Return of Serve

[westcoast]

What are the keys to the return of serve?

[stotty]

What are the keys to the return of serve?

That's a broad question. It depends on so many things: you're standard of play, what problems your having returning, etc. Some indicators here may help you get your thread answered.

[don_budge]

Part 1...My Thoughts on Returning Serve

What are the keys to the return of serve?

Very basically...

Rule number one...get the ball in play! No missing in the net. The server will feel more pressure if his serves constantly and consistently come back into play.

Rule number two...neutralize the point as soon as possible but be patient. You don't have to neutralize with the return it might take two or three shots.

Rule number three...win the first point. If you win the first...double down on the second. Play the points tactically. Know when to play conservatively and when to be more aggressive. When behind in the game score you may play a bit more defensively or aggressively or depending upon the situation. The converse may be true if you are ahead in the score. But have something in mind...don't play without purpose.

Rule number four...Put more pressure on second serves when possible but still revert to rule number one.


I always felt that playing doubles sharpened up the return of serve but everyone knows that nobody plays doubles anymore.

[bottle]

Same old shot might be the best philosophy for ordinary play, but not for service returns-- especially if you're facing a really good serve and nothing seems to work. Then, try anything! One needs a list of possibilities. How's your volley? Clearly, this is a time for imagination.

[don_budge]

Part 2...My Thoughts on Returning Serve

Right from the beginning of a match apply rule number one. When the balls are new and full of life and your opponent might just be serving his first game with a bit of nerves...make him win his serve and don't hand it to him by trying to do too much with his serve. Work your way into it.

Start a bit slower and once the balls start to slow down a bit try to get a handle on his pace, spin and tactics. If you can steal a break of serve right off the bat it will give you a bit of confidence on your own serve plus you will have the knowledge that you can break his serve once things get more critical towards the end of the set or the match.

Particularly against opponents that are baseliners there is no real necessity or advantage of trying to manhandle the serve...just get the ball in play and go from there. Now if you happen to be very good on the return of serve hit at your opponents weakness particularly on second serves. Keep in mind always try to give your opponent something that he is not comfortable with and work towards that end. Perhaps he isn't so happy if you consistently float the ball back to his backhand. Maybe he isn't pleased as punch if you slice your backhand low and spinny.

Keep the ball in play...put pressure on the server to win his serve. Especially in tight situations. Pressure adds up during the course of a match...it is cumulative. Keep applying the pressure of forcing your opponent to win his serve. If he really has to work to hold serve a couple of times he will have his doubts when things get a little dicey.

[don_budge]

Part 3...My Thoughts on Returning Serve

Well westcoast...those were my thoughts on the return of serve. Totally ad libbed. But my thoughts often are residual memories and recollections of the truest master of the game and that is none other than Bill Tilden. I see that you are relatively new here to the forum so let me explain that my tennis teaching model motto goes something like this...all of the forum veterans here are rolling their eyes because they know what is coming.

I never ask for forgiveness in repeating myself because playing tennis is a matter of repetitive motions...and when you are teaching tennis you end up repeating yourself over and over trying to get through the various widths of the tennis student's skull and into the "gold mine".

The Book is Bill Tilden...Richard Gonzales is the model with the J. Donald Budge backhand. Harry Hopman is the coach and Roger Federer is the living proof.

Both of my favorite tennis books are authored by Bill Tilden. The first is the must read introduction to the game of tennis that is titled...”How to Play Better Tennis...a complete guide to technique and tactics”. But don’t be fooled by the introductory aspect as there is much in this book to be gleaned by all and any. Some of the most astute coaches who have read this book for the first time are somewhat surprised how much the past has to teach us...even about tennis. I strongly recommend this book to you in your search for knowledge in the game of tennis. I also strongly recommend "Match Play and the Spin of the Ball". Written in the 1920's it was considered to be "The Bible" on tennis by Harry Hopman and the great Australians back in the 1960's...in prehistoric tennis times at any rate. Any Bible's or wannabe's that have been written since Tilden's are clearly impostors.

I looked in this book for something about return of serve but did not initially see anything in the titles of chapters...so I dug just a bit and came up with these words in the chapter titled “The Drive” in a section titled “To Return Serve”. In this chapter Tilden is discussing uses of the drive and he cites the return of serve as the most valuable use of the drive. I wrote the two above posts without looking...and I was sort of curious how my thoughts compared to the Master’s. You be the judge.

From Bill Tilden in "How to Play Better Tennis...a complete guide to technique and tactics":

1. To Return Serve

About 80 percent of all services received are capable of being driven back at the server. Of this percentage only 10 percent are capable of being hit for outright winners by the receiver. About half of the remaining 70 percent can be attacked and about half defended with the drive. The receiver that will concentrate on getting service into play puts his opponent under a tremendous pressure. Nothing is so discouraging to a player as to see his good attacking service come back deep into the middle of the court, making him start all over again.

The first and most valuable use of the drive is successfully to defend against a service. Do no try to do too much with your first return of service. Be content to put the ball in play, fairly deep into your opponent’s court, but with a wide margin of safety. So many players try to paste every service return and all they produce is a deluge of their own errors. Only if a server is coming in behind his service is there much reason to do anything special with a service return. Then you must be very definite but rather than taking an unnecessary chance in trying to win outright I advocate hitting a slow, low drive that gives the server a volley that he cannot do much with and then hit out for your passing shot off his volley.

In hitting a service return make it definitely cross-court or definitely straight but allow yourself plenty of margin of safety. Do not hit for a line since if you draw it so fine, you will make too many unnecessary errors. Hit your drive hard enough so that it will not sit up, but there is no need to use anything above good average speed. Should the server be careless enough to hit a weak serve that bounds up where you like it, then do not hesitate but wade in and hit hard for a winner. These chances are few and far between and you should not try for them off good attacking serves. You should give most returns of service plenty of room to clear the net.

Off a service when the server stays back on the baseline the return drive should be not less than a foot nor more that three feet above the net. In the event that the server comes in then the drive should never be higher than a foot above the net and the closer to the net cord the better if you do not draw it too fine. Better to be too high and give your opponent a volley than to low and give him the point by an error. A shot that clears the net always has a chance but a shot into the net is dead and gone.

Any questions?

[GeoffWilliams]

What are the keys to the return of serve?

Practice the shot about 45 minutes a day. No one practices first shot tennis. If you want to win matches, hit 100 returns and 100 serves a day. Aim for the lines.