Tip of the Week: Serve and Volley Can Still Help You Win
Modern tennis has definitely changed. Most players have honed their baseline game to the max. They can be consistent, aggressive, offensive, defensive, and everything in between. However, the serve and volley play can still be an important part of a winning formula.
Many players are returning serve from way behind the baseline, some even right in front of the fence or back wall. If you can hit a well placed serve and follow the ball into the net, the returner will have to get the ball away from you and hit it extremely well to regain an offensive position. The pros are able to make it difficult for the net rusher, but if the server mixes in this play, it can keep the returner from hitting the high looping return that many of the deep receivers hit. This will give the server a chance to get control of the point instead of being pushed very deep in the court.
In addition, moving forward still puts pressure on the player who is back and deep in the court. I just returned from the French Open and saw several crucial points won with the player serving and volleying. In the third round, the 17 year old French phenom, Moise Kouame, did this on match point in the final set tiebreaker and his opponent missed the return. Kouame became the youngest player to win a match at the French Open since 2009 and is definitely a player to watch in the next few years on the ATP Tour.
I agree that it is much tougher to serve and volley these days, especially if it is predictable. However, choosing the right opportunity, and mixing up the serving speed and placement, can allow you to serve and volley effectively, putting pressure on your opponent, making your groundstrokes more effective, and helping you win the match.
Steve Annacone, USPTA Elite Pro, is the Director of Annacone Tennis, www.annaconetennis.com and MyHamptonsPro, www.myhamptonspro.com throughout the Hamptons, NY. Steve, Jeevaj Bondalapati, and Gill Gross run the TOP (Tennis Optimization Players-Top Team) program at the Tucson Jewish Community Center (Tucson, AZ) for high level players ages 8-18. Please contact Steve at sannacone@tucsonjcc.org or 865-300-7323.
