How to serve and volley in sim tour?

[ray237]

In ts4, especially in the sim tour, it seems impossible. Always serving from the middle lets the opp know the serve trajectory and even tough i use different directions every time, he can easily hit a fast powerful cross shot, similar to a reaching shot. I can't understand why this kind of shot is not considered a cheese tactic.
I think it's cheese because even if i read my opp's intentions, this shot is so effective that i can't do a lot to win the point easily, but i have to fight against the passing shots every time.
It's cheese also because you can hit it from a certain service return position and without any probability of fail (just need good timing).
What do you think about?

[Murmeltier88]

I don't think that cross Court Shots are cheese or unfair.

It's just necessary I think against S&V Players because otherwise the Return-Player would never make a point, especially on the SIM Tour.

It's just a smart shot to try to defent the upcoming attack. On SIM Tour noone has the Ability of Rabari for example so it is not impsossible to win the point anyway I think

[djarvik]

If you stay back a few times in a game, then suddenly this short cross becomes a sitter for you. It only works if your opponent knows for a fact you will SV. You can fool him a few times by making it seem like you going to SV, then stop mid court and hit a regular shot.

Much like in real life, SV players need to be almost perfect to win. But if mastered, it makes for a short point and a feeling of hopelessness in your opponent.

Serving great is a key. Not well - GREAT. You need to have a good mix of serves and hit the lines.

SIM just started, so it seems like it is near impossible to hit the lines....well...if you played TS3 you would understand. In TS3 the serving was x10 harder, without exaggeration. It took a lot of learning effort to hit the lines.

Don't give up, take your time and make sure your first serve does damage. Try going more up the middle then cross, this way your opponent cannot get a good angle on return and you can approach the net easier. Of course you need to throw occasional wide serves to keep him honest.

[djarvik]

Check out this example of SV play:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT24c__w1a8

[Alex-4487]

djavik did you get my last pm about my sign up problem

[djarvik]

djavik did you get my last pm about my sign up problem

I did, no worries. Trying to solve it. Will let you know when solved.

[Alex-4487]

djavik did you get my last pm about my sign up problem

I did, no worries. Trying to solve it. Will let you know when solved.

kl thank you

[RainingAmoeba79]

If you stay back a few times in a game, then suddenly this short cross becomes a sitter for you. It only works if your opponent knows for a fact you will SV. You can fool him a few times by making it seem like you going to SV, then stop mid court and hit a regular shot.

Much like in real life, SV players need to be almost perfect to win. But if mastered, it makes for a short point and a feeling of hopelessness in your opponent.

Serving great is a key. Not well - GREAT. You need to have a good mix of serves and hit the lines.

SIM just started, so it seems like it is near impossible to hit the lines....well...if you played TS3 you would understand. In TS3 the serving was x10 harder, without exaggeration. It took a lot of learning effort to hit the lines.

Don't give up, take your time and make sure your first serve does damage. Try going more up the middle then cross, this way your opponent cannot get a good angle on return and you can approach the net easier. Of course you need to throw occasional wide serves to keep him honest.

The thing is, in TS4, returning is veryyyyy easy, even with bad wings. It is really easy to get a good return, and almost impossible to ace unless your opponent has 40 reflexes or you have 98-98.

[jayl0ve]

Oh I totally agree, I think we should ban returning the ball too hard, that's not the way distinguished gentlemen play this game.

Also let's start wearing pants and long shirts and use wood racquets and ride horses to the game. Cool? Ok cool see ya there

[emate007]

My ts4 character wears long white pants and that silly aquamarine argyle vest thing. Sadly, no wooden rackets are available.

[jayl0ve]

Damn I was looking for this clip on youtube...it's of Tommy Haas and Marat Safin riding in a vintage Mercedes, wearing early 20th century tennis getups, and then playing on some grass court with an old-style ball.

Anyways the funny part is Safin saying something like "It's great to ride here in a Mercedes of 35" (he meant a 1935 Mercedes)

[ray237]

Check out this example of SV play:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT24c__w1a8

I can't always hit the Lines with serve as the guy in the video did, but i can serve very close to the lines and i m better than him at net ( better timing). The problem is that i cannot manage low shots and that strange cross return. I tried everything, every direction with perfect timing, but i can t do a lot against low balls, and can do nothing against that fukin return shot... I start very well easily winning my first serve game, but when the opp discovers this kind of return and how to use low balls i can win no more serve games ... In the SIM tour...
In reg tour i can use my 97 or 94 volley player to' counter this, but in SIM tour s&v players Are very easily counterable... Even if you re playing against the worst player in itst, you just need to hope that your opp won t discover that tactics in order to' win...
P.s. I m using stryker, so i dont know if the situation is the same with the other s&v players ( maybe their abilities can help a lot in the situation i ve mentioned)

[djarvik]

Looks to me that you simply lack skill. Not a thing you want to hear, but I am just being honest, sorry. You got used to playing with 90+ volley and a volley skill, which takes little skill to do, so when you asked to time the ball right - you simply cannot. Low volleys that are timed with perfect timing with slice/controll volleys are not easy and takes a good amount of practice.

I say keep practicing. It will take some time for you to get good at SV. It is probably the hardest style to master and judging by what you say, you only have one problem with one return, right? ...try doing as I advised, don't SV 100% of the time, do it 3 out of 5 times if your opponent hits this return. This way you can hit this shot as a stroke rather then volley. Serve down the T more, this will cut down the angles for returner.



I don't buy this returning is too easy thing. Yes, it is easy to put your racket on the ball, but then I have not seen many people who actually serve well. Most are content with speed serving just to get the point starting. Very few wait half a second, concentrate and hit the lines. Not only it is possible, but it is also the key for some of the SIM players.

[ray237]

Check out this example of SV play:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT24c__w1a8

I've seen the video at least 3 times.
The match level is lower than mine, but just see how the match changed after nakamura begun to use shorter shots, mixed up with great down the line return shots. I want you to know how low short balls are impossible to counter, even with perfect timing, except for a few times, while in real tennis i often do s&v and that kind of balls are nearly the easiest to hit a volley winner...
FIrst of all, see the first set (5-5)

[djarvik]

Don't hit a winner. Hit a setup volley.

Make sure to serve well so not to be in this situation.


SV - SERVE and volley. If you not serving well - forget about the style.
You cannot expect to win a point when your opponent has sufficient time to execute a passing shot. Every shot of yours starting from serve should put your opponent in trouble. If one of them doesn't - you should lose the point.

SV in a nutshell for ya