Return of Serve Training

Return of Serve Training

Andy Dowsett

"OK, do you want to get broken first, or do you want to let me hold?" —What cheeky world No. 1 Martina Hingis quipped at the coin toss before a 1997 match against Lindsay Davenport.

Advantages of returning serve

• If your opponent is a slow starter, you have a better chance of getting an early service break.
  
• If you are a slow starter, you have a better chance of avoiding an early service break.
  
• If you serve on even-numbered games, you serve immediately after every changeover. Then you are physically and mentally rested—albeit your opponent also is—and that gives you a better chance of holding serve, especially in the latter stages of grueling matches.
  
• If you choose return of serve to start the match, you still have about a 50 percent chance—depending on whether sets total an even or odd number of games—of serving to start the remaining sets. And if you start the match returning serve and you play a first-set tiebreaker, you will serve to start the second set.
  
• If you boast an excellent return of serve and your opponent has a poor serve, you may want her to serve first so you can try to gain an early service break and get off to a fast start.
  
• The same thinking holds true (in reverse) if you have a weak, attackable serve and your opponent has a terrific service return. You can avoid a demoralizing early service break by selecting return of serve.
  
• If your opponent wins the toss and selects a side of the court so that you're looking into a bright sun and/or you're against a heavy wind, you may not want to risk losing your serve in the opening game.
  

THE TECHNIQUE
Basics
Athletic Stance - Positioning towards the ball - Grip

Work out opponents range of serves zone
Set up your Y-formation in relation to the above


THE TACTICS
Utilise the following tactics to enhance your return of serve game

• First, stand far behind the baseline. This often encourages your opponent to overhit the serve in an effort to get it past or through you.
  
• Second, stand closer to the service line. Many players take this as a sign of disrespect for their serve and become unnerved. Often it triggers a more aggressive, riskier serve than the server might otherwise attempt.
  
• Third, a variant of the previous tactic, stand close to the service line before your opponent serves. This can create pressure on the server, then just before the serve, move back to a safer position to actually make the return.
  
• Four, stand nearer to one side. Invite the server to serve into the open area of the service box. This tactic can often force a serve to your stronger side.
  

Return Targets using the 4-Square basic routine

Tactical choices for the receiver in terms of 4-Square.

• If you don't know the server's capabilities, at the beginning of the match, it's wise to use percentage tennis and target the back two squares using topspin or well-struck underspin shot that drives the ball deep into the court.
  
• As the match progresses, you should start varying your return locations. To hit to the wider squares.
  
• If you're looking at a slow, shallow second serve into the service box, you can also use a drop shot to 1 or 4.
  

Consider the following tactical points also…

Borrow pace from the big first servers

Make something happen when returning second serves. Here, patterns of play enter the picture. Either drive the return deep into the corner or chip and charge and take control of the net. When driving the return of the second serve and remaining on the baseline, simply play the ball crosscourt. No real reason to return down the line, for in that case the net is high, the court is shorter, and most importantly, the recovery footwork is magnified.

Approach up the line

THE PSYCHOLOGY

Pay attention to what happens after double faults (3 in a row is winner)

Now consider the server who double faults, and then misses the subsequent first serve – assuming they would not care to deliver consecutive double faults they generally let up on that next second serve. The aggressive receiver knows this is coming, steps in and makes something happen, working always to apply more and more pressure against the second serve.


Overall aim - to play at 60-70 percent of return stroke capability so you can get a high percentage of returns in.