What rules would you change in tennis? Originally answered on Aug. 29, 2016.
This question originally appeared on Quora — the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights. You can follow Quora on Twitter , Facebook and Google+ .
MORE FROM QUORA: Why doesn’t Djokovic command the same level of fan following as Federer or Nadal considering he is not far behind them?
Answer by Pat Cash , Wimbledon champion and five-time Grand Slam finalist:
An obvious one to me, and one that’s long overdue, is the let on the serve. Currently you get a new serve if a let is called. I think we should emulate US college tennis where the point is played ball if it hits the net on the serve or not. It would add excitement and stop wasting time! This is an easy one to implement.
Next, I strongly believe string technology needs to be regulated. Modern strings have added so much power and spin to the game that we’re seeing the death of the volley. Modern strings have made it possible for players to generate an incredible amount of power and spin from almost any position on court with sometimes little more than a flick of the wrist.
Unlike golf, there are very few legitimate regulations on equipment. Yes, there is a size restriction on the racket and officially nothing can be added onto the strings. This was to stop the double-strung racket that came out in the 70s that produced crazy amounts of spin, making it impossible to come near the net as players could be lobbed easily and passed at will. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it ...
One of the reasons we haven’t seen any regulations for a long time is that there are two governing bodies in tennis: the ATP/WTA who run the tours and the ITF (International Tennis Federation) who run the Grand Slams, Davis Cup, Fed Cup and the lower-level futures and International junior events. Since the ITF run the Grand Slams they are the main policy-makers in the rules department.
Until very recently (this year) the ITF never had a discussion board that included former professional players. And although they have a lab in London, they have a very small budget to analyze technological advancements or do scientific testing. So it’s not surprising that they’ve come to the conclusion that strings do not affect the game in any negative way. What is surprising and somewhat baffling is that the ITF believes it’s (almost exclusively) modern tennis technique that produces all the spin. Although this may be somewhat true, it’s ludicrous to assume that players even as far back as Rod Laver (with near-perfect modern technique) were incapable of generating spin. The fact is that all professional players have techniques capable of producing spin (some more than others, like Nadal for example).
But trust me when I say it’s nearly impossible to effectively volley a ball with heavy topspin from modern power players. There is a reason you see fewer and fewer volleyers these days. And one of the main reasons is modern string technology. The bottom line is that it’s killing the volley and I think it’s sad to see a big part of the game disappear.
But the ITF with their limited ability for scientific testing and lack of data on the decline of volleying (they've only collected information since the 90s, when volleying was already in steep decline) do not find the effects of string technology conclusive.
Head-in-the-sand attitude if you ask me (and many former/current players). I’d love to see some more diversity back in the game.
You can read more from Pat Cash by subscribing to his newsletter .
MORE FROM QUORA: Who are the most interesting and exciting players to watch in the 2016 US Open?