TennisOne Lessons

Return of Serve

The Second Most Important Shot in Tennis

Dave Kensler - Peter Burwash International (PBI)

When tennis players only have 5-10 minutes to warm up prior to a match almost invariably, they neglect to to practice their service returns.

Often players will hit ground strokes, take some at the net, and then hit serves. Furthermore, a popular habit when opponents are warming up their serves is to stop the ball with our racquet and then serve it back! Again, neglecting the return.

Yet, the two most important shots in tennis are the serve and return of serve. This is true whether you play social or competitive tennis. Why? On a social level, if you are unable to get the serve and return of serve into play consistently, then tennis becomes extremely frustrating and a lot less fun. On a competitive level, quite simply, you won’t win. It doesn't matter how good your ground strokes or net game are if you don’t serve and return well and whatever strategy you conceived will be rendered useless.

Of those two, the serve is the most important because it starts every point. Which makes the return of serve the second most important shot. Therefore it would be easy to argue if you only have five minutes to warm-up prior to a match, spend most of that time hitting serves and return of serves with a few ground strokes and volleys at the end.

Kim Clijsters positions her outside foot just behind the singles sideline as she awaits to return serve.

Let’s take a look at the important issues regarding the return of serve.

Positioning

Before you even hit the ball, you need to decide where to stand. Yet to suggest there is one perfect place to stand would be like getting into a debate about which Picasso painting was his best work. There are advantages and disadvantages to whatever position you take on the court. What I will suggest might be defined as “generally acceptable guidelines.”

Singles

Your “outside foot” should be near the singles sideline (Extended if you are standing three feet behind the baseline). This means on the deuce court it would be right foot; on the ad court it would be your left foot. You then move up or back depending on how tough the serve is to return or between the first and second serves, still keeping the foot near the singles sideline.

Doubles

Wherever the server stands on the baseline, you stand in the corresponding same position on your side (Again moving up or back based on the difficulty of the serve or between the first and second serve). This puts you in the middle of the angle which they can serve to in the box.

Remember, there are many variables which can impact my suggestions, i.e. is the server right-handed or left-handed? Do they have a nasty slice serve? Are they able to serve to one particular area very well? These questions and more all can determine where you decide to position yourself to return serve.

Acknowledged as the game's greatest returner, note how compact Agassi's return technique is.

Stroke Mechanics

Keep it simple. Compared to your “normal” ground stroke swing, more than likely you will need to keep the preparation much shorter along with the swing too. Keep your “contact area” short and compact.

Obviously if someone has a weak second serve you may choose the option of taking a huge swing at the ball in hopes of winning the point at that moment.

Remember, it is a 2-ounce ball which has to get over a 3-foot net and can’t travel more than 78-feet (If you are standing on the baseline when you hit your return). The server is providing you with all the power and speed so you don’t need to generate more in order for the ball to go over the net.

Strategy

What I would like to do in this section is share my ideas in the form of five “tips.”

Tip #1

In many sports there is an “offense” and “defense” and the serve/return of serve aspect of tennis is just that. The server has a great advantage (Offense) because he gets to hit the ball first and presumably has a plan as to how and where he is going to hit it. Example: a hard slice serve to the backhand. The receiver, on the other hand does not know this information and thus can only react (Defense). And remember, should the first serve fail, the server gets yet a second chance to put the ball in play.

The main strategy or goal of the receiver should be to put the ball in play, not to go from defense to offense with the return of serve. I believe this is perhaps the number one reason why tennis players lose so many points on return of serve, they try to do too much, to hit too big a shot.

Tip #2

Think neutralize! This is the middle ground between offense and defense. Rather than go from defense to offense, instead, go from defense to neutral. To do this, you don’t need a huge racquet swing.

A perfect example of this would be returning against someone who is serving and volleying. If you can hit the return at the server’s feet then you have neutralized the situation. The server now has to hit the ball up to get it over the net allowing you the possibility of transitioning to offense on the next shot. On the other hand, if your return is high, they will be able to volley down on you keeping you on the defense.

An easy way to remember this is simply by 3 letters…D-N-O, Defense–Neutral–Offense. Don’t try to go from “D” to “O” with one big shot. Make sure you try “N” first.

A basic neutralizing strategy would be to make the server play another shot.

Tip #3

Change where you stand to receive the serve! In my opinion, this is the most under utilized “advantage” you have when returning serve!? The server must stand behind the baseline; the receiver can stand inside the baseline, on the baseline or 10 feet behind the baseline! Use this to your advantage!

It never ceases to amaze me how someone will continue to stand in the same spot on the court to receive serve and lose point after point with the server hitting to a favorite location.

An example would be if you are having trouble with serves going down the middle. Move towards the middle. Yes, this makes you more vulnerable to a wide serve but at the same time there are two important points to consider:

1. You “shrink” the middle area for the server to hit into.

2. You make the server do something different. This forces the server to change the direction of the serve. Remember, a basic strategy for all aspects of tennis is to make the opponent use their second or third preferences and not allow them to hit their favorite shots.

Tip #4

Give yourself a plan. If a server can have a plan before they hit a serve; then you should have one before you hit a return! Make it simple. For example, if the serve is to my forehand, I will hit it crosscourt; if it is to my backhand, I will hit it up the middle.” This puts you in more of a proactive than a reactive frame of mind.

Tip #5

Practice your return of serve. Nothing will help the strategy of your return of serve better than feeling confident with the shot. Here are three useful ways to practice the return of serve:

1. If you know you are going to play someone who has a big serve or you have a regular game with a friend who fires rockets at you; then have someone stand on the service line and hit serves to you. This will help quicken your reaction time and so when you face an opponent serving from the baseline, the ball will be more manageable.

2. If you see someone at your club practicing their serve, ask if you can practice your return. Regardless of their level, we all need to practice returning fast and slow serves.

3. Take a quick 30-minute lesson from your pro and be very specific about the type of return you need to practice i.e. “When I play doubles I have trouble returning from the ad court when it is wide to my backhand.”  Practice the things that give you trouble in matches.

Good luck and many happy returns!

Your comments are welcome. Let us know what you think about Dave Kensler's article by emailing us here at TennisOne.

Dave Kensler has been teaching tennis for 23 years with Peter Burwash International (PBI).

PBI contracts with resorts, hotels and clubs all over the world to direct tennis programs. The company presently has professionals working at 62 facilities in North America, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Caribbean, Pacific and Indian Ocean. During its 30 years in business, PBI tennis professionals have taught tennis in over 135 countries. For more information visit: www.pbitennis.com.