Do you practice the return of serve?

[Relinquis]

Do you practice the return of serve? and how?

I've started to focus on this a bit more. I just have my practice partner serve at me over and over again (all 1st serves). I'm getting better at it, but i might be getting better at returning his serves specifically and probably need to practice against others.

Do you guys focus on this specifically?

[Roy125]

I do practice the return of serve, mostly when my partner is practicing his serves and I return balls back.

[dizzlmcwizzl]

All the time ... Of course I often practice service return when my partner is serving.

but this drill is my favorite.

My partner serves from just behind his service line and then we play out the point cross court. I like it because I get practice on faster serves, with better placement (beacuse of his position) and I also get to work on returning against a S & V doubles player.

He likes it because although he does not get much from the serving part, he does get to practice the volley part of S & V without the excess pounding on his body.

[martini1]

ROS is the worst part of my game before I have been playing with a bunch of 3.0-3.5. I need to practice more but the only way to get better is to play with people .05 or 1 notch better than you. I need to do that more.

[TennisCJC]

I practice on a wall and at team practices. I will stand about 5 feet closer to the wall and feed a ball high and relatively firm so it results in a high bounce back to me. Then I work on a return motion with practically no backswing like a very compact groundstroke. Work on a few slices and a few with a little topspin.

At team practices, I will work on specific things like a topspin CC return from the ad court. Compact take it early, hit the lower outside of the ball. Things like that.

[always_crosscourt]

Yeh, I get my partner to serve from 2cm behind the net on his side, while I try to hit returns with a weighted racket and wearing ankle weights. And an eye patch on one eye. Oh - and I shoot myself in the knee beforehand.

After training that way - returning normal serves becomes a piece of cake.

The best life philosophy is: "if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball."

[marosmith]

It's the most important shot for anyone under 4.5 level (then arguably it's he serve). Whenever my partner practices serves I return. I focus on directing returns if I can, down the line, cross-court. Probably the most fun practice is r,eturning against a bug sever and getting into a good groove.

[martini1]

I find my biggest problem is my first reaction. I am not moving quick enough or I am not keeping my eye on the ball thru contact. For body serves I frame the ball a lot doing a bh slice. That's the serve I have the most trouble with.

Any good advice?