Once the dominant style on grass, serve-and-volley is now a rare art. Here is how it works, when it's effective, and the players who kept it alive.
What serve-and-volley actually is
A tactic. Hit the serve, then follow it to the net while the ball is still in flight, so you’re at the service line when the return comes back. The point ends in two or three shots — one volley or one swinging stroke to open the court.
Where it came from
The 1950s wooden-racket era, when big servers like Jack Kramer and Pancho Gonzalez realised that the strings didn’t give you enough control for consistent baseline rallies on grass. Running forward took the ball out of the opponent’s strike zone and finished points faster.
The mechanics
- The split-step. As your opponent begins the return motion, you hop a short distance and land balanced. Timing it right is the whole discipline.
- The first volley. Usually below the net, so you have to lift. Keep the racquet head above the wrist and use the ball’s own pace.
- The put-away. From close to the net, angle rather than smash — angles can’t be covered by a baseliner.
When it works
- On low-bouncing surfaces: grass, fast indoor hardcourt.
- Against a defensive baseliner who prefers rhythm and depth.
- With a wide left-handed slice on the deuce court (McEnroe’s signature setup).
Why it disappeared
Modern racquet strings (polyester) and the shift to high-bounce clay-like surfaces at every major tournament have made baseline topspin a devastating weapon. The returner can take a huge cut at a second serve and clip the baseline. Attacking the net costs you more than it earns.
The great serve-and-volleyers
- John McEnroe — the best net player of all time by consensus.
- Pete Sampras — the gold standard of modern serve-and-volley.
- Stefan Edberg — pure Swedish technique.
- Patrick Rafter — brilliant volleys and footwork.
- Mikhail Youzhny — a 21st-century holdout.
Can you still serve-and-volley today?
On grass at Wimbledon, yes — occasionally, as a surprise, when your opponent has set up to return deep. Even Novak Djokovic sprinkles it in. As a full-match style, almost nobody plays it. If you’re a club player, mixing it in on every third first serve is a very useful disruption.
Final thoughts
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