ADJUST YOUR POSITIONING
Usually when you return serve, you stand in a neutral position with your outside leg lined up with the singles sideline. But against a lefty, particularly when returning from the ad court, you want to take another step to your left. Straddle the singles sideline with your feet and stand just behind the baseline.

MOVE FORWARD DIAGONALLY
You have to move in to hit the ball early, before the serve drags you too far out wide. In a way, you’re attacking the ball before it attacks you. Start your shoulder turn and backswing a little earlier than you would on other serves and move forward to take the ball on the rise. Try to move in far enough to prevent the serve from taking you any wider than the doubles alley. If you move only to the side, you may hit the ball well, but you’ll be so far off the court that there will be no chance for recovery.

GET YOUR RACQUET ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BALL
Because it’s spinning away from your body, you have to get behind the ball and generate good racquet-head speed. And to hit the ball in the direction you want it to go, it helps to have a full followthrough. For example, if you’re hitting a backhand off a slice serve in the ad court, and you don’t follow through properly, your shot may sail to the left because the spin has started moving it out wide. This makes hitting the return down the line difficult. Because your return will likely fade to the left, I strongly recommend picking a crosscourt target. This gives you some margin for error if you don’t hit the ball at the perfect time. 

Article by Craig Kardon, Photos by Manuela Davies/Double Exposure – Tennis.com

Have you ever wondered why players stand near the intersection of the singles sideline and the baseline to return serve? Generally, this position places the returner halfway between a server’s two most dangerous serves: the one down the center service line and the one out wide. That positioning makes sense at the highest levels of the game, but the truth is that few players below the 5.0 level can serve to all parts of the service box with equal effectiveness. So why position yourself to cover serves that your opponent can’t hit? Next time you play, try to:

ADJUST YOUR POSITION
Most recreational players have clear preferences for where they like to place their serves. Pay attention to your opponent’s serves and adjust your position accordingly. For example, few intermediate players can hit effective serves out wide. If you’re faced with such a player, stand a foot or two toward the middle of the court.

PRESSURE THE SERVER
By adjusting your position on the return of serve to match the server’s abilities, you’re sending two messages. First, you’re letting your opponent know that you’re paying attention. And second, you’re telling him to beat you with his worst serve. Both messages are sure to pile on the pressure. On big points, especially when your opponent has to deliver a second serve, shifting your position can be enough to force him to hit a weak serve or a double fault.

Article by Tony Lance, Photos by Manuela Davies/Propix – Tennis.com

1. GET ORGANIZED
Just as with the serve, you should have a ritual before every return. This will help you relax, which will improve your shot-making and anticipation. Take your time, walk around the back of the court, consider the score, and determine what you want to do with the next return before positioning yourself. It really doesn’t matter what you do as long as you develop a consistent routine.

When setting your stance, give yourself a wide, balanced base and keep your upper body fairly upright. Start a step or two behind the baseline so that when you split-step forward you’ll be in an aggressive position to hit the ball. Depending on how quick or slow your reactions on the return are, or the pace of your opponent’s serve, you can adjust this starting position.

Keep your arms and hands loose and in front of your body. Before the point starts, decide which grip you’re going to hold the racquet with. In my opinion, that should be the forehand grip. I believe it’s much easier to change to a backhand during the take-back than the other way around. The exception would be if your opponent is serving exclusively to your backhand. In that case, you may choose to start out with that grip.

2. READ THE SERVE
 Once you’re set and the server is beginning his delivery, you’ve got an opportunity to anticipate what kind of serve it will be and potentially predict where it’s headed. This ability is derived from two sources. The first comes from cues in the server’s motion. Look for things like the location of the toss, stance, possible grip change, and even your opponent’s eyes to give you an indication of the direction of the serve. If the toss is out in front and in line with the hitting shoulder, expect a flat, aggressive serve. If the toss is out to the server’s right (left for lefties), it’s probably going to have some slice. A toss behind the head and a slight change to a backhand grip are cues for a kick serve.

The second indicator is a server’s past pattern. Over the course of a match, particularly on pressure points, keep track of the serves your opponent likes to hit. Perhaps when it’s deuce he serves the ball out wide to open the court on the next shot. Knowing these tendencies will help you get a good jump on the ball and hit better returns.

3. USE EFFICIENT TECHNIQUE
Just as the server hits the ball, you should perform your splitstep. In the brief time you’re in the air you’ll pick up the direction of the incoming serve. Once you land on the court, your first movement should be with your back leg. Pivot with that foot, use a level shoulder turn (with your wrists bringing the racquet back so the motion is compact), and take a short step toward the ball with your lead foot. So if you’re right-handed and returning serve in the deuce court, and your opponent serves down the T, you’re going to step out with your left foot and lean into the shot with your right leg as you hit a backhand.

On most first serves, there will probably only be time to hit the ball with an open stance. Use a quick shoulder turn while keeping your weight on the back foot and simply meet the ball with your racquet. When returning a serve that stretches you in either direction, you may have to step across your body with your front foot. Take a little side-step with your back foot toward the ball and cross over with your front foot to extend your reach. These are examples of a server robbing you of time; on the second serve, you may be able to step into the shot, take a bigger stroke, and add more spin.

4. KEEP YOUR TACTICS SIMPLE
Start your matches by aiming your returns down the middle. Hit the ball deep if the server stays back, and at his feet if he attacks the net (as in doubles). A reliable return down the center will put pressure on your opponent to play out each point. You should build your return game from this solid base. Start with consistency and depth, and as you start to read where the serves are going you can hit closer to the sidelines.
But you don’t want to add too much to your returns if it’s going to take away from your consistency. A smart time to go for your shots is on a second serve, particularly when the score is in your favor. You’ll have more time to return the ball and your opponent will feel pressure playing from behind.

This is also a chance to alter your return position, which can make your opponent uncomfortable and result in a fault. Either move inside the baseline to take the ball early or back up to allow for more time to take a bigger cut. Another smart move is to find a location that takes away your opponent’s favorite serve. If you move before the toss so your opponent sees it, you can get in the server’s head.

5. PRACTICE YOUR PREPARATION
Beginners and low intermediates can be aggressive on both first and second serves. But as you improve, the speed of your opponents’ deliveries will force you to be more conservative with your shots and efficient with your technique. To improve your preparation and reaction time, practice your returns while standing a few feet behind the service line. Or you can stay on the baseline and have your practice partner move up to the service line. Either way, you’re dramatically cutting down the time you have to react to the serve.

It’s also important to practice being aggressive with your returns. You want to be consistent with your shots, but you also need to apply pressure to the server by taking advantage of weak offerings. I like to play a game in which the server gets only one serve and players are rewarded with two points for a winner. This encourages the receiver to be forceful with the return and either finish the point outright or set up a winning shot on the next ball. A good way to build confidence with this tactic is to have your practice partner serve underhand. That will be a serve you can take advantage of.

Article by Lynne Rolley, Photos by Chris Trotman/Getty Images – Tennis.com

Most players spend plenty of time working on their games by doing various drills to develop their strokes or simulate point play. Yet for some reason one of the most crucial shots in the game, the return of serve, is largely neglected. When I ask my students how often they practice the return of serve, they usually admit that they only hit returns during matches. But to improve as a player, in either singles or doubles, it’s vital to spend time working on your return. Often I would spend my entire practice time trying to perfect it. Here’s an easy way to hone your return for whichever game you prefer to play:

For singles, practice your return of serve to these four spots:
1. Deep down the line
2. Deep crosscourt
3. Short down the line
4. Short crosscourt

SINGLES:
Start on the deuce side and have your practice partner hit serves to your forehand. Hit each of the following four returns, not moving onto the next one until you successfully make the shot: (1) deep down the line, (2) deep crosscourt, (3) short down the line, and (4) short crosscourt. After completing the series, repeat it at least one more time. You can implement variations such as hitting hard drives, soft spins, and high or low shots over the net. Then do the same returns on your backhand side. Once you complete at least two turns with the backhand, move over to the ad court and start over there.

DOUBLES:
Have your partner serve to you on the side you normally play. Start with the forehand crosscourt return. Your target should be your opponent’s service line. Hit at least five solid returns and then move on to the backhand return. Next, have your partner serve to your forehand again, but this time hit the return down the line. Again, you’re looking to hit a minimum of five good returns. Then switch to your backhand down the line. You can also add variations, such as the lob return and the chip and charge.

Article by Dennis Ralston, Illustration by Trevor Johnston – Tennis.com

BEGINNER OBJECTIVE 1
Get into the point. The most important thing on the return is to keep it simple. Try to make solid contact and put the ball in play. One of the biggest booby-traps for beginners is the tendency to worry too much about the opposing net player. This causes your concentration to waver and makes a successful return more difficult. Pick a big target area crosscourt that gives you plenty of margin for error, and don’t concern yourself with whether the net player poaches. If he does, so be it. Hit a good return and he’ll have trouble with the volley anyway. Once you can get the ball back crosscourt consistently, you can start to get a little more creative. Hit down the line to keep the net player honest or toss up a few lob returns for a change of pace. Much of this will revolve around the movement and activity level of the opposing net player. If he’s stationary, you can focus on getting the ball back to the server.

BEGINNER OBJECTIVE 2
Put your net player in the right position. In a perfect doubles world, the returning team’s net player would look to cut off as many balls as possible. But with less skilled players the role is a less intrusive one, as you should focus primarily on protecting your side of the court and preparing for any potential volleys. It’s important to make sure you give your partner the best chance to return. If that means moving back to the baseline so there’s less pressure on him to keep the ball away from the net man, then do it. If you’re going to be up at net, stand on the service line halfway between the singles sideline and the center line. That puts you in a good position to cover your side of the court. It also allows you to move forward if your partner hits a strong return or retreat to the baseline if it’s a weak one.

INTERMEDIATE OBJECTIVE 1
The net player should follow the ball and be aggressive when possible.
One of the simple rules of thumb of good net play is to move in the direction of the ball to cut off your opponents’ best hitting angles. So if you’re playing the ad court and your partner hits a wide-angle return to the server in the deuce court, you should move toward your left to make sure you’ve got the alley covered. That’s why, if your partner keeps the ball low and toward the middle, you as the net player can get more involved in the point. Whenever you see your opponent hitting a volley from below the level of the net, you and your partner should move forward. This will give you more opportunities to pick off poor returns from your opponents.

ADVANCED OBJECTIVE 1
On your returns, be aware of the opposing net player.
Depending on how skilled your opponents are, the net player should be covering anywhere from two-thirds to three-quarters of the court. That makes your return targets quite small. So you have to learn to hit your returns low and sharply crosscourt. When you go down the line, do it only with strong shots that force the net player to protect the alley. Since the net player is so active, hard serves down the middle that force you to stretch can become prob-lematic to return. It’s difficult to create an angle from such a position, and it’s tough to pull the return back down the line. You have to put the ball in a spot—either by keeping it low or lobbing it over the net player—that will allow you to get into the point without being in a defensive position.

ADVANCED OBJECTIVE 2
Be active, and smart, at net. The net player on the return team should be looking to make an impact. You want your opponents to feel that if they hit any passive or weak shots, you’re going to take advantage and put the ball away. That said, you can’t be reckless up there. Make sure you communicate with your partner when you’re going to poach so he can move to your side. And don’t try to cover every inch of the court. If your partner has good passing shots, you should feel confident letting some balls go back to the baseline knowing he can be effective from there. Another thing I strongly suggest is that when your partner is receiving, you look at the opposing net player. Don’t turn around and watch your partner hit the ball. By the time you turn around, if the net player has intercepted the ball, you’ll have little opportunity to return a solid volley hit your way. Instead, watch the net person to see what kind of return it is. If he can’t make a play, you can move forward and look to pick off a volley. If his eyes widen and you see him moving, you can better prepare yourself to defend and potentially get the ball back in play.

Article by Paul Annacone, Illustrations by Craig Zuckerman – Tennis.com

PROBLEM

SOLUTION
The key to speeding up your racquet on the return is to combine your shoulder turn and racquet take-back into one movement. To practice, get in your ready position and have a partner hit serves toward your forehand but deliberately into the net. Because you know where the serve is heading, you can jump-start your motion and have your racquet back and ready before the ball even hits the net. Then just shadow your swing. Next, have your partner hit serves in the net to either your forehand or backhand side. Continue to practice getting your racquet back before the ball hits the net, and then shadow your swing. Finally, have your partner serve over the net to either side. You’ll be amazed how quickly you react to both forehand and backhand returns.

Article by Dennis Van Der Meer, Photos by M. David Leeds/Getty Images – Tennis.com

BEGINNER

OBJECTIVE 1: Develop a consistent motion
The most important thing to focus on at this level— whether it’s the first or second serve—is consistency with your delivery, and that begins with the ball toss. It’s normal to tighten up a little on your second serve, so it’s vital, if you want to use that stroke effectively, to take as many variables as possible out of the equation and let repetition and habit take over. The best way to do this is to have a consistent ball toss that doesn’t fl y all over the place and force you to make technical changes in order to hit the ball. Practice by holding the ball in your fingertips and using a lifting, not throwing, motion to place the ball to the right (assuming you’re a right-hander) and in front of your body just above the height of your outstretched racquet. Also, remember to extend your arm fully for your second serve just as you would for your first. Many players unintentionally lower their toss on their second delivery because they get tense.

OBJECTIVE 2: Bridge the gap
At the club level, it’s common to see players hit big, flat first serves that rarely go in, and then follow them up with weak second serves that travel at less than half the speed of their first. Ideally, your first serve should go in 60 to 70 percent of the time and your second serve should move at about two-thirds of the speed of your first one. If you have trouble reaching those levels, you might consider being less ambitious on your first serve. Build your serve up from your second serve, not down from your first.

INTERMEDIATE

OBJECTIVE 1: Pick a target
Your first priority at this level is to master placement. Make sure you can direct serves to each of the three important locations in the service box: the forehand, the backhand, and right at your opponent’s body. Players tend to forget about the body serve, but it’s an important part of good strategy. Many receivers don’t handle the body blow well and you can use it to get your opponent off-balance so you can take advantage with your next shot. But most of your second serves should be aimed toward your opponent’s weaker side—just don’t become predictable. Mix it up by occasionally going toward his stronger wing or right at him. By doing this, you not only keep your opponent guessing, you also create opportunities to dictate play. And by serving to his strength you make it easier to target his weak side, which will help you get on the offensive after the serve. Practice this tactic by placing targets on the court and aiming for them.

OBJECTIVE 2: Experiment with spin
Adding spin to your serve gives you another dimension to play with. Spin adds margin for error to your serve—you can hit the ball higher and harder and it will still fall into the court—plus it produces tricky bounces that can confound your opponent. Start by learning the slice. It’s easier than the kick serve because it’s not quite as complicated and it’s a more natural motion for your body.

To hit the slice serve, toss the ball farther to the right (if you’re right-handed) than you would for a fl at serve and hit across the outside of the ball from 2 o’clock down to about 8 o’clock. Don’t do this solo. It’s best to get an instructor to help you lay the groundwork for a spin serve. As you get better, you can also begin experimenting with the kicker, too.

ADVANCED

OBJECTIVE 1: Notice your opponent’s tendencies
At this level you should have a pretty sound second serve in terms of technique, placement, and spin control. While you don’t want your second delivery to be overly aggressive, which invites double faults, you should serve with the intention of setting up the point so you can hit your second shot from a position of strength. For example, if you have a big forehand and you want to hit as many as you can once the point begins, figure out where to place your second serve to increase your chances of getting a return to your forehand. How you get this done will vary depending on your opponent’s tendencies and strengths, so there are no hard and fast rules here. Pay attention to your opponent’s patterns and tailor your second serve accordingly.

OBJECTIVE 2: Rely on your second serve in practice
There’s a saying in tennis that you’re only as good as your second serve. This is absolutely true. Your second serve is the foundation of your service game; it’s the shot you rely on when your first serve isn’t working well, so it has to be dependable under pressure. A great way to hone your second delivery is to play practice sets in which you get only one serve. This forces you to find a balance between aggression and consistency, which is exactly what you’re looking for in a good second serve.

Article by Paul Annacone, Illustrations by Craig Zuckerman – Tennis.com