Serving and following the ball to the net was once the standard way to play on fast surfaces. It has become an occasional tactic rather than a style, for reasons rooted in equipment.
Rackets changed what a return can do
Larger heads and stiffer frames increased the power available from a shorter swing and enlarged the area of the string bed that produces a controlled shot.
A returner facing a heavy serve no longer needs a perfect contact point to hit a low, firm reply. A partially mishit return can still land at the feet of an incoming player.
That single change undermined the premise of net rushing, which relied on the return being either weak or floated often enough to be volleyed away.
Polyester strings made passing shots dip
String materials that grip and release the ball generate far more spin at the same swing speed than earlier materials allowed.
Heavy topspin lets a player hit hard and still bring the ball down inside the court, which means a passing shot can be struck at full pace from a defensive position.
A volleyer now faces balls arriving at the feet with sharp dip rather than travelling flat, and low volleys from below net height are the hardest shot in the tactic.
Court preparation slowed the game deliberately
Surfaces across the tour were slowed over time, partly in response to matches that consisted almost entirely of unreturned serves.
Slower surfaces give the returner more time and a higher bounce, both of which favour hitting through the court rather than defending against a net player.
Grass was affected as well, through changes to grass varieties and firmer soil preparation that raised the bounce and lengthened rallies.
Training moved toward the baseline
Junior development follows what wins. Once baseline power became dominant, coaching hours moved there, and volleying received proportionally less practice.
Volleying is a touch skill that decays quickly without repetition, so a player who has not built it early rarely acquires it later at professional standard.
The result is self-reinforcing. Fewer players volley well, so fewer opponents practise passing against net players, but the equipment advantage remains with the baseliner.
It survives as a selective weapon
Serve and volley still appears at particular moments, most often on a second serve to disrupt a returner who has settled into a rhythm.
Used sparingly, it works precisely because it is rare. A returner expecting a baseline exchange has to change plans mid-point.
What has disappeared is the version played on every point, which required a surface and an equipment environment that no longer exists.
