable when playing serve and volley. Experienced players often know when an inexperienced serve-and-volley player is about to return a shot with more caution or recklessness, making their play even more effective. Being unpredictible with running into the net at unexpected moments will only add another element to the play that makes your play even more effective.
Movement
At its heart, successful serve and volley starts before the ball hits the net. An effective player should anticipate what their return might look like and where it will land; also where their opponent might go after receiving their volley; this allows for fast response to their return and ensures the cleanest volley possible. Furthermore, keeping body movements fluid through each volley allows more options in play for their next play-back play.
Serve-and-volley players must know how to put their opponent into an uncomfortable position by hitting an off-balance serve that falls too low or wide of the strike zone, forcing their opponent into defensive mode and giving them less opportunity for good passing shots.
One effective way of exerting pressure on an opponent is by serving a powerful first serve that draws them towards the net, forcing them to come in close for a volley and potentially leading them into making unforced errors.
One of the main issues faced by serve-and-volley players is overdependence on their volleying skills, leading them to make unforced mistakes and forfeit points they should have won. Furthermore, this makes them much easier for their opponent to break than expected in doubles situations.
To be successful at this strategy, players need a solid serve and superb footwork. Furthermore, the player should be able to anticipate where their opponents’ volley will land so as to move accordingly – this allows the player to win more points while making the game more entertaining for all involved parties.
Overall, serve-and-volley is an effective strategy for all levels of tennis players. While it may require practice to fully implement, serve-and-volley can greatly enhance your game and increase win percentage.
Positioning
To succeed at serve and volley, players need to maintain proper positioning to control points. Close proximity to the ball enables a solid return shot and there must be open space before them in which to move in order to close out points successfully. A strong and reliable serve is also required in order to put pressure on their opponent and execute effective volleys.
While serve-and-volley strategies are no longer a common part of top-level tennis, some players still employ it as a means of controlling points. When used against quick players who move quickly around the net, this strategy can prove especially difficult to deal with.
Position, timing and unpredictability are the three keys to the success of serve-and-volley play. Position can make all the difference in terms of winning or losing points; when the volleyer hits their volley in an ideal spot they will force their opponent into playing difficult passing shots that force a return volley from them.
Timing is also crucial, as it allows volleyers to anticipate an opponent’s shot and move into position to hit solid volleys. Beginners may find this task challenging but mastery of timing is critical to successful serve-and-volley performances.
Unpredictability is another essential component, as it prevents an opponent from understanding your intentions and anticipating your next play. Uncertainty in play can be very dangerous for pushers; it provides them with an opportunity to disrupt an opponent’s rhythm and open more avenues of attack.
One effective way to work on this aspect of the game is shadow volleying without the ball. Doing this will allow you to develop an understanding of rhythm and timing associated with moving forward on a volley and enable you to practice this skill in a real-life scenario. When doing this, avoid stopping completely on each split step; rather take small stutter steps that keep momentum going during subsequent movements leading up to your volley.
Speed
Though serve and volley has fallen out of fashion in modern tennis, it remains an invaluable weapon when used correctly. A skilled serve and volleyer will use serve and volley to catch their opponents off guard by running to the net and taking advantage of any uncertainty from returners; this tactic works especially well on faster surfaces where volleying players can put more balls away than baseline players.
To be effective with this strategy, a high first serve percentage is key; your opponent will return quickly and have little time to transition into volley position. The Bryan brothers strive to have 70% of their first serves hit play!
Speed is key to an effective serve and volley. In order to capitalize on your opponent’s indecision, be quick off the ground so you can move up quickly to control points before they react against your attack.
Unpredictability is another essential ingredient of an effective serve and volley game, and to achieve it you must render your serve unreadable to your opponent by being consistent in tossing placement or altering pace and spin of your serves.
Approaching the net requires quick and fluid split steps. Many players mistakenly think a “split step” involves coming to a full stop; rather it should actually be executed as stutter steps that allow you to slow down, see the ball, and decide the most efficient approach to take towards reaching it.
Once you understand the fundamentals of serve and volley play, you can start experimenting in match matches. However, take care to do it within the context of your overall game plan rather than trying to surprise or shock your opponent with it. Remember that it should only serve as an option, not be your primary strategy.