0:00:00.419,0:00:02.920 The serve and volley tactic is a great strategy to 0:00:02.920,0:00:05.239 use to attack the net and surprise your opponent, 0:00:05.480,0:00:08.000 but there's a very important footwork you must use to 0:00:08.000,0:00:10.189 help you win a lot more of these points. 0:00:11.039,0:00:12.829 Now here we have Murat Saffin, 0:00:13.079,0:00:14.029 former #1 in the world, 0:00:14.279,0:00:15.470 two-time Grand Slam champ, 0:00:15.640,0:00:16.559 and this is Gulbis. 0:00:16.600,0:00:18.170 This is back in 2009. 0:00:18.239,0:00:20.559 Let's watch this point and then we'll diagram it. 0:00:32.548,0:00:32.688 Now, 0:00:32.708,0:00:34.949 when Gulbis just served and volleyed, 0:00:35.028,0:00:36.298 he split-stepped, 0:00:36.668,0:00:38.548 and during that movement going forward, 0:00:38.589,0:00:40.548 you wanna split step around the time your opponent hits, 0:00:40.629,0:00:42.058 actually slightly after they hit. 0:00:42.388,0:00:43.738 And I want you to guess 0:00:44.069,0:00:46.548 where Gulbis split steps. 0:00:47.319,0:00:49.990 Does he split step on the court 0:00:50.279,0:00:51.619 here, 0:00:52.369,0:00:53.000 here, 0:00:54.200,0:00:55.040 or here? 0:00:55.439,0:00:56.279 Does he split step? 0:00:56.290,0:00:59.110 And this is a really important distinction to understand 0:00:59.360,0:01:01.090 in order to win more certain volley. 0:01:01.400,0:01:05.269 Does he split step in front of the service line as he's coming forward? 0:01:05.480,0:01:07.830 Does he split step on the service line, 0:01:08.080,0:01:10.800 or does he split step in the middle of no man's land? 0:01:11.449,0:01:15.580 The answer to this is the key to winning more points 0:01:15.910,0:01:17.669 during a serve and volley. 0:01:17.709,0:01:18.459 So, let's look. 0:01:18.750,0:01:19.860 Here's Gulbis, 0:01:20.029,0:01:21.059 there's the serve, 0:01:21.269,0:01:24.580 and let's watch Gulbis's feet as he's coming forward. 0:01:25.940,0:01:27.250 There's the split step. 0:01:27.790,0:01:28.699 That's his split step. 0:01:28.760,0:01:30.129 The split step occurs 0:01:30.419,0:01:32.709 in the middle of no man's land. 0:01:32.900,0:01:36.040 Most recreational players I talked to about serving and volleying 0:01:36.699,0:01:40.050 think they're supposed to get up to the service line at least 0:01:40.379,0:01:43.129 by the time the opponent makes contact with the ball. 0:01:43.419,0:01:45.500 It's basically impossible to do that. 0:01:46.089,0:01:51.949 Unless your opponent is standing way back at the fence, or you serve so slowly 0:01:52.250,0:01:55.470 that you buy yourself the time to get into the service line, 0:01:55.569,0:01:58.559 which you wouldn't want to do because you're just hitting a very soft serve. 0:01:58.739,0:01:59.650 Now you'll always get people say, 0:01:59.690,0:01:59.769 yeah, 0:01:59.849,0:02:00.730 but if you get a kick serve, 0:02:00.769,0:02:01.400 you can get up there. 0:02:01.489,0:02:01.809 You can't. 0:02:01.889,0:02:03.639 It doesn't doesn't matter what serve you hit, 0:02:03.849,0:02:05.089 they're all going to be too fast. 0:02:05.650,0:02:10.169 So, what you want to learn is to split step in the middle of no man's land. 0:02:10.250,0:02:12.929 What you might want to do when you're practicing serving volley 0:02:13.250,0:02:16.119 is put like a drop down line or just a spot 0:02:16.330,0:02:17.800 in the middle of no man's land. 0:02:17.970,0:02:19.160 And when you serve, 0:02:19.369,0:02:22.759 you come forward and you split step and you can see that he's straddling 0:02:23.220,0:02:24.119 that spot. 0:02:24.610,0:02:25.119 Then, 0:02:25.330,0:02:27.250 he comes forward and volleys. 0:02:27.300,0:02:27.399 Now, 0:02:27.410,0:02:29.000 you'll notice his volley. 0:02:29.289,0:02:31.039 So, he's making contact right there, 0:02:31.289,0:02:33.520 his right foot is touching 0:02:33.729,0:02:34.610 the service line. 0:02:35.059,0:02:39.899 So, the split step happens in the middle of no man's land. 0:02:39.979,0:02:41.380 Here's the split step 0:02:41.619,0:02:42.169 line, 0:02:42.389,0:02:45.529 and then the first volley is around 0:02:46.139,0:02:47.130 the service line. 0:02:47.619,0:02:51.330 Many players think the split step is here and the volley is up here and it's just not. 0:02:51.580,0:02:54.809 If you're someone who serves in volleys and you don't think 0:02:54.809,0:02:57.750 of the footwork that happens in between the serve and volley, 0:02:58.139,0:03:00.460 what you're most likely doing is rushing the net. 0:03:00.889,0:03:02.130 To lose at a faster rate, 0:03:02.210,0:03:03.399 as Vic Braden would say. 0:03:03.559,0:03:06.500 And then, you're making yourself susceptible to a pass because, 0:03:06.570,0:03:07.339 or a lob, 0:03:07.570,0:03:09.449 because you're running in so fast that you 0:03:09.449,0:03:12.050 can't change direction to get to those balls. 0:03:12.130,0:03:13.199 You want to serve, 0:03:13.529,0:03:14.940 take two or three steps forward, 0:03:15.050,0:03:18.039 and then split step in the middle of no man's land. 0:03:18.330,0:03:19.600 That gets you balanced, 0:03:19.770,0:03:23.520 so you can come forward and have a much easier time of winning the point. 0:03:25.679,0:03:29.630 Now if you'd love to use the same strategies the pros use to win their matches, 0:03:29.759,0:03:33.279 then you got to pick up The Singles Playbook by Fuzzy Yellow Balls. 0:03:33.360,0:03:36.830 It's all broken down by the type of opponent you play against, 0:03:37.000,0:03:40.000 and it's over 50 pages strategy after strategy. 0:03:40.009,0:03:44.039 And what's really cool is each page comes with a QR code, so 0:03:44.039,0:03:47.440 you can watch a video of exactly how to use each strategy. 0:03:47.479,0:03:50.429 Just use my link in the description and pinned in the first comment. 0:03:50.979,0:03:53.710 And if you're looking for people in your local area to play against, 0:03:53.800,0:03:54.320 practice with, 0:03:54.399,0:03:56.869 or if you want to find a coach who's gonna be able to help you with your game, 0:03:57.039,0:03:59.479 then use my link in the description and pin in the first comment, 0:03:59.679,0:04:02.160 PlayYourCourt.com/2minuteTennis. 0:04:02.199,0:04:02.679 With my link, 0:04:02.720,0:04:03.949 you get 50% off. 0:04:04.910,0:04:08.789 So, practice your serve and volley with a split step in the middle of no man's land, 0:04:08.809,0:04:09.660 and there's no doubt 0:04:09.869,0:04:10.759 you're gonna gain confidence, 0:04:10.830,0:04:11.470 win more matches, 0:04:11.550,0:04:13.190 and play much better tennis. 0:04:13.429,0:04:16.440 This is Ryan Reidy from 2MinuteTennis.net. 0:04:16.988,0:04:18.559 You got this.