Waiting... I have time

[CCH4TENNIS]

Hi All

Before coming across the concept of waiting in a return of serve(ROS), I have always felt that the ball is coming too fast and inevitably, I can't get to the ball or shanked my ROS. These days, I tell myself I've got time and amazingly enough, I can actually see and return these fast-paced serves quite easily. Why do you think this is happening ?

[InspectorRacquet]

It sounds like you are more relaxed. Being relaxed helps in all aspects of the game - ROS, ground strokes, serve, etc.

You might have been too stiff before, and most of the time hitting a stiff ground stroke can often lead to shanking.

[Maui19]

Originally Posted by CCH4TENNIS

Hi All

Before coming across the concept of waiting in a return of serve(ROS), I have always felt that the ball is coming too fast and inevitably, I can't get to the ball or shanked my ROS. These days, I tell myself I've got time and amazingly enough, I can actually see and return these fast-paced serves quite easily. Why do you think this is happening ?

Being relaxed makes you MUCH quicker. It helps a lot at the net as well.

[boramiNYC]

thing is when you know exactly what to do and completely focused on execution you play more relaxed. when what to do is not clear or there are other emotions it tightens up.

[5263]

There are certain things that we may not perceive very well in the time available.
Great acceleration or decel is a good example of this. On serve often we see a ball
coming from much faster than other shots, giving us less time to perceive the
high rate of decel that takes place on all tennis shots. When we have more time,
we can account for it better and it doesn't matter as much if we don't.
On a fast serve, not accounting for the decel well makes us feel rushed and
hurts our timing...one of the most important aspects for our strokes.
Once you can just realize that the extra time will show up as the ball slows, then you
can relax and have better timing to execute your quality stroke.
IMO this is how "waiting" can help.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by CCH4TENNIS

Hi All

Before coming across the concept of waiting in a return of serve(ROS), I have always felt that the ball is coming too fast and inevitably, I can't get to the ball or shanked my ROS. These days, I tell myself I've got time and amazingly enough, I can actually see and return these fast-paced serves quite easily. Why do you think this is happening ?

Part of it is that you have actually become better with practice. When I first started facing "monster" servers, I was not quick enough to return them. Then they became easy to return. Playing with a variety of players helps a lot. You need to see serves of different speeds and trajectories to get used to them, otherwise you become good at returning the serves of the people you regularly play with, and experience trouble with new opponents.

Another aspect is what to focus on. Much excellent advice has been provided in this forum. Currently, I focus on the racket face movement just before the serve is hit. (Unlike ground strokes, racket face angle is more difficult to use as serves are started on edge and it gets too late.) But I guess both the angle and the movement can be used.

[southend]

See some additional thoughts in the thread titled "service return: where do you focus your eyes?". Probably search with the key words SERVICE RETURN.

[NLBwell]

You were probably trying to do too much. To return a fast serve, all you really have to do is get the racket in front of it. Think simple.