Alright, that’s it. I’m tired of reading these rants from old school tennis fans that say our sport is going down the drain since they don’t see the stylistic choices of tennis players past any longer. I can understand where they’re coming from and don’t blame them for missing serve and volley a bit, but it’s time to accept the changes to our sport and stop the whining. Historically grass has been the fastest surface in tennis with low, skidding bounces making ground strokes challenging. Combine this with the lesser athletes and small, heavy wooden rackets of several generations ago and it’s easy to understand why getting to the net as soon as possible was the best play.

Since then serve and volley tennis has all but gone away at Wimbledon and it’s due to three main reasons:

The Grass

I’ve read several blogs recently that seem to regard the “supposed” slowing of the surface at Wimbledon as some kind of conspiracy theory, as if players are just saying this as an excuse. News flash: the type of grass being used has actually changed, it’s a documented fact. The new type (100% rye) plays much, much slower than the combination of rye and creeping red fescue that was previously used. The change was made back in 2001 and shortly thereafter the serve and volley game all but disappeared. Coincidence? No, it’s not.

The Players

Current professional players hit the ball harder and with more spin from everywhere on the court than ever before. It used to be that to hit a winner from the baseline you had to be in a balanced position with your weight moving through the shot and “stepping in”. That has completely gone out the window. Why? Today’s professional players have made training and physical strength into a science. They’re faster, stronger, and more versatile than ever before which makes ridiculous passing shots possible while practically falling over in the corner.

The Gear

Personally, I feel that way too much emphasis is placed on modern rackets and strings, I think the biggest difference between current pros and those 15 years ago is in training and athleticism, not rackets and strings. However, the more powerful rackets and polyester strings have definitely made a difference, no question about it.

Put It Together

So, we have a slower, higher bouncing surface, bigger, stronger, more versatile athletes, and equipment that accentuates both power and spin. Why in the world is anybody surprised that professional players are hesitant to get close to their opponents by coming to the net after taking all of this into account? It’s important that we never forget those who came before us and the lessons that they taught us, however it’s time for everybody complaining about this shift in tactics to put away their whimsical thoughts of the good old days and accept the facts: the times they are a-changin’.

The last thing that I’d like to say about this is that we need to give current professional players more respect. To those of you who are detracting the tactical choices of these players: what is your conclusion as to why exactly the pros are neglecting the serve and volley game? If the grass is the same as before and serve and volley still would be the best strategy to use, then how can you possibly explain why it’s gone away almost completely? Are they just stupid? Do you really know more than they do about winning against the worlds best players in 2010? If it is in fact true that Sampras could come out of retirement right now and dominate the field with his serve and volley game then why doesn’t he? You really think he enjoys the couch more than winning titles? And if serve and volley is so far superior against the modern baseline game then how come not even ONE player on tour hasn’t figured this out yet and even made it to the round of 16 serving and volleying exclusively at Wimbledon, much less won multiple titles?

To those of you who disagree with me, I’d love to see your answers to those questions in the comments below. And if not, quit your whining.